Today was our third day in Lima—and the final day of the entire trip. We were flying back to Toronto that evening, so we had little planned for the daytime beyond browsing the shopping district. At noon, we had a reservation at Maido, another of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, followed by a late-afternoon visit to the Park of Love.
© Richard HuangLima lies on the Pacific coast and receives little rain throughout the year, earning it a reputation as the famous “city without rain.” Its winters, however, are foggy and damp. Peru’s largest seaport, it also has a distinctive coastline.
© Richard HuangThe most popular commercial districts are San Isidro, Miraflores, and Barranco. The place we visited earlier—thehome of Delfín—is in Barranco. We were staying in Miraflores, one of Lima’s more affluent neighbourhoods. It sits by the sea, is easy to get around, and is filled with hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. The area is also relatively safe.
© Richard HuangOnce we had packed our luggage, we went for a stroll around nearby Larcomar. Lima’s best-known shopping centre, it is built into the seaside cliffs and overlooks both the city’s coastline and the Pacific—a beautiful setting.
© Richard HuangThe mall has many of the brands commonly found in Canada and the United States, along with shops selling local goods. The passing shoppers were stylishly dressed, the staff were welcoming and attentive, and the many security guards made it a safe and comfortable place to browse.
© Richard HuangThe shops were packed with all manner of merchandise, while the mall also offered plenty of restaurants and cafés. After walking yourself tired, sitting down with a cup of coffee in the ocean breeze was a fine option.
© Richard HuangSpeaking of restaurants, it was time to head to Maido. On the way, we saw a teacher leading a group of children across the road, keeping them together with a rope—a distinctly Peruvian sight.
© Richard HuangMaido means “welcome” in Japanese. Run by owner-chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, this modern Peruvian-Japanese restaurant occupies a detached building tucked down a narrow lane, complete with a small Japanese-style courtyard. Compared with Astrid y Gastón, it is understated and unpretentious. The knotted-rope decorations on the ceiling say it all.
© Richard HuangYet Maido’s modest interior does nothing to dim its star power in the culinary world. The succession of award certificates on the wall makes clear that this is no ordinary restaurant. It has ranked among both the World’s 50 Best and Latin America’s 50 Best year after year, and as of 2021 it still stood at number seven in the world. When we discovered that Lima had three restaurants on the world list, we decided to seize the rare opportunity and try them all. Even booking three months ahead, we managed to secure tables at only two. Central remained stubbornly impossible—a small regret, but also an excuse to return to Lima.
© Richard HuangIn my view, Peru has become one of the world’s great culinary capitals for at least two reasons. First, its distinctive geography gives it an extraordinary range of ingredients. Second, generations of immigrants have blended the flavours of their homelands with Peruvian cooking. The fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine is called Chifa; the Japanese-Peruvian tradition is known as Nikkei. Strictly speaking, then, Maido is a top-tier Nikkei restaurant.
© Richard HuangMaido’s presentation was in another league from Astrid y Gastón’s. Even the serving pieces were a spectacle: volcanic rock, white marble, metal, wood, and ceramics—a dazzling, beautiful array.
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© Richard HuangEvery dish was tiny and exquisite, no more than a morsel, with each sliver of scallion and every bean sprout seemingly counted out one by one. But there was no need to worry about leaving hungry. More than a dozen courses followed, one after another, and the meal lasted well over three hours.
© Richard HuangBy the end, my palate had begun to tire and my memory to blur. I could no longer recall whether we had eaten the legendary beef braised for fifty hours, the dumplings filled with guinea-pig meat, or any of the other signature dishes. One thing was certain, though: the textures and flavours as each bite entered the mouth—and the pleasure they brought—were sublime, like the sudden jolt of wasabi.
© Richard HuangAt a refined, world-class restaurant like this, the experience alone is worth the price. Food of this kind is truly hard to find elsewhere. Still, my feelings about fine dining go both ways. Dressing up, following the rankings, booking months ahead, and eating for hours is one kind of experience. But I can also stroll up to a roadside stall in my flip-flops, order some snails and a plate of beef chow fun, and find it every bit as delicious—and deeply satisfying.
