The Art Of Transformation
From the column Midnight Radio in Diario de Centroamérica
by Alvaro Sanchez
I’m not certain if the same also happens to everyone else but I’ve always liked the idea of taking ownership of a place and making it mine. A place where I can show up, feel at home, and be treated as such. A space where I can feed all of my senses.
About ten months ago they opened a new spot in Antigua Guatemala that fulfills what I’m writing about. It is called Fermento and it marks the return of –l’enfant terrible de la cuisine- Héctor Castro to the local culinary scene. Surely you may question how does cooking merge with a column dedicated to music, but believe me it does and it does it well.
Héctor and I have a tight friendship of no less than twelve years. I know for a fact that he is a consummated melomaniac, and when required, a musician as well. He has taken that same passion for music not only to his cooking but also to the setting where his cooking is served. I detest it when I am made to enjoy a delicious meal with a terrible music playlist in the background. Sadly this seems to be the curse that follows me around in most restaurants I visit.
On the other hand… picture yourself enjoying some asian porkbelly tacos cooked in dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, or a 12 ounce grilled Ribeye steak and herb butter with a fine Cabernet Sauvignon accompanied with tunes by Billie Holiday. A few sips of wine later and you’re being joined by Frank Zappa on the speakers, and later by A Tribe Called Quest or by Dolly Parton or by Funkadelic or by Primal Scream. The list goes on and on and it all makes sense. The playlist is personally curated by Héctor and I appreciate that a lot. This extensive playlist is an honest offering spiked with a twist of rebellion which is unusual. Like those songs one recommends to a very close friend you know is going to turn them on and you want to see their reaction to it… or a tasty bite of food for that matter. It’s all about surprising and pleasing with love.
Those melodies that go with those epiphanies, add to the familiar clatter of silverware, utensils from the open kitchen, dishes hitting the tables, the laughter of customers having a good time and wine glasses being refilled, to that final “chin-chin” of those same wine glasses. The aromas coming from the kitchen guide you through a personal tour of the fine art hanging on the walls, where you can get lost in this private collection of artists who also happen to be close friends of the house. The succession of all these stimuli in perfect timing and rhythm is exactly Fermento’s soundtrack and that’s where you want to be.
When I first learned what the word “sybarite” meant, I knew this was the lifestyle I had to embrace. I have allowed myself such lifestyle every time I can. Let it be clear, I share this with no intention of being a snob. It’s really about being able to enjoy the best whenever possible. If you ever drop by Fermento it is very possible you will find me at the end of the “S” shaped bar. Who knows, we might even share a glass of fine wine listening to a kickass playlist, whilst fixing the world under the Antigua stars. Heaven can wait one more day.
Alvaro Sánchez
