Virgilio Martínez responds in ‘live’ on Instagram why they don’t sell salchipapas in Central

Central was voted the best restaurant in the world in the 2023 edition of the prestigious The World’s 50 Best list and, upon returning to Lima and the Barranquina headquarters of his establishment, chef Virgil Martinez He made a ‘live’ on Instagram to comment on the event and answer people’s questions.

More than a thousand people connected to the transmission that was carried out by the official Central account at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 22. At one point in the transmission, chef Pía León, who also participated in the ‘live’, noted some of the most striking questions from the public, including one that she said; “why don’t they sell salchipapa” in Central.

“We haven’t thought about doing more casual concepts or ideas at the moment. What we do probably takes a lot of people. Between Central and Mil there are 130 people in the team and we serve 35 people in the halls. And in Mil, no more than 30 or twenty-something”, Virgilio Martínez affirmed about the personalized format of his restaurants in which experiences stand out.

“We focused on a very personalized issue. There are many details that we know we are good at or think we are good at. We strive to do this and we do not want to reach mass restaurants yet. In my case, I do not pretend to be a businessman, I never considered it, I have always thought that I am a cook who has to be an entrepreneur in some way”, Virgilio Martínez affirmed.

For her part, Pía León added: “We don’t make salchipapas, but we use potatoes. That’s the beauty of this place, we use 100% products from here (from Peru). Sometimes they forget or do not register it, but we only use products from here, from the sea, products from the Amazon or fruits that are amazing. We don’t make traditional Peruvian food, but we use Peruvian products, ”said the cook who was also positioned in The World’s 50 Best with her restaurant Kjolle, located in the Túpac house in Barranco, just like Central.

Malena Martínez, sister of Virgilio Martínez and director of Mater Iniciativa, the Central research center, one of the great differentials of the restaurant, also participated in the broadcast on Instagram and agreed with her partners on the different proposal they offer.

“Our style is different and it is preferable that each one do what makes them feel comfortable, satisfied and happy. If we made another kind of food it probably wouldn’t be our thing,” he added.

Finally, Virgilio stressed that his vision has never been focused on being a very massive or large restaurant to receive many people and have commercial success.

“It has never been part of the plan. We do not want to serve more people, it is not the idea. That’s what I mean when I say I don’t know how to do business. It really has never been the purpose, ”said the cook.