Planet Berlin: Haute cuisine from Lima
Chef Diego Velazquez has created an innovative fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors at Nauta Restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg.
Young innovator
Nauta head chef and co-founder, Diego Velazquez, is still only 27-years-old. Before he came to Berlin, he was trained in the fine art of Peruvian cookery in internationally renowned restaurants such as Astrid & Gastón in the capital, Lima.
A global leader
Peruvian cuisine is considered among the best in the world. The precipitous South American nation has a diverse culinary tradition drawn from multiple influences ranging from indigenous Inca, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and even Chinese cuisine. In Lima alone, three restaurants that have made it to the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, with two in the top ten.
The perfect setting
Nauta is named after a town on the edge of Amazon wilderness, a fact that is reflected in the interior design that includes palm prints on the walls. The red, light blue, lime green and gray color scheme is evocative of a traditional Peruvian tapestry, an authentic feel that is capped off by the open, red tiled kitchen where Diego Velazquez works.