In the heart of Miraflores, chef and restauranteur Ralf Zuñiga has created a space where exploring Peru and creating magic come together on his menu; from cocktails to expanding your senses, XOMA has a space for everything.
When you come into XOMA, you will immerse yourself in a restaurant that resembles a fruit box, a concept that Ralf keeps from the previous owner and that he thinks should be valued: “The Restaurant is a large scale fruit box, reflecting the everyday value of sustainability, recycling, and love for nature” said once Franco Kisic (previous owner), Ralf wants to honor that path including the use of ancient techniques.
The Path Leading to XOMA
Chef Ralf Zuñiga’s culinary journey is shaped by a blend of experiences and mentorships, most notably by Chef Eric Canino, a two-Michelin-star chef from France, where he learned the art of living through food. With this foundation, Chef Zuñiga has created XOMA, his own culinary space in Lima. At XOMA, he combines traditional Peruvian cuisine and the “slow food” philosophy to craft creative, innovative dishes, all based on native Peruvian ingredients. In 2022, Zuñiga represented Peru in the San Pellegrino Young Chef competition, showcasing the revolutionary potential of a young, innovative mind in the ever-evolving world of gastronomy.
Despite his success, the journey hasn’t been challenging; Ralf embarked on a personal exploration through southern Peru, admitting, “I was trying to find myself,” a reflection of the pressure young creative chefs face in avoiding burnout while staying on the cutting edge. This period of introspection has recharged him with fresh ideas, now inspiring the latest evolution of his menu.
The XOMA Experiences
Blind Dining. While Chef Ralf Zuñiga’s XOMA feels cutting-edge, its approach aligns with a broader culinary movement that has been evolving over the past few decades in Europe. The “Dining in the Dark” trend started in France in the early 1990s and spread throughout Europe, highlighting a similar ambition to engage diners on a deeper level. These restaurants, which immersed guests in total darkness, were designed to foster empathy and communication between sighted and visually impaired people. The underlying goal was to provide a new perspective, forcing diners to rely on senses other than sight to fully appreciate flavors and textures, thus challenging their assumptions about food and dining. Similarly, XOMA invites diners to rethink Peruvian ingredients and preparations blindfolded.
Ideas 2024. Chef Ralf Zuñiga offers a culinary journey that you can experience through an à la carte menu and a special tasting menu available exclusively during dinner. This tasting menu is where Zuñiga delves into his roots, exploring the flavors of his Andean childhood, drawing inspiration from the Peruvian landscape, and combining them with various techniques. These techniques span from ancient Peruvian methods to modernist approaches, with a touch of French influence that reflects his prestigious training. The result is a unique fusion of tradition and innovation, offering diners a deep and immersive taste of Peru’s rich culinary heritage. Chef Zuñiga also passes on these techniques and philosophies as an instructor at a renowned culinary school, shaping the next generation of chefs.
What We Tried
The menu began with a welcome croquette; then Chef Ralf sat with us at the table to explain what was about to come; he dived into the bar menu, led by León Gil, which includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, including a special place for fermented drinks. We tried the Botanic Soda, a fizzy drink with rosemary, lemon verbena, and lemon cypress. On the alcoholic end, we tried their take on a classic negroni and the experience of the UP: Our adventure book, a tropical cocktail inspired by the Disney/Pixar movie, a rum punch that comes inside a house model with balloons, when ordered the music on the restaurant changes to Michael Giacchino’s The Married Life the motion picture original soundtrack.
While trying their cocktails, the food started to flow, as the ideas from this young chef’s brain, the menu is divided into five sections:
- Vegetables, mushrooms, and roots: The vegetarian/vegan options on the menu include Yacon Root and Quinoa, which were great ways to play with textures and just vegetables.
- Pastas and rice: There are six different options, from which we tried the Tortellini & Loche, a portion of stuffed pasta with loche squash and cashews, plated vertically on a butter sauce and decorated with loche chips.
- Seasonal Ideas: This part of the menu features seasonal ingredients. For the spring menu, he offered five options. The Cabrito (northern style) is his take on the baby goat prepared with loche and chicha de jora.n
- Classic Ideas: These are Ralf’s take on classic plates. The tartar served as inspiration, using alpaca meat and quail eggs with a crispy cracker made from taro root; the grilled octopus paired with Ullucus roots created a contrast of textures. Also in this selection of eight classics is his adaptation of the plate that he presented at the 2022-2024 San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Regional Finals, a more stylized version of his original plate, a fish curry with potato pureé and kushuro on top; it was interesting to see how this plate evolved since the one we tried during his participation on that contest in 2022 (when we met him for the first time).
- Traditional Ideas: This portion of the menu interprets eight different Peruvian plates; we tried the Chupe de Camarones, where he displayed his knowledge of modernist techniques by precooking the prawns on the table with Hot Ice (sodium acetate). Then, the prawns were returned to the kitchen to assemble the plate with rice, a prawn stock, and vegetables.
To close the experience, a mat is placed on the center of the table for the dessert; in different areas, an array of ingredients is positioned for eating with hands, no utensils, no plates. It is a giddy and exploratory way to finish the meal.
IN THE KNOW: XOMA is located in the heart of Miraflores at 179 Elias Aguirre Street. For lunch, they only offer an a la carte menu; for dinner, we recommend making reservations via their website.