© Richard HuangBy the time our three-hour feast was over, the afternoon was well under way—just right for a walk by the sea in the Park of Love, or Parque del Amor. The park is not large, but an enormous sculpture stands at its centre. We had seen its model in Delfín’s home. This is The Kiss, or El Beso, the most successful work by the renowned Peruvian artist Víctor Delfín. The male figure was modelled on Delfín himself. The sculpture has a certain rawness and simplicity.
© Richard HuangNewlyweds and couples love coming to the park to pose for photographs beside it, especially after weddings and on Valentine’s Day.
© Richard HuangFaced with the girl’s eagerness and abandon, this young man looks a little hesitant. Come on, brother—you’ll have to try harder.
© Richard HuangWith the beautiful seaside setting and Delfín’s sculpture to set the mood, the couples’ love soared like an Andean condor, flying free. The condor is revered by the Indigenous peoples of the Andes. I had searched for one throughout the journey, only to find and photograph it here in the Park of Love.
© Richard HuangThe condor is not the only thing revered by Peru’s Indigenous peoples; the sun is as well. Temples of the Sun and instruments for observing its movements with precision can be found everywhere. There is one here too.
© Richard HuangThrough this viewing hole, the sinking sun came perfectly into sight.
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© Richard HuangParagliders drifted across the sky from time to time; one of Lima’s main paragliding spots is nearby. Together, this canopy and the wind flag looked like the smiling faces of happy lovers.
© Richard HuangBathed in the afterglow, couples surrendered to the moment, passionately kissing without a thought for anyone around them.
© Richard HuangI was astonished by how closely this kissing couple’s pose resembled Delfín’s sculpture. The work owes its great success precisely to its natural simplicity and rawness. It captures the most elemental and unadorned of human emotions: love—the longing to cherish one another and remain together, side by side.
© Richard HuangThe sun was slowly setting on the horizon, its golden afterglow softened into exceptional calm and gentleness by the mist over the Pacific.
© Richard HuangThe lovers made the most of the remaining light, preserving a happy image of themselves.
© Richard HuangParagliders drifted across the sky and an eagle soared above. The sea rose and fell with the tides; the sun slowly sank on the horizon as the moon gradually climbed. Everything seemed to be in motion, forever changing. Only love remained eternal…
© Richard HuangCan love really take so many forms?
© Richard Huang“Ah, the world of grown-ups—we children just don’t understand…”
© Richard HuangAfter leaving the Park of Love, it was time to find something to eat. Wandering the streets, we turned into a narrow lane and spotted people waiting in line outside a restaurant called Rafael. There was still enough time, so we joined the queue.
© Richard HuangThere was one distinctive Peruvian specialty I had yet to mention: pisco. Distilled from grapes, this potent spirit is famous around the world and is widely regarded as Peru’s national drink. I ordered it with every meal in Peru.
© Richard HuangRafael is an Italian restaurant with Peruvian influences. The space was a little cramped, but the atmosphere was appealing. Prices were moderate and the food was excellent. As we sang its praises, I looked it up online. No wonder: we had accidentally wandered into another of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.
© Richard HuangWe left Rafael with thoroughly satisfied stomachs and set off for the airport and home. Outside, people were still waiting in line…
Our twelve-day journey through Peru was drawing to a close. Many words came to mind for the final summing-up, but in the end I chose “surprise.” I marvelled at Peru’s distinctive people, culture, and landscapes; at the citadel in the clouds that had once vanished from the world; at the lively events that kept springing up in the Plaza de Armas; at the “museum of love” hidden within a museum, and at today’s Park of Love; at everything we had been able to touch and experience in an artist’s home; and at the world-class food tucked away along the city’s streets and lanes… Yet the greatest surprise of all was that we still possessed the curiosity to go out and experience the world. It was that curiosity that allowed us to encounter so many other surprises.