16-11-2018

Nuema, Ecuadorian pride

In Quito, Alejandro and Pia Chamorro are doing a great job giving dignity to the cuisine of the Latin American country

Alejandro Chamorro, chef at Nuema, Quito (Ecuador

Alejandro Chamorro, chef at Nuema, Quito (Ecuador)

It’s the first timeIdentità Golose covers a restaurant in Ecuador. We can do so because Nuema perfectly represents the contemporary spirit of this neglected Latin American country. The name of this place in Quito comes from a combination of the names of chef’s and sous-chef’s children: NU (NuriaE (Emilio) and MA (Martìn). It is essential to say that, though Alejandro Chamorro is the head chef, his sous chef and wife Pia Salazar plays an equally significant role in the success of the restaurant.

The cuisine Nuema makes tradition and modernity meet. The Chamorrosshow a strong respect for their country’s popular cuisine, but they use avantgarde techniques to give a creative twist to seasonal products. There’s a Nordic touch in the aesthetics, successfully mixed with the strong local identity.

There’s only a tasting menu, focused on the best products the two pick every day in Quito’s markets. Ecuador’s biodiversity is unique, it is surely the richest, if you think of the country’s size. This land has different biomes and unique products from the Amazon forest, the Andes, the coast, the Galapagos islands – the most important natural heritage in the world, according to UNESCO.

Crab and prawn ravioli with coconut sauce (photo from facebook)

Crab and prawn ravioli with coconut sauce (photo from facebook)

The restaurant is in an 18th Century colonial house: artworks, design and craftworks play an important role. The dishes are often the sum of three ingredients and are served on home-made plates, the work of local ceramic artisans. They mostly use slow cooking and “old school” techniques. There are many fermented products which they make themselves, vegetables and tubers and pseudo-cereals from the Andes.

The food at Nuema is a celebration of the flavours and culture of Ecuador – hidden treasures of Latin-American cuisine.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso

Nuema
Junin E1-44 e Juan Pio Montufar, San Marcos
Quito, Ecuador
+593.(2)395 7010
Tasting menu: 35, 50 and 65 dollars (5, 9 and 12 courses)


Dal Mondo

Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose

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Luciana Bianchi

Half Italian, half Brazilian, she works both as chefs and as food writer. Among all the thing she does, she's author of the World’s 50 Best blog

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