Restaurante Intimo | Author’s Cuisine in Pisac

1 To start, tell us how Íntimo was born and what philosophy inspires you?

The name Íntimo was born from a cuisine with a strong identity, a very personal vision. It is a cuisine where I give everything I know, with all the love I have for cooking. Íntimo comes from the deepest part of me, from what is most intimate in Alex. It is a personal, honest and sincere concept. My first approach to cooking goes back to my mother, to her modest but creative recipes. There I learned that you can do a lot with very few ingredients. It was the beginning, without me knowing it yet, of my passion for gastronomy.

2 You have worked in different kitchens in Peru and abroad. What were the major influences of these experiences?

I started in Peru, in very humble kitchens. Then I moved on to more sophisticated kitchens. I had the chance to work abroad: in Spain, in Ibiza, then in São Paulo with Alex Atala. Back in Peru, I worked at Maido, Mayta, Central. I did internships in these restaurants where I understood that gastronomy goes far beyond what I knew. These experiences taught me that cuisine can be technical, deep and connected to the territory. They shaped my way of understanding today's cuisine.

3 In your story, you speak of ancestral cuisine where people did "a lot with little". How does this philosophy reflect today in your restaurant?

This philosophy comes from need and creativity. It is about doing a lot with less: optimising time, space and the product at 100%. At Íntimo, we apply this every day. We waste nothing. Every ingredient has a complete use. Need generates creativity, and that is what we reflect in our cuisine.

4 The restaurant opened in 2023. What were the first challenges of opening in the Sacred Valley?

The first challenges were very big. First, conceptualising this cuisine, finding a clear direction. At the beginning, it was very complicated: we started with a very traditional concept for one or two weeks, then we opted for a more difficult, more personal path. We had confidence and worked hard. The first weeks and months were complicated, but people reacted very well to what we showed. By the sixth month, Íntimo had already evolved a lot. We changed the menu week after week; to this day, we have changed more than 400 dishes. We improved, technified and worked with a lot of technology. That is reflected today in our cuisine.

5 You define your cuisine as "constantly evolving". What does this evolution consist of?

Being constantly evolving comes from myself, as a cook. I reflect in my cuisine this constant search: new products, new changes, techniques and flavours. Evolution means always improving the menu, improving yourself as a cook, always searching for roots, leaves, insects and everything that can serve gastronomy. It is an endless path.

6 You speak of uniting tradition and avant-garde. Can you give us a concrete example?

Precisely, our new tasting menu, the Yachay menu, is the proof: we have recently changed it. It unites the sierra and the Cusco jungle, travelling through the different microclimates of Peru through modern techniques and traditional ingredients. For example, the dish "Aguas de la Amazonía" immerses us in the jungle with paco, forest fish, mishkina, yucca and plantain, while the "Ceviche de los Andes" highlights trout, avocado, tumbo, cushuro and mashwa. This union between the ancestral and the contemporary defines our identity.

7 You offer gluten-free, lactose-free options, a terrace and cooking workshops. What balance are you trying to offer your guests?

We want every guest to live a unique experience in their life, gastronomically speaking. That is why we adapt to everyone's needs. We always ask if they have restrictions: lactose, gluten, sugar, etc. We make sure that no one leaves without having fully savoured their meal. The balance lies in offering quality, proximity and personalisation.

8 How did the idea of creating a new tasting menu come about?

In my mind, I want a cuisine in constant evolution. That is why the idea came to create a single menu, with flavours, ingredients and techniques that reflect this permanent evolution, while keeping a price accessible to as many people as possible. The Yachay menu was born from this desire: to offer a complete, coherent and demanding experience, without making it reserved for an elite. It is a menu that tells our story, our learnings and the evolution of our cuisine, with products from the Cusco sierra and jungle.

9 You mention an "optimal cuisine" that makes the most of time and ingredients. What concrete measures do you take daily to reduce waste?

Optimal cuisine is for me the cuisine of the future. It will change world gastronomy. It is about using a product at 100%, without almost generating waste or throwing away food. We take care of the planet. Technology, creativity and responsibility go hand in hand. At Íntimo, we apply this daily: from the complete use of vegetables to the reuse of parts usually thrown away. I believe that this optimal cuisine, created in Peru, is incredible and very important.

10 A few months ago, we asked you about your plans for Íntimo in the future. You told us that the idea is for Íntimo to be a gastronomic laboratory. I suppose you must be happy to achieve your goal with this new tasting menu?

Yes, indeed, a cuisine in constant evolution is what I am permanently seeking: offering new flavours, new ingredients, new techniques. The Yachay menu is an important step in this direction. Íntimo is gradually becoming the gastronomic laboratory I was calling for: a space where we experiment, where we search, where we tell a story through each dish. I want Íntimo to be one of the first to use this concept of optimal cuisine applied to haute gastronomy. We are on the right track. Íntimo is tracing its own path.

11 If you had to sum up the soul of Íntimo in three words, what would they be?

Cuisine of the future. More than a restaurant. Understanding the universe around us.

12 A final message for those who haven't visited Íntimo yet.

To those who will read us, I want to say that if they visit Íntimo, they will discover many things, they will taste new flavours and see cuisine and food in a way never seen before. Íntimo is more than a restaurant, it is more than a space for sharing. It is understanding the universe around us. We await you with an open heart and the kitchen lit.