From Peru with Love

Mauricio Huarcaya was born in Lima, Peru, but his first connections to food began in a small village outside the city.

“My first interaction with food was with my grandma,” Huarcaya recalled. “Every morning when I was around 5 years old, I would go with her to a local bakery where she rented an oven and would bake around 300 empanadas and alfajores that she would have some of the older kids go out and sell for her.”

Eventually the family moved back to Lima, and their family circle grew even larger.

“Every weekend, we’d all go to the beach, grill on the sand and have ceviche or whole chickens,” Huarcaya said. “Or we’d go to my grandmother’s house, all the cousins and aunts and uncles, and food was always at the center of everything, bringing us together.”

Huarcaya believes it was these gatherings that planted the seeds for a possible career in cooking.

“I knew how much I enjoyed food, but it still hadn’t really occurred to me that I would be doing it professionally one day,” he said.

After relocating to North Carolina in 2004 and graduating from North Brunswick High School, he enrolled in the culinary program at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. From there, his first professional experience was at The Asbury in the Dunhill Hotel in Charlotte, working under chef Chris Coleman.

“I had to pad my résumé a little to get that job,” he admitted with a laugh.

Starting as a line cook, he spent three years honing his skills there and forming a close bond with Coleman, whom he considers his mentor. When Coleman had the opportunity to open a new open kitchen concept, Stoke, at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, Huarcaya followed him and worked his way up to junior sous chef.

Though working for Coleman was comfortable, Huarcaya knew it was time to challenge himself professionally. He applied to work at the highly acclaimed FIG in Charleston, South Carolina, and somewhat to his surprise, he was hired.

“It was eye-opening,” said Huarcaya of his time at FIG. “Super cutthroat and stressful.”

Despite the stress, he was determined to see it through and build his skills and confidence. After nearly a year, he made the move to The Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island, just outside of Charleston.

“This was another learning curve as it was a higher-volume restaurant, but it really helped me to work on my speed and timing,” Huarcaya said.

After three years, COVID hit, and like many in the industry, Huarcaya was laid off. He moved back to Wilmington to be with family and was eventually hired as a prep cook at The Green House. He was initially looking for a low-pressure job where he could go in early and leave early and not have a lot of additional responsibilities. But his talent quickly earned him a series of promotions, eventually landing him the role of executive chef.

“It was my first executive chef position, and it was a whole new challenge learning the management side of things and the numbers,” he said.

The Green House also challenged him to think beyond what food and flavors he liked personally, and to learn more about vegan cuisine.

While at The Green House, a trip to Peru rekindled his passion for the dishes of his childhood home.

“Something clicked to me, like I should be cooking the foods I grew up with,” he said.

Returning with renewed inspiration, he began hosting pop-ups and booking caterings to test the waters on his own concept, Gustu Peruano, which roughly translates to “tastes of Peru.”

“It took about two years, but I was finally at the point where my side business had picked up to the point where it was starting to impact my responsibilities at The Green House, so I decided to step down and put 100 percent behind what I wanted to do,” Huarcaya said.

Not long after, he entered the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Chef Showdown, an annual statewide culinary competition, where he would earn the People’s Choice Award for his Peruvian causa (creamy layered seasoned potatoes) topped with black sea bass ceviche with salsa verde, chicharrón, cancha (a toasted Peruvian corn), datil peppers and leche de tigre.

“Winning gave me the push I needed to know I can do this on my own,” he said.

With his brother Renato at his side, he’s now working toward opening a small brick-and-mortar restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine prepared with a mix of traditional and local ingredients.

“A small restaurant lets me have a hand in everything,” he said. “There’s less waste, more cross-use, and more attention to where the food comes from and to the guest experience.”

A treasured gift from his grandmother – a pristine Peruvian recipe book from 1966 – continues to inspire his cooking.

“It’s a guide, but I believe in making recipes your own,” he said.

Whether teaching cooking classes or crafting menus, Huarcaya remains deeply connected to his roots, blending tradition with his own style to create meaningful culinary experiences.

“The biggest thing now, is when my grandma tastes my food, and she smiles and she likes it, because that’s my biggest critic,” Huarcaya said with a heartfelt laugh. “You know, someone who has tasted all these flavors for years, and she tells me it’s spot on, that’s great, that’s a huge pat on the back for me.”

Gustu Peruano will be featured at Feast Wilmington’s Pier Party on March 29 and at the Concept Kitchen at End of Days Distillery on April 25-26.