Peruvian cuisine is an eclectic mix of flavors, textures and cultural influences beloved around the globe. Inspired by the cuisines of Spain, China and Japan, Peruvian food masterfully employs sour, salty, sweet and spicy tastes creating an unforgettable dining experience. COYA is a global group of restaurants that embodies the contemporary cuisine of Peru while celebrating its Incan heritage making it a hot spot in cities like London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Monte Carlo. A culinary experience appealing to tourists and visitors alike, COYA recently had a pop-up in New York City at exclusive Spring Place. I had a chance to dine there and really enjoyed the sleek understated interiors as well as how versatile the menu was — their tasting menu allowed me to try 14 delicious dishes. As someone who loves family-style dining and has a “the more the merrier attitude” towards food this really resonated with me.
I wanted to find out more about what makes this restaurant group so popular, how the COYA brand is brought to multiple destinations around the world and what famously discerning New Yorkers thought of the temporary restaurant. I spoke to Sanjay Dwivedi, culinary director at COYA and Spring Place CEO Olivier Lordonnois to find out how they made it all happen.
For those unfamiliar, what flavors/cooking styles are uniquely Peruvian? How are they featured on COYA’s menu?
Sanjay Dwivedi: Peruvian cuisine takes inspiration from Japanese, Chinese and Spanish styles of cooking. That’s why it’s loved by so many. The Japanese influence is termed as Nikkei and we use this in our popular Arroz Nikkei, our sea bass cazuela. The Chinese influence is termed as Chifa, which we use in our signature Atun Chifa Ceviche among other dishes.
Ceviche and tiraditos (Peruvian sashimi) are the pulse of the menus at COYA. I consider ceviche to be the new sushi, instead of wasabi and soya Peruvians use chilies and lime. Peru has an abundance of chilies and their limes are some of the best I have tasted. We use a range of different varieties, each giving a unique taste to our ceviches and tiraditos.
Another staple on our menu is our anticuchos (grilled skewers). Peruvians were influenced by Japanese Yakitori where skewered meat, fish or vegetables is fired on charcoal on the robata grill. At COYA, we have chicken, ox heart, forest mushroom, tofu, prawn anticuchos on the menu, which are marinated in aji panca — a version of a Peruvian dry chili – cooked with cumin seeds, onions, garlic and finished with oregano, black pepper and vinegar.
In terms of cooking styles, we cook mainly on the robata grill and the Josper oven. Both use charcoal which gives the dishes a unique depth of flavor. When cooking on the robata we always add a glaze to the food glaze which either consists of mirin, panela sugar, or tamarind as the sugar caramelizes over the open flame adding flavor.
What adjustments do you make to the menu in the various different cities where COYA exists?
Sanjay Dwivedi: Around 70 percent of the menu is the same in all COYAs worldwide. The other 30 percent depends on local ingredients, the cultures of the country and the head chef. I’m a firm believer in encouraging our chefs to experiment and come up with their own dishes. So, if one of these dishes proves popular, we share the recipe with other venues and offer them as specials around the world.
What was the concept behind the NYC Coya space and aesthetic?
Olivier Lordonnois: Because we were only able to host COYA at Spring Place for nine nights, we didn’t have the option of a full build for this partnership, so the Spring Place dining room served as our backdrop. To maintain the authenticity of the COYA experience, it was important for us to bring in as many non-decorative elements as possible by ensuring COYA’s global culinary director, corporate bar manager and music director were all on site for the duration of the partnership. We worked closely with the COYA team to ensure touches such as COYA signature candles, uniforms and silverware worked cohesively to create an aesthetic for our members that was reflective of the COYA ethos.
Why did you select New York Fashion Week for the pop-up?
Olivier Lordonnois: We know there’s quite a bit of overlap between Spring Place members and the fashion creatives, so we wanted to provide a sophisticated, international dining option for our members who may be working here throughout the day, catching a show here and there and requiring compelling sustenance between.
How was Coya received in NYC?
Olivier Lordonnois: Spring Place is pleased to have been the first to bring COYA to New Yorkers. New Yorkers are a discerning group, so a great deal of care went into selecting the right partner that, first and foremost, served incredible dishes, but also had an international reputation that our members could relate to. Further, Sanjay and team’s impeccable eye for detail and intense attention to authenticity are two attributes that resonated with those who dined with us during the expression.
What did you think of the New York COYA pop-up?
Sanjay Dwivedi: New York is one of my favorite cities in the world and to be a part of the pop up at Spring Place was dream come true. To see so many groups of people, the fashion crowd, artists, New Yorkers, and friends of COYA from all around the world coming together to was incredible; the atmosphere was electric. The feedback on the food, drinks and the music were very all positive, so we hope to be back in New York very soon!
What’s the one dish everyone should try when they visit COYA?
Sanjay Dwivedi: If I had to pick just one, I would say the Atun Chifa Ceviche. Chifa is a Chinese cooking style with ponzu, chilies and garlic. So, the dish has a little kick to it. It’s made with yellowfin tuna, soy, sesame seeds and served with a shrimp cracker on top.
