Kjolle 2021

So, way back when, two and a half years ago and two lifetimes ago, I wrote, "I would fly back to Lima for a meal at this restaurant, it was that good."

And while I did go to Central yesterday, honestly, I was really coming back for Kjolle.

I was delighted the hostess remembered me from last night, as I practically bounced into the restaurant and up the stairs into the restaurant. I was more than a little hoping to be in the same offset room that Jonathan and I sat in a couple years ago, but was seated with a lovely view of the kitchen. I couldn't tell if this table was the premier table, with the lovely view, or a table given to me because I was so excited about yesterday's kitchen view table. Didn't matter, I was ever so amazingly happy, being in this space.

And then crushingly sad. Being here, the circumstances, Jonathan's absence, my emotions, the whole moment was difficult. I managed to suppress the tears, and focus on the upcoming meal.

It did not disappoint. The meal was every-morsel-amazing. Like, orgasmic amazing. Some of the courses I was lost in the dizzying delicious experience inside my mouth and head, and I did not want it to stop.

The meal was eight courses, which, let's be real, is how you don't have your guests need a wheelbarrow to cart themselves out of the restaurant from being overstuffed. The courses were:

• Black Mashua: corn, muna, beef heart
• Corvina and Clams: quinoa leaf, macre
• Scallops and Sweet Cucumber: tumbo, lime, charapita chili
• Tubers: yucca, olluco, potato
• Squid and Huamantagna: limo, rough lemon
• River Shrimp: coconut, cecina, strawberry
• Cow Cheeks: corn, purple cabbage, chilles
• Cacao from Mil Moray: custard apple, chaco

The meal began with introductions of the courses, along with the observation that I would likely have sparkling water, as that was what I had had the night before. I love the attention to details like this on visitor preferences, such a nice touch. The bread was quickly brought to the table with a honey butter and another topping that I didn't write down (phooey!). The bread was made from potatoes, a dark tuber that was brought to the table, and connected the bread to the next course.

The bread was so amazing I was tempted to eat the whole loaf, but didn't really want to fill up on bread (recalling the Simpson's episode where Homer is challenged to a steak eating contest, and Marge cries out, "Don't fill up on bread!"), so I left a slice. At the end of the meal, when I asked if I could have that slice to go, I was offered a separate, fresh, full loaf. Oh, hell yes.

The next course was a small tartlet with corn, beef heart, and the mashua potato. This was the first, and far far from the last moment my eyes rolled up into the back of my head from delight.

As I am no longer drinking alcohol, I had cautiously ordered the juice pairing with the meal. I say cautiously, because I dislike the discomfort of needing to go to the toilet combined with the desire to remain where I am and enjoy the moment. The pairings were lovely, the amount wasn't too much, and I was ultimately very glad to have them.

The next two dishes were similar in presentation, delightfully different in taste, and both delicious.

One of the comments Jonathan made last time we were here was how impressed he was with how many different potato dishes we had. All of them were incredible. So, when this dish was set in front of me, and I saw all the potatoes, my excitement level, already at astoundingly high level, went up.

Again, I was not disappointed. I'm pretty sure Pia put crack into that crust.

This was orgasm number what? I've lost count.

The next dish, the squid, was so good that I licked the bowl. Don't tell anyone.

The next dish, the river shrimp, arrived deconstructed. I always appreciate when the server tells me how to eat a dish, all in one bite, two bites, this then that then the other, nibble on the sides, use your spoon, use your fingers, everything on the plate is edible. This was one of those dishes that needed an explanation, which was essentially: make your own taco. So, I did.

Again, amazing.

A number of years ago, I had been introduced to beef cheeks by Melissa Lines. She had sent one of her cattle to a new butcher, who asked her if she wanted the cheeks of the cow being slaughtered. Always one to use as much of an animal as she could, she said yes. When we visited her, one of the main dishes she made was beef cheeks. My strongest memory of the meal, outside of the story, was how intensely flavored the cheeks were.

So, when this dish was placed before me, I was excited to taste it. Would it be as intensely flavored as the one I had years ago? How different would the experience be?

Answer: very.

The beef flavor was muted, but only because it was incredibly balanced with the sauce and orgasmic (yes, that word again) corn dish. I was unable to speak for not-a-little-bit after this course.

The final course was chocolate, with a hint of coconut. Fortunately, the coconut was subtle, so the dish was delicious.

I was so very, very happy with this meal. Everything about it confirmed that Kjolle remains at the top of my favorite restaurant list. If I had to complain about something, it would have been my inability to hear and understand my server. The woman who served my drinks didn't have a voice that carried, so I was often nodding, smiling, and resigning to the fact I wouldn't know what was in my drink. This visit's sound was a considerably huge contrast to the last time we were here, when we sat in the side room and could clearly hear each other at a near whisper, so this would be a complaint only in contrast. I didn't mind the noise level.

Fortunately, the food was, you know, the reason to visit. And, it was, as mentioned, orgasmic.

Kjolle is still my favorite restaurant in all the world.