Born in Lima, Peru,‘the godfather of Peruvian cuisine’Ricardo Zarateis synonymous with indigenous South American foods. Immaculately executed and fused with his underlying passion, drive and kitchen ingenuity, Zarate’s cuisinehas earnedhim widespread critical acclaim and praise from media and consumersalike.
The second youngest of 13 siblings, Zarate grew up in a shoebox-shaped cement house with a tin roof, typical to Lima in the 1970s and ‘80s. From a large family, Zarate frequently helpedin the family kitchen, learning technique from his mother and grandmother, whomhe credits as his biggest influences.
By age 17, Zaratey earned to be in the kitchenfulltime, enrollingin his hometown culinary school, Instituto de las Américas,and going on toformwhat would becomethefoundations ofhisPeruvian influence.
Upon graduating, Zarate headed to London to practice his craft in a newculture,working for 12 years at notable restaurants including One Aldwych and Zuma. It was here that hispassionfor newfoods and ingredientsgrew.Zarate began to draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese and Europeanflavors, still prominentin his cooking today.
In 2009 Zarate headed to Los Angeles, opening Mo-chica, Downtown at Mercado la Paloma. Housed ina cultural center designed to showcase local creativityto the broader community, the restaurant was soon followed bypop-up restaurant, Test Kitchen, where Zarate offered consumers a new dining experience weekly from a rotating roster of high profile guest chefs.
With Zarate’s cuisine beginning to shape a large following,in 2011 Zarate introduced the modernPeruvian cantina, Picca. A critical success, it was recognized as one of the GQ‘best new restaurants’ and a Conde Nast Traveler‘Hot Table’, all within one year of opening. It was also in this year that Zarate was named the prestigious honor of Food & Wine ‘Best New Chef’.
In April 2013, Zarate opened Paiche, a Japanese izakaya-style Peruvian seafood restaurant located in Marina Del Rey, consequently named one of Esquire’s ‘Best New Restaurants’. In the same year, Zarate also expanded to Santa Barbara, opening Blue Tavern, a quintessential Californian fare driven restaurant, seen through the eyes of a native Peruvian leader.
In 2014, Zarate sought a new project, splittingfrom his partners at all restaurants,and pursuing authorship of hisfirst cookbook ‘The Fire of Peru’. In the summer of 2015, in the lead up to the book’s launch, Zarate opened the pop-up Once, based at Santino’s in Santa Monica. Soon after, ‘The Fire ofPeru’ debuted in October,aimingto guide consumers to try the food of Zarate’s country. With a wealth of flavors and dishes to explore, Zarate accreditsthe book to the ‘Peruvian home cooks’, including his mother, ‘who we should all be thankful for’.
After a successful launch of ‘The Fire of Peru’, Zarate partnered with popular Los Angeles restaurant Hinoki & the Bird to launch a series of dining pop-ups in early 2016, before opening a test kitchen called Mamacita in the unsuspecting Hollywood & Highland Mall. The fast-casual Peruvian cuisine, which Zarate announced in March 2017, served as a place to train and try out new culinary creations in the form of on-the-go bowls, while preparing for the opening of his new restaurant Rosalinéin summer 2017.
Divulging that Rosaliné will explore classic Peruvian dishes alongside ‘street-food’fare updated with a California sensibility; Zarate will include small bites, placing an emphasis on grilled vegetables and dishes highlighting both land and sea. The streamlined menu will use a traditional Josper oven with open charcoal grill; infusing ingredients with smoky, rich, earthy flavors and spices, prominent in South American cuisine.
Excited to bring back his love of Peruvian food to the Los Angeles dining scene, Chef Zarate says,“With people from many different cultural backgrounds, a true mezcla,you can feel the energy of Los Angelesin the air. I’m ready to explore the next phase of Peruvian dining. Taking it back to its roots, Rosaliné comes from the Peruvian home cooks, the creators and history of my food, the people who are my inspiration daily.”
