There are families in Lima who eat Menestron on Sundays and bake mussels with Parmesan on special occasions. They also cook Pasta with huancaína and risottos with yellow chili. And there are Peruvians whose favorite dish is green pasta with breaded steak or who wait for it all year round Panettone What they eat for Christmas.
To understand the presence of Italian cuisine in Peruvian kitchens, one must also understand the history of the Andean country. As is the case with the Peruvian-Japanese merger Nikkei cuisineand the Chinese Creole, the chifa, is related to the presence of transalpine pastas and flavors in Peru Italian immigration in the 19th century. Many migrants, especially from Genoa, stayed in Callao and other seaside areas, bringing their luggage with them Ingredients, recipes and customs which were gradually integrated into Peruvian food culture.
It seems like a big detour to talk about a restaurant in Chamberí, in the heart of Madrid, more than 9,500 kilometers from Lima. But this return is necessary to sit down to eat Manifesto 13 with knowledge of the facts. This restaurant, just a few meters from the bustling Glorieta de Bilbao, was founded in late 2023 by two Peruvian brothers who wanted to bring to the capital their particular take on the Italian cuisine they loved so much.
Two years later, this restaurant opened in the Hartzenbuschstrasse 12cements its place as one of the capital’s hip dining spots. And this thanks to a seal, that of the Michelin Guide, which in its new edition gives it the long-awaited recognition. Bib Gourmand. That is to say, the gastronomic guide par excellence, it will soon be said, recommends Manifesto 13 as a place to enjoy fantastic food. Signature cuisine at an affordable price.
Although this place, with its industrial yet cozy aesthetic, with exposed pipes, large windows and a concrete structure, has been filming for some time, you could say it was just reborn this summer. It was thanks to the arrival of Danitza alpacathe chef from Arequipa who now holds the reins behind the kitchen. Mark and Nicholas Duncan, the brothers responsible for the project, gave him absolute freedom in shaping the letter, which represented a transition that is consolidated at its peak today.
Peruvian cuisine is in Danitza’s blood, although she is not afraid to play with it and popularize it in less common versions. His professional experience includes names such as Atrio in Cáceres; DOM in Brazil and Mugaritz in San Sebastián. In addition, he has collaborated with Gaston Acurio in Peru and ran the Oroya kitchen in Madrid, where he combined Peruvian traditions with current techniques. “Since I came from Peru, I no longer work with classic Peruvian cuisine, but I always wanted to save things that go beyond the known. I want people to start knowing a little about what we have there, beyond the popular Peru”says the cook from the restaurant.
There are no ceviches, papa a la huancaína or causa limeña here. Neither Carbonaras nor Bolognese, at least in the forms in which we know them. The menu does not try to reproduce traditional cuisines, neither Peruvian nor Italian. You also don’t pigeonhole yourself with the term “fusion”. In Manifesto 13 they try to form their own language, one that has Italy and Peru are the roots of this dialogueinspire and transform.
The homemade pasta, the unmistakable signature of the house, is reinterpreted in a way that surprises our palate, unfamiliar with flavors such as parihuela or loche de lambayeque. In the letter, which can also be converted Menu (60 €)we find recipes such as pappardelle with loche velouté, black lemon and vanilla oil (22 €); the rigatoni with porcón mushrooms, kale and market mushrooms (€23); or the gnocchi with carapulcra, dried cheeks and cocoa (€24).
“The concept is not to guide you by the shape of the pasta, whether rigatoni or tagliatele. I prefer if you ask me what the rest of the ingredients in the dish are,” says the chef, who also tries to justify herself more than pasta. He does it with dishes like mullet Alla Milanese with Ají Panca, Kaffir and Parmentier (29 €); the leek confit with rocket, parmesan and pistachio pesto (€17); or the venison tartare with yellow chili pepper (€20), one of their undisputed favorites Bestseller.
The Desserts They continue the journey, with proposals that dance between the simplicity of a caramelized sweet potato with stracciatella cheese and extra virgin olive oil (€9) and the intense flavors of a chocolate cake with lucuma and crystallized sea lettuce (€9). “We played around a bit with the idea of people being able to do whatever they want with the menu so they could give it a try “Whatever they want, in the order they want”assures Danitza, who wants us to enjoy it in menu format, with portions to share or with a not-so-simple pasta dish. “The other day a man came and asked me for a papardelle with a candle for his birthday.”
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