Roots 2022

The most important gastronomic event in the country presented us this time with a setting of 26 hollows from Guayaquil. The quality of the Raíces hollows does not disappoint. The event seriously curates the participants, ensuring that what is presented is the best and most varied in the city.

The level of supervision and advice they have from the gastronomic schools, this time led by Don Luis, from Cook & Chef, was first class.

Let’s start with the winners. The top prize went to the arroz con concha from Cevichería Lobo Marino. I can agree with the judges: one of the best rice dishes I’ve eaten in the city. Balanced, seasoned without the spices being what predominates in the dish, cooked with a good background. An important suggestion for Lobo: the shell ratio needs to be more generous.

The second prize went to the divine majao, from Divino Verde. I thought it was an interesting dish that could be polished more. A good attempt to get out of the typical preparation that we give to the banana, when this is a product that gives for much more.

Third prize, the Bronze Star, went to Morogrill’s skillet. A good dish for strong stomachs. Interesting and fun, as it coherently exploits variety and textures.

The innovation award went to an enrollado de seco de chivo, a Japanese-Ecuadorian fusion: a roll with botan rice with achiote, dried goat with its sauce, instead of soy. It also won an award for innovation in confectionery El Mono Cappuccino. I share that it can be a hollow pastry chef that deserves an award, although not necessarily for innovation. shots of top quality desserts and with a wide variety in its portfolio. Recommended.

Beyond the award winners, the Lobo Marino ceviches are worth trying. The ensumacao seafood bun from Picantería Miltiño is interesting: the bun dough is the most delicate and rich I have found in the city; its sauces and seafood enrich it.

The Managua encebollado is at the level of the best in Guayaquil, in my opinion. La Chanchada presented a “niñado” pork sandwich, with caramelized onion in red wine and tamarind sauce, very minty; and a mature pork lasagna.

Mi Pez, a hollow specializing in poke, did not participate with its best dish, which is worth trying in any of its two locations: tuna ceviche in sesame sauce. A delight.

We see from the hollows in this edition a great desire to innovate based on traditional dishes, that is, based on our roots. However, in some cases, the mixture of sauces in the same dish can be confused with fusion, when sometimes what they generate is confusion. Innovation is not just fusion or mixtures, and the mixture is not a flag —I mean the dish—, which is more of an aberration than a meal.