Alejandro saravia (pastuso)

November 25, 2018

Chef spotlight: Alejandro Saravia
Instagram: @chefalejandrosaravia
Director – Executive chef
Pastuso Restaurant and Farmer’s Daughters

We sat down with Alejandro Saravio, the owner of Pastuso, a Peruvian inspired restaurant in Melbourne’s famous AC/DC lane.  Famed for making Peruvian cuisine famous in Melbourne, he has many other projects on the go including CHE, Farmer’s Daughters and young chef mentoring. He is the official food and beverage ambassador for Gippsland Victoria, which ties in perfectly with his passion for all things local.

Infinity Blue: “What is it about local produce that works so well for you at Pastuso?”
Alejandro:  “There is a lot of local produce for Victoria to be proud of! Consistency of product, using the best that Victorian nature can provide, I keep finding hidden gems all over the state”.

Infinity Blue:  “Alejandro, tell us your favourite thing about Infinity Blue Barramundi”
Alejandro: “Being sourced locally, it’s so fresh that I use it for Ceviche, and it’s the oil content is so amazing that its only Barramundi I’ve tried that you can clearly see marbelling, its just amazing.”

Infinity Blue:  “What dishes would Infinity Blue Barramundi be best suited for?”
Alejandro: “The first time I worked with Infinity Blue Barramundi, I baked it partially covered with rock salt and with olive oil drizzled over it. The result was a tender fish with a delicate fresh flavour. Since then, I have served it smoked, cured and raw. The natural fat content help with the flavour and keeping the firm flesh while working with it raw or cured.

Infinity Blue:  “Why is sustainability important to you?”
Alejandro: “For me, sustainability in the farming industry is important because we want to keep a good balance between what Mother Nature has created and what man is artificially creating. Keeping a holistic sustainable approach will help deliver the optimum environment to naturally develop fish in a perfect habitat, without damaging the surroundings.”

If you haven’t been to Pastuso we could not recommend it more highly, set in a quintessential Melbourne location, represents every that’s exciting in the modern Australian food scene.