Meet Lizardo Becerra | Peruvian Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lizardo Becerra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lizardo, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Inspiration, it means many things. I often find inspiration for my menu items and the décor for our restaurant from the beauty around me. However, my main inspiration is my son, Raphaël, who inspires me not in a specific way, but inspires me in life. You need to be inspired to wake up everyday and create! The inspiration I have from him reminds me of the Italian film, the Tiger and the Snow, when a man describes what it would be like for him if he were to lose his partner: “if she dies, they can close this whole show of a world. They can cut it off, unscrew the stars, roll up the sky and put it on a truck, they can turn off this sunlight I love so much. You know why I love it so much? Because I love when the sun shines on her. They can take everything away, these carpets, columns, houses, sand, wind, frogs, ripe watermelons, hail, seven in the evening, May, June, July, basil, bees, the sea, zucchini…” That is what Raphaël brings everyday to me. I see life and light in his eyes, he inspires me to pursue my dreams. He is the inspiration for everything I do in life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a professional in the culinary arts, I cook for a living and I am lucky enough that it is my passion, so I never feel that I have worked in my life. I own a restaurant that focuses on Peruvian cuisine, which makes us the only Peruvian restaurant in Ottawa. We offer a great experience that is different than other Peruvian restaurants, because we focus on the service, and not only the food. Our creations are unique. People who come to our restaurant are pleasantly surprised with our creative offerings. Right now, we are about to open a new location in the Byward Market in a couple of weeks. I am excited, scared and confident, it is going to be great!

I started University in Peru taking business school. On the side, I sold pastries, which led me to realize that I wanted to pursue the culinary arts further. So, I went to University for culinary arts and then worked at some restaurants in Peru. I pursued my Master’s in Traditional Italian Cuisine and worked at some Michelin starred restaurants while I was there. An opportunity to be the chef of the Embassy of Peru in Canada brought me to Ottawa, where after sometime, I decided to establish myself. I became Chef de Cuisine at the Andaz Hotel, from Hyatt, until the COVID-19 pandemic, which put everyone in the industry on a hiatus.

The time for reflection drove me to realize that it was time for me to open my own business. Starting as a takeout restaurant, Raphaël Express – located at the back of a large warehouse – was born! Within a short time, we received significant media attention, leading us to be very busy. On July 28th, Peruvian Independence Day, we expanded our offerings to offer dine-in at our small space that we called the Warique, which means a hidden place where incredible food is served in Quechua. We had a great time for more than one year, with amazing loyal customers and dedicated employees.

We faced many difficult moments in our journey. With patience, discipline and dedication, we worked together to solve any problems that arose.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Even though Ottawa is a relatively small city, at about a million people, we have a variety of places that make our day entertaining. I would definitely start with a morning walk on the Rideau Canal, which would end up taking us to one of our farmer’s markets, where we could grab a pastry to enjoy for breakfast. We could have lunch in one of the many of the vibrant restaurants in the Byward Market, which is close to downtown. A couple blocks away, we would probably walk by the Parliament buildings, and I wouldn’t let a visit go by without a tour of the inside of the Canadian Parliament. That evening, we’d get fancy to go downtown for dinner at one of the best Italian spots in the city, North and Navy. We’d grab drinks at MoonRoom in Little Italy, then head to Pho Bo Ga Express, if we’re feeling like closing the night with a good Pho.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this to my sister, Pilar, who has been with me in my best and worst moments, and was my support, she raised me and taught me the important things in life.

Website: raphaelperuviancuisine.ca

Instagram: @raphaelperuviancuisine

Twitter: @RaphaelExpress

Facebook: RAPHAËL.Express

Image Credits
Elmir Valley Linda Zhang