This was one of the best meals of my life.
In January of 2015, I travelled to Bolivia with my then-roommate Nick for a month-long course focused on sustainability and indigenous cultures through NYU. We decided to leave for La Paz four days earlier than the rest of our cohort so we could get our high-altitude bearings and explore the city on our own terms – by sampling the foods of as many places we could visit before our classmates arrived.
We booked our table at Gustu two months in advance, but the restaurant’s schedule of operation dictated that we had to dine there on our first night in-country. Thankfully, the altitude medication we were prescribed worked wonderfully, there were no issues at customs, and we felt like we were running on “Bolivian Time” from the moment we left the airport.
Our accommodations at Hotel Berlina were spacious, but we wanted to explore from the minute we finished unpacking. We walked for some time before travelling by Teleferico to the city of El Alto where we immediately came across a small hut selling locally-sourced trucha (trout) from Lago Titicaca, offered by a kind woman and her daughters from a northern neighborhood in the city.
We walked some more, but we did not have much time to explore as we knew there was a culinary experience awaiting us some 2,000’ closer to sea level. Sunburnt and groggy, we arrived at Gustu without a minute to spare – but the restaurant appeared empty.
Before our server could leave us with a menu, we stopped her as we knew we wanted the seven course tasting menu with beverage pairing – she beamed. Slowly but surely, the tables around us began to fill. A team of waiters would appear throughout the evening to deliver the place settings, water, food, and drinks, each one of them offering a different, but friendly, glimpse at their personality.
The amuse-bouche arrived with a smoked coca leaf cocktail as well as the bread, served with three types of cocoa spreads – one butter, one cheese, one tofu. All delicious.
To start, the menu offered grilled caiman on a small salad of peppers and onions. Delicious.
Next up was a vegetarian dish – a spicy puree of several pumpkin varieties intended to look like a cracked egg. A splendid balance of spicy and sweet with a hominy grits-esque texture.
It was now time for Gustu’s signature dish – strips of fresh palm marrow with a poached egg yolk and a sprinkling of freeze-dried alpaca shavings. A gorgeous display, and when mixed, a mesmerizing treat.
The next dish offered was an Amazon River fish could sous vide in a banana leaf served with a spicy sauce and a garnish of dried pork.
Our last main dish was a lightly-cooked fillet of llama served over a creamy fruit sauce and garnished with some very tasty onions… filled with butter. Heaven.
Our deserts consisted of Gustu’s take on a fruit tart with carrots on a slice of shortbread with a thin, melt-in-your-mouth sheet of wild berries on top. This was followed by an ice cream-covered cookie with nuts and vinegar caramel sauce. A not-too-sweet, savory way to end our meal… or so we though.
We were given another amuse-bouche (below) and opted for a pot of coca tea to help settle our stomach’s which brought our time at Gustu to over three hours. The cocktails were inventive and refreshing – albeit a bit sweet at times – and included a wonderful hibiscus-infused concoction served in an iced jar. The wine offered was impeccable, particularly the Bolivian chardonnay (a grape which I don’t normally enjoy).
When finished, we spoke again with the manager who could not have been more willing to share anything and everything about the restaurant – and when he saw our passion for the food, the people, and the experience, he offered us a tour of the real kitchen – not just the showpiece in the center of the dining room where the dishes prepared below are brought for finishing touches.
The entire space was immaculate, in true Danish form. The ingredients room was like a vault – clear boxes and bags held spices, chilies, and more – all colorful beyond belief. Outside in the prep area, a wall was covered in images of dishes previously attempted, some successful, others not. He explained to us the philosophy of the establishment and the way in which it expects its employees to comport themselves – a coupling of a calm atmosphere with an expectation for precision.
And while the company was excellent, the presentation simple, the food perfection, and the service fantastic, it was the knowledge that patronage of the establishment meant one could support an individual and a community. The restaurant prides itself on supporting the surrounding community and the impoverished youth of the local region by providing a scholarship to learn all aspects of operating a restaurant – sourcing local ingredients, waiting tables, preparing dishes, and more. Members of Gustu’s culinary schools are given a stipend and allowed to experiment with many of the countless exotic ingredients Bolivia has to offer.
Gustu has received high praise from all corners of the culinary industry while some have cited it as being among the best restaurants in the world. For a more historical perspective of Gustu, this profile by The New Yorker provides a great window into the creators and operators of the establishment as well as the network of students it supports. If you have the opportunity to dine at Gustu, do not pass it up.
La Paz, Bolivia