Nuema

Yep, I did it again. Went and recklessly dropped $100+ on LUNCH. Much like my amazing 17 course lunch at Central in Lima Peru 6 years ago (then, ranked 5th in the World; today, in 2023 it’s number 1!), I once again couldn’t resist sampling a bit of the World’s most venerated cuisine.

Indeed, the entire impetus for my 2 week skip up north to Quito was to dine at the table of the WORLD’S ***BEST*** PASTRY CHEF: Pía Salazar.  Even more astounding – turns out Pía is from right here in Cuenca! She and her husband Alejandro’s restaurant “NUEMA” is named after their 3 children (Nuria, Emilio and Martín), and it’s also the ONLY restaurant in Ecuador to ever be on the World’s 100 Best Restaurant list (at 79th). Not in the top 50 (yet – though it’s #11 on the list for Latin America) but not bad at all for dear little Ecuador which doesn’t get the gastronomic attention of its neighbor Peru.

I made the reservation at Nuema months in advance – for the 15 course tasting menu at 2 pm ‘cuz A. I don’t like to eat large meals at night, and B. all the better for taking photos by a window with daylight, yes?

And the tastings? Each and every stunning bite, more exquisite than the last. Indeed, the presentations alone – were truly a marvel. Each ever so precisely and beautifully designed, I hesitated to even dip a spoon or fork into them.

But pretty edible petals, foam ‘n such aside, it was the magnificent variety of amazing TASTES and textures within each dish that utterly blew me away. Indeed, imho – Nuema’s culinary treats proved even BETTER than the wondrous bites I enjoyed at Central in Peru (didimention –  the latter, currently the number ONE restaurant in the entire world?)

Tough to choose a favorite among the many different dishes, but one in particular proved especially memorable: “Jeren / Camarón de Río” – a most artfully arranged concoction of “jeren” (a type of polenta) topped with a jumbo river shrimp garnished with perfect cubes of red onions and tomato chopped so itsy-bitsy you needed a magnifying glass to properly see the precision! As if that weren’t enough – the waiter poured a warm, creamy shrimp sauce onto it at the table:

At first I tried to take notes on each dish as it was gently placed in front of me (and swooningly consumed down my throat!), but I soon gave up on such obsessive analogue chores – and simply enjoyed each delectable tasting fully! I did (of course) snap a quick pic of each dish, but at this late date – alas ’tis impossible to match pics with the (Spanish) tasting menu items.

Nonetheless, the assortment of image collages below will hopefully begin to convey the incredibly wide variety of culinary tastes, colors and textures that I enjoyed in my (more than 2 hours!) “almuerzo” at Nuema.

First, the full Nuema tasting menu:

And then… the pics of each dish:

For starters – a most delectable “jipijapa” (pronounced “hippy-happa”) drink, along with a single soft pillow of yuca bread with sublime compound butter that verily took my breath away.

Followed by a trio of pretties, plus two dishes that were truly works of culinary ART!

A foursome of amazing savories…

And (just when I thought I couldn’t swallow a single bite more) – a generous assortment of “postres” (desserts)…

And finally – perhaps I should also mention that the service at Nuema was both impeccable and super friendly. The maître d’ spoke perfect English and explained the nuanced ingredients of each dish – all grown and sourced within the diverse regions of Ecuador (the Pacific coast, the Andean mountains, and the Amazon basin). She even helped recharge my phone’s (dying!) battery between each course, so that I had just enough juice to document all 15 courses.

Each tasting was perfectly timed, neither too long, nor too rushed between courses. There also was no awkward “hovering” among the servers (as can happen at some fine dining establishments).

In short – needless to say I. WILL. BE. BACK. Indeed, apparently Nuema changes its tasting menu quarterly so… Easy (and economical) for me to hop on a quick flight to Quito to see what new culinary magic Pía has cooked up.

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