Recognized today among the 100 best in Latin America, the Casa Julián restaurant, from the Oro Verde Hotels chain, focuses on those aspects that must continue to be worked on. “What you do well, you already do well”, chef Ramón Salto reflects in this interview, who for three years has led the evolution of the hotel chain. Located in the Samborondón Historical Park, the restaurant was included this 2022 in the international list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants: 50-100 in position number 78 along with cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Buenos Aires, Asunción, Medellín, Montevideo, among others.
Since your arrival, what points has your work with Casa Julián focused on?
When I arrived, I did realize that we had to redirect the concept a bit, get out of the “Frenchified” service and do something a little more casual, which is what stands out in the market. And, from there, we began to work, although the pandemic arrived and it took us a few months to rejoin. But in August 2020 our first guest chef came and, from there, we began to work with different guests, spreading a little about what we did at Casa Julián. And today, well, we are well positioned, at a very good time.
What does it mean for a chef or a restaurant to be part of this prestigious list?
It is a source of pride, not only for my work, but for the work of an entire team. Being on this list is the consequence of a job well done; although it never has to be the final goal, but it should be part of this path that you take to do quality work with your team. It is also a very big responsibility, because until we put Guayaquil on the map with Casa Julián, gastronomically it did not exist outside the country; So, we have been lucky and privileged to be able to represent her today. And, third, you have to receive it with the awareness of working even harder to not only position yourself, but to continue climbing and doing better.
What strengths of the restaurant and its service do you think allowed it to enter the list?
50 Best’s always rewards restaurants that work with local products and staff. I think if we had a French-style restaurant, with a British chef and a German manager, they wouldn’t even notice us. But here we work with local products, with small producers, local shellfish and fish; We take recipes that are not ancestral, but ancient, innovate them and sell them to our customers.
What emblematic flavors have positioned themselves in this time?
Every time a chef comes, we make a completely new menu, but we focus on 100% local produce, whether it is green, ripe, fruit, flowers from our garden, seafood from Guayas… But this is evolving; every chef or restaurant or team has an evolution.
How has the internal work at Casa Julián evolved with your staff?
I’ve always been a big advocate of building teams; I differ a lot from the image of the chef rock star who is invincible and a superhero. I think the key is teamwork; and, as such, I really like training, training and looking for talent in local teams. We already did it with the chef Javier Urrutia, who became one of the most popular in the entire city; and, although Javier left a few months ago, the team must be stabilized and continue betting on local talent.
What expectations do you have for 2023?
We already have a calendar with new guest chefs who will come to cook with others, because this cannot stop, it must only go up. And my expectation is not only to maintain ourselves, but to grow and focus on what can be improved; Because if you focus on what you do well, it’s a waste of time. What you do well you already do well; you have to focus on what you can improve and evolve in service, in the wine list…, always thanking what we do well. But to grow you have to focus on what can be improved.
How has the reception been by diners in recent months?
Clients have seen the change since we changed the concept two years ago, and we have had very good acceptance. In January we will change the menu quite drastically, but we have a tasting committee that gives us its pain, right? And, from there, well, we evolve to put or not a new plate. But, yes, always focused on what can be improved, because if you only focus on what you do well, in the end you will leave the market.
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
