Kjolle is the restaurant of Pía León, situated in Lima, Peru. The restaurant shares its location with Central. Whilst Central is world-renowned, Kjolle is a standout in its own right. Named after the tree that grows high in the Andes, Kjolle is a restaurant that takes amazing and interesting ingredients found in all corners of Peru and combines them together to create really innovative dishes.
The main reason for the restaurant’s success is Pía León. León worked at Central for 12 years, working her way up to head chef where she worked alongside her husband, Martínez, as they achieved No. 1 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants with Central. She also closely works with Martínez’s sister, Malena, who heads the research arm of the restaurant, Mater Iniciativa, responsible for exploring and experimenting with unique foods from all over Peru.
The knowledge León has gained from her experiences and her hard work at Central, Kjolle and with Mater Iniciativa, makes her a widely respected figure in the world of gastronomy. In recognition of this, she won The World’s Best Female Chef Award in 2021, and Kjolle serves as an expression of her.
Table of Contents
The Menu
Kjolle offers an 8-course tasting menu called the ‘Kjolle Experience’ that aims to showcase the natural beauty of Peru. More impulsive and freer than Central, the courses aren’t restricted to certain altitudes. Instead, the menu reflects the current seasons of Peru and what currently inspires León, whether it is a recent project with Mater Iniciativa that explores a rare plant in the Amazon or an abundance of seafood coming off of the Pacific coast of Peru.
1 – Black Mashua
Corn, Muña, Beef Heart
I think this was the bread course to end all bread courses. And no, I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. The first bite was a crispy and earthy, beef heart and black mashua tart. Following this was a warm and slightly sour loaf of bread also made from the black mashua. The texture was great with lots of aeration, a crispy crust and a slight chew to the bread. The bread came with two condiments, a herby and minty sauce called uchucuta and a homemade butter mixed with cabuya.
Now the thing that brought this course to another level was the homemade butter. The butter was rich, almost meaty and the cabuya added a sweet caramel flavour, tasting similar to the reindeer bone marrow caramel that we had at Noma. The texture was light like a mousse, so you could dip chunks of your bread into it. As you chewed on one of the best loaves of warm bread, this airy butter would coat your mouth.
The fun thing about this bread course is they don’t expect you to finish it straight away. Instead, the bread now becomes a side dish for the next courses! A whole loaf of bread is a lot and one pot of each dip isn’t enough. But luckily, Kjolle knows this and will offer more uchucuta or butter, which I happily accepted.
2 – Corvina and Clams
Quinoa Leaf, Macre
This elegantly constructed dish had slices of sweet raw corvina and clams mixed with quinoa leaves and thin ribbons of macre (a type of squash). The fish sat in a zingy, lime and coriander sauce, with a texture of toasted quinoa on top which gave a nice crunch.
3 – Scallops and Sweet Cucumber
Tumbo, Lime, Charapita Chili
Next up was another seafood course. Whilst the last course was similar to a traditional ceviche, this course was a fruitier take on the Peruvian dish. Raw and amazingly tender scallops nestled between pieces of sweet cucumber (melon) sat in a sauce of tumbo (passionfruit), lime and chilli.
4 – Tubers
Yucca, Olluco, Potato
Tubers are such an important part of the Andean culture, and this dish pays homage to them. Having been on Kjolle’s menu since the restaurant’s creation, you know you’re in for a treat. Brightly coloured tubers like olluco and yucca and a creamy potato and goat’s cheese puree filled a tart made from kiniwa, a grain similar to quinoa.
5 – Squid and Humantanga
Limo, Rough Lemon
Similar to a fish pie, inside the bowl was a warm and creamy sauce made from humantanga potatoes, decorated with crispy quinoa and lemon zest. Digging into the humantanga sauce revealed a smoky and salty squid broth, with chunks of squid, bursting with flavours of the sea.
6 – River Shrimp
Coconut, Cecina, Strawberry
I swear everything just tastes better when you eat it with your hands. This dish was no different. We took fresh and peppery leaves on the side and used them to wrap up pieces of the sweet river shrimp into the perfect bite. Dots of fruity coconut and strawberry puree surrounded the shrimp. In addition, the smokiest cecina sausage sauce covered the dish which somehow coated every part of your mouth when you ate it. On the side was a small bowl filled with a creamy foam made from the shrimp heads. It was just pure, unadulterated shrimp flavour.
7 – Cow Cheeks
Corn, Purple Cabbage, Chillies
The last main of the night was a 16-hour braised beef cheek in a beef reduction. One of my favourite cuts. The cheek was caramelised on the outside and cutting into it revealed tender meat and beautifully rendered fat. A purple cabbage and corn puree sat atop the beef. It had a slight herbiness and tang to complement the beefiness of the cheeks. On the side was a silky corn puree that just oozed pure corn flavour. Did I mention that the corn in Peru is really good?
