Mandarin Oriental Geneva invited us to celebrate the arrival of Daniel Galvez Estrada who succeeded César Bellido at the head of Yakumanka by Gastón Acurio.
After three years of medicine in Trujillo, Peru, Daniel Galvez Estrada swapped his scalpels for kitchen knives and devoted himself to his true passion, cooking. After graduating in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts in 2012 from Gastón Acurio’s school, Le Cordon Bleu, the young chef cut his teeth in many restaurants in Peru and the United States.
In 2014, he joined the brigade of Gastón Acurio, in his restaurant Astrid & Gastón in Lima. Daniel Galvez Estrada quickly gained the confidence of Acurio, who placed him in 2020 as sous-chef at the Manko restaurant in Paris before joining Yakumanka Geneva as the new chef.
Driven by a passion for cooking, his roots and sharing, the chef tells us about his way of seeing Peruvian cuisine and his Geneva experience:
“What inspires me to create my dishes are my experiences of childhood. After having lived in 3 different cities in Peru, I was able to discover different cultures, through demonstrations, and various typical markets of the true gastronomy of a city. I also draw on the experiences of each member of my team, they are a very important part of each menu. For me, the essence of a restaurant is to create emotions and stories, and of course to transmit them to the guests, so that they can experience the feelings our dishes evoke.”
Yakumanka is an authentic cebicheria (restaurant specializing in ceviche) and presents the Peruvian cuisine of renowned chef Acurio in a modern and attractive setting. The decor is both friendly and warm, with marine notes by designer Morandi Arcela.
A ceviche bar sits in the dining room, so guests can watch the chefs prepare their cebiche and tiradito. The cocktail bar offers a selection of creations based on Pisco, the famous Peruvian wine eau-de-vie.
The veranda offers those wishing to take advantage of the relaxing view of the Rhône, the possibility of escaping into the heart of an authentic Peruvian cebicheria.
These are snaps from our dinner and meeting with the chef.
About Gaston Acurio
Born in Lima in 1967, Gastón Acurio is a chef, author, businessman and global ambassador of Peruvian gastronomy. After studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where he met his future wife, Astrid Gutsche, a German pastry chef, he returned home in 1994 and opened their fine dining restaurant, Astrid y Gastón.
It is a great success and soon, they opened establishments across Latin America and also in the cities of San Francisco, Miami, Doha, Paris and Barcelona. In 2013, their restaurant was voted the Best Restaurant in Latin America by the 50 Best Restaurants. The chef is now at the head of more than forty restaurants offering various gastronomic experiences.
In 2018, Acurio won the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, recognizing his career path and contribution to global cuisine. The relationship between the chef and the Mandarin Oriental group began in 2014 with the restaurant La Mar by Gastón Acurio at Mandarin Oriental, Miami.
À propos Mandarin Oriental, Geneva
Modèle par excellence de la tradition hôtelière suisse, le Mandarin Oriental, Geneva jouit d’un emplacement exceptionnel sur les berges du Rhône, à deux pas du quartier historique de la Vieille Ville, des boutiques de luxe et du centre financier de Genève.
L’hôtel propose 178 chambres et suites spacieuses, élégamment meublées, dont beaucoup de suites avec terrasses privées et une vue panoramique sur le fleuve, la ville historique et les montagnes enneigées.
Doté d’un service incomparable en termes de luxe et d’une restauration raffinée, il devient le choix idéal des voyageurs et hommes d’affaires avertis à la recherche d’excellence.
About Mandarin Oriental Geneva
A model par excellence of the Swiss hotel tradition, the Mandarin Oriental Geneva enjoys an exceptional location on the banks of the Rhône, a stone’s throw from the historic Old Town district, luxury boutiques and the financial center of Geneva.
The hotel offers 178 spacious, elegantly furnished rooms and suites, many of which have private terraces and panoramic views of the river, the historic city and the snow-capped mountains.
Endowed with an incomparable service in terms of luxury and a refined catering, it becomes the ideal choice for discerning travelers and businessmen in search of excellence.