Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz gets a taste of Hong Kong

"There's so much to see. We went to the Big Buddha and have eaten at some restaurants - Din Tai Fung, Man Wah and The Chairman. We were going to go to Yat Lok, but it was closed so we went to Yung Kee instead. Chinese food here is so different from back home, where the sweet is very sweet, savoury is very strong, spicy dishes are very spicy. Here the dishes are more elegant, and they use amazing techniques."

"I left Lima in 1998. At the time I was studying industrial engineering and wasn't getting good grades, so I thought I would try something different and cook. I didn't grow up in a gastronomic family - my family didn't cook much at home. We ate simple dishes. When I told my dad I was going to quit [engineering studies] to be a chef he wasn't happy. I didn't have any formal training so I followed [in the footsteps of] a friend who was at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I went to the one in Ottawa, Canada, because I didn't speak French at the time. The last term [could be completed] in either London or Paris. I chose the latter.

"It's important to do apprenticeships in different places, to build your philosophy. When I went to my first class at Le Cordon Bleu, I realised I really wanted to be a chef. Instead of being one of the last in the class in engineering, I was the first in class in Ottawa and in Paris, too."

"I worked with him for one season, in 2007, and it changed my perspective on cooking. Coming from a French education in cuisine and going to [Adria's restaurant] elBulli [which pioneered molecular gastronomy] was a clean break. I learned that everything was possible in cuisine [and about] the gastronomic quality of produce, from a lobster to a sardine. It was really amazing; I'm still processing what I learned even though it's been seven years. I went back in 2008 and 2009, but only for short stints. Your point of view changes because the possibilities become bigger, because of the value they give to the produce. It's about making something magical from a common or cheap ingredient."

"Fifteen years ago, there were only two cooking schools in Lima - now we have over 2,000 [including a Cordon Bleu]. Gastronomy is the new profession. I have been back in Peru for three years. I'm building my philosophy around traditional Peruvian cuisine, and building relationships with farmers and producers, giving them the spotlight they deserve - because they do half the work. They grow potatoes that have a 5,000-year-old history. Five years ago, I thought there were only three kinds of quinoa - white, red and black - but, actually, there are over 2,000. I'm still trying to figure out how to use them.

"We chefs are trying to be ambassadors of our culture. We are a third-world country but gastronomy is a good engine [with which] to inspire our young people. [It will help us] start to give a fair price to farmers. We can't really show off what Peruvian cuisine is in a pop-up but at least we are creating a conversation around it."