La Mar by Gaston Acurio

La Mar by Gaston Acurio and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Brickell Key// Downtown Miami

This Friday, the Living and Learning Community (LLC), had our final lunch with the Culinary Dean.  Our Resident Assistant, Ciara, planned one of these lunches each term so we could talk to Dean Ozga, about the school, internships, and of course food.  These lunches were a great networking opportunity to make a special connection with the Dean, as well as meet the Executive Chefs, at many nice restaurants.  Below is a summary video with pictures of the hotel property, restaurant, and food!

This term we went to La Mar by Gaston Acurio.  This is a fine dining restaurant that is apart of a luxury hotel, Mandarin Oriental Miami. The restaurant is based on Peruvian Cuisine, with a touch of gastronomy.  The Executive Chef, Gaston Acurio has 40 restaurants in 12 countries, as well as a chocolate shop.  "The Acuorio Organization is leading the Peruvian culinary revolution."  In 2005, he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by America Economía magazine and the most influential business magazine in South America.  Lastly, he has 20 bestselling books published in Peru.  

We got a brief tour of the hotel, before going into La Mar to eat lunch, and let me tell you, this hotel is incredible, with rooms ranging from $750 to $10k and a luxury spa, it's truly a great getaway.  The service is phenomenal from the moment you step out of the car with polite doorman, as you enter the lobby.  

We got a quick view of the spa downstairs, where you can book a private room, with a jacuzzi right next to an immaculate view of the ocean.  These bookings can cost anywhere from $250 to $300 with a massage.  They also have a hair salon and offer facials.  

We got to walk out onto the outdoor deck with an infinity pool, and hot tub.  They also have a man-made beach, this just means that you can't actually access the water, as it's on a seawall.  The private beach has sand and lounge chairs to make you feel like you're at the beach, without having to deal with the parking and frustration of South Beach.  Starting next month, they'll be starting a new renewable source of sand, rather than buying it- they've created a machine that will reform wine bottles into fine sand!  This way they can reuse those wine bottles, and recycle them into man-made sand.  

Now for the food- after all, that's what you're here for! 

To start we had Causa Rellena- potato, aji amarillo, avocado, tomato, chicken and huancaina sauce.  This was a rather soft dish texture-wise, but it's lightness prepared your pallet for the entree which was rich in flavors. 

The entree was Carapulcra- dry andean potato stew, pork belly, huacatay sauce, peanut, radish, and quail egg.  This dish, like I said before was very rich and dense.  The pork belly melted in your mouth with a subtle sweetness.  The potato stew held a lot of classic Peruvian flavors.  The rice had a super fresh flavor that balanced the whole dish.  

For dessert, La Lucuma y el Chocolate- Peruvian chocolate mousse, lucuma cream, with caramelized andes grains.  The chocolate mousse was sweet and heavy, but it worked perfectly with the lucuma cream for a great flavor balance.  The grains on top added a spectacular mouth feel when combined with the mousse.

I had actually been here one time previously, with my good friend Josh.  We both got the Chefs Tasting Menu, and instead of going through 4 more entrees, 2 apps, and another dessert- check out my photo gallery for those photos.  Let me know if you want me to make a La Mar part two, with those dishes! 

One last incredible thing I got to see was the $10k a night, presidential suite.  This is where celebrities stay when they come to Miami.   It's on the 20th floor of the hotel so the view is amazing, and room keys only allow you to go to the floor your room is on, to ensure a quiet, relaxing getaway!  Below is a video if our walkthrough of the presidental suite including; a bedroom, office space, bathroom, shower, jacuzzi, living area, balcony, kitchen and even a mirror you can connect your phone too!

Thank you so much for reading and for letting me share my experience with you.  For more good times and good food, subscribe to MallaryMade for email updates when I post something new! Don't forget to like my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! Have a great week!

From my kitchen to yours,

MallaryMade