Roman went to Europe at age 18 with the great aspiration to study to become a chef, which was an unattainable goal at the time. Now his dream of creating a restaurant that celebrates his rich culinary ancestry and identity has come to fruition. Many of the recipes emulate his mother’s versions of typical Peruvian dishes from his childhood, and conjure up aromas and sentiments of the sacred family meeting place; kitchens and their wooden spoons.
Roman, and his wife Fielding, share a passion for food, indigenous culture, and creating community. At Cuchara de Palo we see the Peruvian culinary boom as a tool for social justice and transformation, and recognize its inherent power to unite different socio economic backgrounds. We proudly partake in the Peruvian culinary explosion and celebrate the global Slow Food movement; everything is prepared fresh to nourish body and soul.
Together with several local families, as founders of the Kusi Kawsay Association, we promote the endangered ancestral culture, values and traditional way of life tied to agriculture, activating the ritual agrarian calendar, and cultivating a large network locally, nationally and internationally.
One of the projects, the Kusi Ñan Organic Farm, is run by local youth who graduated from Kusi Kawsay School who honor and practice their rich ancestral agrarian tradition. Cuchara de Palo sources fresh organic produce from Kusi Ñan, and we send our organic waste to their compost. Students from Kusi Kawsay School learn about agriculture through workshops at Kusi Ñan, and connect to their environment, food sources, as well as their Andean agrarian roots.
Roman and Fielding weave custom immersion experiences through their travel company Peru Cultural Journeys to explore this rich agrarian based culture. If you are on one of these authentic cultural trips hosted at Pisac Inn, the chef spins a select set menu each day to explore the diversity and wealth of Peruvian Cuisine, highlighting daily specials not on our menu.
May our personalized service, fine ingredients, delicate yet bold combination of flavors and artistic presentation, charming ambience, and beautiful atmosphere afford an exceptional culinary experience for every guest.