It’s about time! It is in this way and “with joy” that José Avillez announces the return of chef and friend Diego Munoz to Lisbon, five years after the project ended. Between November 19th to December 21sto Avillez neighborhoodin Lisbon, promises “days of celebration for lovers of Peruvian cuisine”, with a pop-up from the restaurant Peruvian Cantina.
“Like no one else, Diego Muñoz and José Avillez will take us on a journey through the streets of Lima and through the different influences of Peruvian cuisine: Andean, Spanish, African, Japanese and Chinese!”, announced in a statement. “Cantinas, traditional taverns, are true icons of Lima, they are part of our cultural heritage and their history is linked to Peruvians’ passion for cooking and socializing”, explains Diego Muñoz, the chef Peruvian.
Chef Diego Muñoz
José Avillez Group
For this pop-up Cantina Peruana, the two cooks and friends prepared a set menu, “unique and very complete, absolutely irresistible”, only available at dinner. Entitled “Journey through the length and breadth of Peru”the experience begins with “Pisco Sour”the classic Peruvian cocktail prepared with pisco, lime, egg white and angostura bitters.
The “Ceviches & Tiraditos” section invites you to choose two of the three options: “Classic Ceviche”with white fish, octopus, natural tiger’s milk, camote and Peruvian choclo; “Creamy Seafood and Avocado Ceviche”composed of prawns, scallops and navajas in creamy tiger milk; or “Tiradito Nikkei”prepared with sliced tuna, Nikkei tiger milk, white horseradish and sesame.
Capon Airport
José Avillez Group
The menu by Diego Muñoz and José Avillez continues with “Cocina Caliente”, in which there are three options, with a choice of two: “Iberian Pork Anticucho” (Grilled pork neck with Nikkei anticuchera and crispy porridge); “Potato Stuffed with Oxtail” (Crispy mashed potatoes stuffed with oxtail with rocoto huancaína) or “Shrimp Chicharrón in Tempura” (Crispy shrimp with tartar sauce and chalaca). Serve “Capon Airport”that is, fried rice with char siu, tortilla vaca de gambitas, horseradish and ginger, with the menu ending with “Peruvian Chocolate Mousse”.
The “Viaje por lo Largo Y Ancho del Perú” menu costs €55 per person and is served exclusively for dinner in Bairro do Avillez, between 6:30 pm and 11 pm. Reservations must be made via the website bairrodoavillez.pt or telephone 215830290.
Avillez neighborhood, in Lisbon
Bruno Calado
Remember that José Avillez and Diego Muñoz met in 2007 in the kitchen at El Bulli and since then they wanted to develop a project together. A decade later, they opened Cantina Peruana together on the first floor of Bairro do Avillez. In 2018, a year later, the project moved to Rua de São Paulo. In 2020, due to the pandemic, Cantina Peruana ended up closing.
O chef Peruvian was one of the notable names in the global export of cuisine and products from this South American country, which he made known at the time at the award-winning restaurant Astrid & Gastón, in Lima, through a contemporary approach that accommodated several global influences. Today, Diego Munoz leads a project, under his own name, that develops various gastronomic experiences in various destinations, such as Nina, in the Dominican Republic, Puna, in Costa Rica, and Toppu, at Rosewood Mandarina, in Mexico. In Peru, Navegante recently opened, a neighborhood restaurant just a few steps from the sea, in Punta Hermosa.
José Avillez and Diego Muñoz, in 2017
Bruno Calado