Tierra Noble Restaurant, Santiago, Chile

Tierra Noble Restaurant, located at Avenida Nueva Costanera 3872, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile. Phone (56/2)761 4861.
Like, Pedro Valdivia, who conquered Chile--for Spain and founded Santiago--before him, Juan Pablo Valdivia--chef, manager, and part owner--is conquering Santiago's culinaries quarters with his new Restaurant Tierra Noble. If you have been to Masa's in San Francisco, Spago in Los Angeles, Charley Troller's in Chicago, Morton's in New York, a sample of the best abroad, you'll love Tierra Noble in Santiago. This restaurant is absolutely avant-gard, beyond fusion and exhausted continental options, back into real earthy meals, where a fruit sorbet tastes like fruit and is not overly sweet, fish is not overpowered by sauces, and meats are just fantastically grilled to perfection. Why would you need mango sauce to enjoy the taste of a Chilean seabass, anyway? If I wanted the taste of mango in my food, I would eat a mango, wouldn't you? Tierra Noble (Noble Earth, literally) is rediscovering food in the most essential sense: getting in touch and rediscovering the original taste of the food--how it supposse to taste--which was where all began anyways long time ago, until we distorted so much that fresh food would never taste again same. And then we began to miss it; here it is where Juan Pablo and Tierra Noble are helping us to reinvigorate our sense of that extraordinarily good food from the farm, sea, local ranches.

Juan Pablo cooks the best grilled sirloin I have tried, better that Gibson's in Chicago--in the center of cattle country--and better than Morton's in New York. The seafood is all catch-of-the-day-which ensures freshness and a great taste enhanced by expert grilling and timing. Try Centolla, this fresh equivalent to the King crab from the south from Chile, in its own juices and shell. Try Conger eel and shrimps perfectly grilled with coarse sea salt. All these great culinary expression are accompanied by a great wine list with the best selection of Chilean wines chosen by sommelier Vergara, from Ritz-Carlton fame. The staff is friendly, attentive to details, accommodating, and know the menu by heart. The desserts are absolutely a feast to eyes and taste buds. If you are in Santiago you musn't miss the best expression of the newly emerging Chilean cuisine. Tierra Noble means great food and great service; what's is there not to like?

Dr. Roberto Cabello-Argandona