One of the first things the chef did Giulio Sturla when he landed in Ecuador together with his two daughters, Coral and Giuliana, he was bathe in our beaches and enjoy the warm climate that our country offers. Born in Chile, Sturla was passing through Ecuador, where he trained at the School of Chefs in Guayaquil, but has lived in New Zealand for thirteen years, a country where he arrived with his ex-partner captivated by its organic products and lifestyle, but the tropics are still in his heart. “It’s the first thing I do when I come, get into the sea, and I’ve been going for four or five days without stopping.”
In exchange for that refreshing welcome, the 42-year-old chef also wants to offer Ecuadorian diners a taste of New Zealand cuisine and its products, some of them grown by himself, at a dinner that will take place the night of this Thursday June 2 at the Casa Julian restaurant (Historic Park). It’s about the third gastronomic experience prepared by Oro Verde Hotels with international guests who cook shoulder to shoulder with Javier Urrutia, executive chef at Casa Julián.
“It is a very pure cuisine, defined by its organic flavor, with products that are not found elsewhere. For example, for me, trying a New Zealand lamb is like no other,” she explains. “It is an island that always has a new air, rains, abundant water, it is rich in minerals due to its volcanic soil, so everything has a specific flavor. The shellfish, its sea fruit, bathe in the island, its reefs and algae and the production of food on land is also spectacular”.
His geographical and cultural journey allowed him combine these high quality ingredients with the flavors of other nations in which you have lived And they also influence it. “I brought a more open culture, the intention to recreate the places and the memory of flavors that I have. I can put yucca bread on your table, a soy sauce that I produce myself, the flavors of the Mediterranean, olive oil, tomato, products that are not indigenous to New Zealand, but that are produced very well due to the quality of the soil and climate that we have there,” he details. “It is a very cultured country, they know what they are eating and they are very willing to try new things.”
Sturla owns MAPUan experimental gastronomy space under the philosophy zero waste, where every day it invites its only six diners in a four-hour experience to be surprised and try its gastronomic creations, for dinner or lunch. “I didn’t want to come to Ecuador to cook, I wanted to come and feed people something they have never tried and when mixing those ingredients with a unique product like the Ecuadorian one, it will be a different flavor yes or yes. The protein and some vegetables are from here, but I have brought mother flavors, I call them that because they are the basis of my preparations”.
The chef will also share with the attendees the story behind each product and dish, also an essential part of the experience in your kitchen. “For me it is very important that they feel at home and be there to answer whatever they want to know, I want that they get as excited as I do when I cook in New Zealand and that they never forget what they ate that night at Casa Julián with us”.
Among Sturla’s dishes for this gastronomic meeting are a braised pork ribs and nectarines, a yellow fin tuna, wild onion oil and algae and one mote mousse and blackberry syrup. All this served with selected wines for pairing.
Likewise, the chef has great expectations for sharing his experience with the local team. “The best stories are shared in the kitchen. In my restaurant in New Zealand I work alone and for me, sharing with people is a great gift.”, he expresses.
Ramón Salto, executive chef of Oro Verde Hotels, coincides in the intention to continue offering unique moments to its guests. “It is the only dinner that Giulio will do in Ecuador and we want to offer something different in every way, not only in the products, but also in the wines that we choose and in the atmosphere in general; Giulio offers a dream experience”.
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.
