Acknowledgments

He became a chef by process of elimination. Originally, he wanted to be a diplomat, but on April 5, 1992, Alberto Fujimori shut down the Peruvian Diplomatic Academy. His second choice? A culinary career, something that is now part of his very essence, “his driving force in life”.

The creator of Rafael, El Mercado, and the brand-new trattoria Rocco admits that his achievements are always only partway accomplished, but he knows that “we’re doing something right, at least.” His accolades have landed him a spot among Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants and made him a regular presence in the Summum awards, where Rafael has won on several occasions.

Today, Rafael looks at his new culinary adventures “with a sense of uncertainty and a great deal of focus, bringing tremendous energy to my role within the group of people who accompany me, like a big family.”

Rafael is restless, curious, eclectic, creative. His great fear is being behind the times. “That’s why I’m always investigating, reading, traveling a lot, and experimenting with new culinary techniques, fusions, and inspirations,” he says as he observes the diners in the restaurant that bears his name, which has come to be defined by his special touch with seasoning and his love for the art of cooking. It makes sense when he says that if he weren’t a chef, he would try to become an architect or industrial designer.

He got his start in the kitchen at 8, making sweets. His mother, “a wonderful cook,” introduced him to the culinary arts and educated his palate. This was back in the 1970s, when there were shortages of everything. People ate kidneys, brains, sweetbread.

Each of his restaurants bears his mark as an auteur: Rafael is a formal, elegant, and sometimes bold establishment, El Mercado is more leisurely, while Rocco is a place of discovery.