How chef Virgilio Martínez runs the best restaurant in the world
₹ 50,000 and ₹70,000 (for a window seat with a sweeping view of Mumbai) per person. The name of each dish incorporated the altitude of the place from where the ingredients had been sourced. The Coral, for instance, had sea lettuce from 5m above sea level, Extreme Altitude had corn from 4,200m above sea level, and the dessert Cacao Theobroma had chocolate made with cacao from 1,800m above sea level.
The music changes to complement each course. A dish with ingredients from the sea had a track with the sounds of the ocean, and one with ingredients from the Andes was served with music interspersed with the gentle whooshing of wind. “The food comes from different ecosystems and music sets the context," he explains.
It is this attention to detail—he calls it obsession—that underlies each of his endeavours, be it Central in Lima, which opened in 2008, his food research centre Mater Iniciativa, which is headquartered in Cusco and has a branch in Lima, or the destination restaurant Mil, located at the Inca ruins in Moray, Peru. Martínez was in Mumbai for three nights and had a packed schedule, which included a press meet, interviews, and visits to different restaurants. Throughout he appeared relaxed, dressed casually in denims and T-shirts.
“We are chefs and we need to please people. I was trained for this you know," he says laughing and adds, “It’s discipline. I don’t party, and I get my eight hours of sleep.
Every morning, I meditate for 15 minutes and go for 5km runs four times a week. Once you have discipline, you’re set to see life with different eyes with curiosity and positivity. I used to complain about a lot of things, and that has changed.
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