French Chef, New Menu

Fish aux fines herbes and white wine, marinated lamb and a tiramisu for dessert are some of the delicious dishes currently being enjoyed by the customers of the El Milagro pub/restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama after the arrival of its new chef, Frenchman Michael Coumes.

Using the most typical food and spices from the region, this French chef blends traditional flavors with new mixes and combinations of flavors that produce novel international dishes. And it is all still based on Atacaman cuisine.

"People visiting our restaurant are mostly European tourists, who enjoy tasting the region's flavors, but who also enjoy discovering more sophisticated dishes in such a remote part of the planet", remarked César Muñoz, owner of El Milagro.

"That's why having an international chef allows us to renew our menu and make it more diverse", added Muñoz. In fact, the new menu presented with the arrival of 2005 has 25 dishes, and desserts had already been renewed previously.

Another of El Milagro's novelties is the surprise that it gives its customers in the day's menu, since it always includes a new dish based on the ingredients that Coumes has available at that moment.

"The idea is for people to feel comfortable and at home in El Milagro, so, if a tourist asks me for a very specific dish one or two days in advance, we do everything we can to provide it. That's the spirit with which we attend to our customers and also the basis of a very well thought through presentation", concluded this French globetrotter, who arrived in San Pedro nine months ago and has worked in Canada , USA , Switzerland and Germany .

veronica@sanpedroatacama.com