Sun, 23 October 2022
Did you know that Peruvian chefs are considered the custodians of Peru’s culture, so passionate are its people when it comes to food? This October and beyond, Peruvian Chef Yovani Guevara brings the pride of Peru to Inti: a new nightly pop-up at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.
Located in the dazzling firelit surrounds of the Hotel’s Azure pool, Inti at Four Seasons – named after the Incan word for the sun – is dedicated to illuminating the excellence, vibrancy, and warmth of Peruvian cuisine, considered to be the world’s one of the most authentic.
In Quechua, the language of the Incas, Peru means “Land of Abundance.” Adding centuries of Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, African, and even Arabic influences to the rare cornucopia of indigenous products of Peru, the result is a multicultural flavour profile as diverse as it is unique. Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay celebrates this colourful cuisine as part of its immersive culinary experiences series, introducing the first authentic Peruvian dining experience in Bahrain.
One of the former head chefs of the Peruvian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Chef Yovani Guevera, with a prestigious Le Cordon Bleu diploma, is a 12-year veteran of some of the world’s finest Peruvian restaurants. Having spent the last five years in the Middle East, she considers the region home, but her culinary heart remains in her home country. “Peru is a paradise of biodiversity,” she enthuses. “It has one of the world’s largest pantries and showcases five continents in one country.” Hailing from Cajamarca in the north, she loves preparing dishes from all of Peru’s coastal, mountain and jungle regions. “In Peru, our food is our culture, our national pride, and our passion,” she continues. “Ceviche, quinoa, potatoes, and purple corn are just some of the superfoods that originated there; it’s my mission to share the rest with the world in my own way.”
And at Inti at Four Seasons, share she does. From causa – a traditional potato dish made with aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow pepper) so beloved by Peruvians that its name is also commonly used to refer to a friend - to solterito, a refreshing salad from Arequipa in the south, which translates as “single guy” because the simple yet nutritious ingredients make it the perfect meal for a single man, Chef Yovani’s pop-up dishes narrate not only the flavours but the tales of one of the world’s most storied cuisines.
Her fresh, delicate ceviche – the flagship of Peruvian cuisine, perfected over 2000 years – vies with its unmarinated Japanese-Peruvian alternative, tiradito, which, unlike ceviche, is sauced immediately before service. Then there are succulent anticucho: Incan empire meat skewers that originated in the Andes, marinated in vinegar, spices, and Peruvian peppers. And then the sweet final chapter of clásico: a dreamy, colourful cream and purple dessert of mazamorra and rice pudding that celebrates the country’s two biggest football teams as well as two of its greatest superfoods.
In an atmospherically lit area beneath swaying palm trees on Bahrain’s one-of-a-kind resort island, Inti by Four Seasons will serve an a la carte menu to just six tables a night with a five-course degustation menu also available.
Whether visiting for a special birthday or anniversary or simply to make memories with loved ones, Inti adds even further sensory appeal to the iconic pearl that is Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.
Inti at Four Seasons is open from Wednesday to Saturday at Azure Pool, 7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, from October 19, 2022 with modern lounge music.
To discover the tales and tastes of Peru at Inti by Four Seasons this fall, contact +973 1711 5500, [email protected].