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Nuema

Quito

• The Best Restaurant in Ecuador 2024

Endemic Ecuadorian extravaganza with delicate desserts

On the Pass

Alejandro Chamorro

Pastry Chef

Pía Salazar

What’s the concept? At Nuema, Ecuador’s biodiversity is reviewed daily by chefs Alejandro Chamorro and Pía Salazar, following the rhythm of the seasons. Each dish is a stunning example of avant-garde gastronomy: angular and unusual shapes, bright colours and profound flavours. Endemic ingredients take centre stage, such as nepia (a fermented paste of cassava and chilli), mashua (a tuber native to the Andes) and river shrimp from Manabí.

And for dessert? Named The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2023, Salazar serves up a storm of desserts, which might include the turrón, a long-standing favourite of wafers, rice pudding and nougat served with salted and dehydrated crunchy peas, honey ice cream and apples. Don’t miss the enigmatic course with white algae, yeast and black garlic.

About the chefs: Chamorro worked in restaurants across Peru and Denmark, then returned to Quito to establish Nuema with a goal in mind: to capture the unique produce and identity of Ecuadorian cuisine. Pastry chef extraordinaire Salazar is at his side, spinning produce from the Ecuadorian pantry into confectionary gold.

What’s in a name? Established in 2014, the restaurant’s name is the amalgamation of the chefs’ three children: Nuria, Emilio and Martín.

Trophy cabinet: Offering a gastronomic experience in Quito that is second to none, Nuema takes home the title of The Best Restaurant in Ecuador for the fourth time.

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