Rafael Piqueras

The Climb

Rafael Piqueras trained at Le Cordon Bleu Peru Institute and Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, laying the foundation for a career shaped by precision, discipline, and an international culinary sensibility.

Today

At Maras in Lima, Peru, Piqueras works as chef and owner, with the restaurant serving as the place where formal training and product-led cooking meet in service. Martini de cebiche a base de rocoto is one of the clearest signatures of the kitchen: a ceviche martini built around rocoto that was described as novel and unusual at the time. The format is unexpected, but the ingredient stays central. Peruvian style tuna carpaccio with cushuro keeps that same balance between technique and origin. Cushuro gives the plate its local anchor, while the carpaccio format reflects the broader culinary language Piqueras brought to Maras. The savory range extends beyond seafood. A 21-day-old suckling pig confit with a Greek yogurt sauce shows how the kitchen works with time, texture, and contrast. Oxtail stuffed with foie gras adds another register, where richness comes through pairing rather than excess.

Signature

Rafael's signature dishes include Peruvian style tuna carpaccio with cushuro, 21-day-old suckling pig confit with a Greek yogurt sauce, and oxtail stuffed with foie gras.

In Their Words “I base myself 100% on the product. If the product is very, very good, I add as little as possible.”

Recognition

Martini de cebiche a base de rocoto stands as a clear marker of Piqueras’s work because it was described as novel and unusual at the time. Its place in comes from how directly it expresses the kitchen’s method: a Peruvian reference, a modern presentation, and a strict refusal to let technique overtake the ingredient. The same consistency runs through the dishes associated with Maras. Tuna with cushuro, suckling pig confit with Greek yogurt sauce, and oxtail stuffed with foie gras all point back to formal training, then to the ingredient once service begins.