Acknowledgments

Humberto Sato was one of those masters, who left us not only one of the country’s best restaurants, Costanera 700, but the example of a life dedicated to cooking and unique dishes such as his exquisite chita a la sal.

They say he prepared his first lomo saltado before he was even an adult, and that marked the start of a legend. Later came the seafood dishes using the freshest ingredients, the enticing Nikkei specialties, tasty salteados in his own unmistakable style, and a cebiche whose secret was a pinch of sugar. All of this is part of Sato’s legacy that will remain alive forever.

With his distinctive sense of humor and that wonderful combination of tradition passed down through his Japanese family and the criollo touch picked up during his childhood in the traditional Barrios Altos neighborhood, Don Humberto spent his life conquering the hearts of thousands of diners, travelers, and dignitaries with his cuisine, all while maintaining that sage sense of modesty so typical of the Japanese. “Chef? What do you mean chef? I’m just a cook,” he was once heard to say with the humility that marks the greatest personalities. And that is just how we will remember him.