8 – Cacao from Mil Moray
Custard Apple, Chaco
Here we are, the last course of the night, the dessert. And in true Peruvian fashion, this dessert was a celebration of cacao. The first dish was a chocolate creme brulee. The second was what looked like the roots of the cacao plant and cacao crumb, all atop pieces of chirimoya.
The waiter told me to try some of each, and then mix the creme brulee into the bowl, creating the final dish of the night. Crunchy shards of the caramelised sugar contrasted with the silkiness and chocolatey goodness of the creme brulee. The creamy chirimoya, with its distinct, sweet flavour cut through all of the cacao flavours to give a final showstopper dessert to end the meal.
The Drinks
I opted for the non-alcoholic pairing which had a variety of beverages, handcrafted especially for this menu.
Paired with the first two seafood courses was a red juice made from tuna morada (prickly pear) and sweet pepper. The second drink was paired with the tuber tart and the squid. It was a juice made from granadilla and sachatomate, also known as tree tomato. The granadilla is usually very sour and zingy, but this was tamed by the sachatomate for a refreshing juice. The third drink with the river shrimp dish was a citric and herbal juice made with lime and coriander.
The fourth was juice made from maracuya (passion fruit) and corn to pair with the beef cheeks. The tartness of the maracuya really helped cut through the beefiness and the fattiness of the cheeks. Finally, paired with the cacao dessert was a cacao kombucha, mixed with chincho, an aromatic herb from the same family as Peruvian mint. This had notes of chocolate and mint, but also a lot of tartness from the kombucha fermentation process. Great for cutting through the rich cacao and chirimoya flavours of the dessert.
The Experience
Walking into Casa Tupac in the bohemian Barranco district of Lima, you smell fragrant herbs growing in Casa Tupac’s orchard. As you enter the building, you’re met with various displays of leaves, plants and beverages like you are walking through the natural history museum of Peru. As I was taken into Kjolle, the first things I noticed were the high ceilings and this fresh minty smell, permeating the air. Right next to my table were huge glass windows that overlooked a three-story garden full of plants and giant vines, almost like you’re in the jungle.
The pacing of the food was spot on, and with each dish, there was an explanation of what it was and why it was special. Each dish usually came with a table-side finish or some props to help understand what you’re eating, whether it’s a cacao pod or a box full of olluco tubers.
Closing Thoughts
Kjolle felt cool. The friendly service combined with the relaxed atmosphere and the inventive dishes makes you feel like you’re in some kind of paradise. The menu took you on a journey all over Peru, from the clams of the coast up to the Andean tubers and down to the cacao of the Amazon rainforest. But come on, that bread and that butter. I would honestly go again just for the bread course. If I had the recipe for that cabuya butter, I would be making it every day.
It’s clear that Kjolle is a standout restaurant in its own right and not just “Central’s younger sibling”. Moreover, if this more relaxed format means Kjolle’s food can be more spontaneous and creative, then I’m all for it!
Pricing and Booking Details
Kjolle Experience: £80 / $110 / s/425
Non-alcoholic pairing: £19 / $25/ s/98
Address: Av. Pedro de Osma 301, Barranco 15063, Peru
Book here: https://kjolle.mesa247.pe/#/kjolle
Looking for Accommodation near Kjolle?
There are 2 main neighbourhoods that we recommend staying in when visiting Kjolle and Lima; Barranco and Miraflores.
Barranco Recommendations
The bohemian district of Lima is filled with vibrant street art, cliff-side bars and boutique hotels. Kjolle is located in Barranco, making this a great choice.
- Budget: Kokopelli Hostel Barranco – Mixed Dorm, S/.56 / £12 / $15
- Mid-Range: Casa Fanning Hotel – 1-Bed Apartment, S/.140 / £30 / $37
- Luxury: 3B Barranco’s B&B – Standard Double Room, S/.233 / £50 / $62
Miraflores Recommendations
The upscale neighbourhood of Lima. You’ll find luxury hotels, beautiful parks lining the cliffs and high-end shopping experiences here.
- Budget: Llaqta Wasi – Mixed Dorm, S/.37 / £8 / $10
- Mid-Range: Hotel Andesmar – Queen Room, S/.160 / £34 / $42
- Luxury: JW Marriot Hotel Lima – Deluxe Room with Ocean View, S/.990 / £210 / $260
Thanks for reading and make sure you get a reservation at Kjolle!
Impressive, very nice