Our first introduction to Francesca Ferreyros when she returned to Peru after working with Gaggan Anand in Thailand. She created Baan, a pandemic business that served tasty Southeast food with hints of Peruvian ingredients. Since then, she has been slowly cooking what finally materialized in Frina this year.
Frina is her name
For her friends, Francesca is called Frina. From a young age, she was surrounded by food, from great dinners and cocktails with her dad, late Pisco maker Memo Ferreiros, to when she visited her grandfather, Ambassador Juan Carlos Ferreyros. She started in the business when she was 16 with the late chef Ivan Kisic, and she has worked and traveled the world, absorbing information like a sponge.
Francesca’s culinary journey led her to a profound realization: the striking similarities between Asian flavors and techniques and Amazonian food. She skillfully brought this connection to the forefront, creating a unique fusion that she proudly presents to the world.
The Menu
Every dish is beautifully presented and has a balanced flavor combination. For starters, there are plates like the pork vindaloo within a coca leaf bun or the cha ca taco, temporized fish with a Vietnamese cha ca salad, and Amazonian curry. You should also try the sweetbreads with spiced carrots and a special tucipí sauce.
IN THE KNOW: Tucupí is the fermented and cooked juices of bitter mandioc root; when raw, it is high in cyanides (which are toxic for human consumption). However, when processed, it has flavor enhancement abilities; you can tell it is like the Worcestershire sauce of the Amazon. Chef Ferreyros has been working for years with Amazonic communities to help them commercialize this product.
As for main courses, the Massaman, a strip roast with a corn croquette and yellow chiles, is also a must, or the Enchupetado, a rice and crab-based plate with tapioca, a Peruvian chupe-style sauce, and Cocona ají. Also, the pork belly is crunchy with dried-potatoes, Hindu curry, chutneys, and mashua taco shells; this is the only one recommended to share.However, the experience is better if you go in a group and order everything to share family style.
The sweet ending also involves Francesca; she loves desserts, and it shows that we tried the Macambo, a dessert made with different textures of this theobroma, and the Indian Jalebi with fresh figs, fior di latte ice cream, and picarón syrup.
Liquid Experience
As we mentioned earlier, Fancesca’s dad was Guillermo “Memo” Ferreyros, a pisco maker who introduced her to the cocktail world, a world that she blends with her love for spices and bold flavors, even when she is not in the bar she oversees the cocktails, the Menage a trois uses pisco Ferreyros, sparkling wine, a dash of orange bitters and is decorated with green grapes, that’s her homage to her father’s favorite cocktail, in the menu, we also tried the Watermelon punch uses Pisco Ferreyros, watermelon, lemon, white vermouth, and maras salt.
Location
Frina is located at the new Double Tree San Isidro, in Av Daniel Hernandez 293. Reservations are available via the web.
