Two cooks, still in their youth, meet in Paris. She is German, he is Peruvian. They fall in love and begin dreaming of their own restaurant. He convinces her to go with him to Peru to make the dream come true. It is 1993 and the dominance of French haute cuisine, still present, strongly influences many cooks and diners around the world. It is in this context, in July 1994, that Astrid&Gastón was born in Lima, Peru.
Twenty years later,much has happened with Peru and Peruvian cuisine. Unlike those timeswhen inspiration was sought in foreigningredients and recipes,whencookslocked themselvesup in their kitchens and lived with suspicion of their peers, ignoring the farmers’work and the social and ecological challenges of the environment, today’s cooking is fortunately getting a breath of fresh and beautiful air.
Today, Peruvian cuisine is nourished and inspired by its fascinating biodiversity and culture. Today, Peruvian and Latin American cooks, without being judgmental of individual styles or ideas, work together to develop a cuisine that, more beautiful and magical every day, seeks to create newopportunities, such as for the farmer in the countryside – where cuisine begins its journey – and all the wayto the diner in the city – where the story usually ends. Such opportunities will benefit society in fields as intimately linked to it as culture, social solidarity, the environment, education, nutrition or innovation. Today, the cook is finally playing a new role: that of someone who is able to tell stories through his kitchen that not only stir the senses but also the soul, the mind and the heart. It has been 20 years since the start of this beautiful process and Astrid&Gastón is proud and honored to have been part of it.
Today, more alive than ever and with the same excitement of yesterday, we still tremble with emotion at the arrival of new products each morning, at the daily discovery of new paths in our cuisine, at the pride of being part of a movement that represents the new cuisine of Peru and Latin America. Today, 20 years later at Astrid&Gastón, we feel that this story has only just begun.
Astrid y Gaston
Diego Muñoz, Maître de Maison
This restaurant was founded 19 years ago and is managed today by Diego Muñoz. It epitomises Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche’s dream of sharing their contemporary take on Peruvian cuisine with the entire world. Astrid & Gastón’s cuisine draws its inspiration from the traditions and the biodiversity of Peru, and yet never breaks its links with the world around it, responding first and foremost to the challenges posed by the future and by our environment. A living experience with a hint of magic and sensitivity.
Diego Muñoz started out at university studying engineering, it took him a while to relaise it but in 1998 he realised that what he really wanted to do was, cook. He left Peru and headed off to Cananda to study to become a chef.
He has since spent time in some of the most exciting and famous kitchens in the world including Mugaritz, known by the press as "the most important gastronomic phenomenon of the World in recent times" and the famous 3 Michelin starred El Bulli in Barcelona. In 2011, his efforts at Bilsons Restaurant in Sydney got both him and the restaurant nominated for Restaurant and Chef of The Year, respectively.
Now, Muñoz is Executive Chef of Peru’s most acclaimed restaurant, Astrid y Gaston. His instruction in the kitchen and management of the restaurant helped placed Astrid y Gaston in the 14th place of San Pellegrino’s 50 best restaurants. These are big achievements – truly a master’s achievements.
Diego says of his time at El Bulli, that it expanded his horizons both in the kitchen and with staff. He remains close to El Bulli and is involved in a collaborative effort for a new Astrid y Gaston.
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