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A Gastronomy Tribute to Ecuador

Colored violas, chrysanthemums, passion fruit extracts or Patate tangerines … the essence of ylang ylang, currant and sunflower syrup; chamomile buds, roses, and hundreds of spices are magnificently displayed in every dish preparation at the Casa Gangotena Hotel restaurant, a warm space that offers the best of Ecuadorean hospitality to local and foreign guests.

The delicacy and elegance of the hotel will impact you as soon as you enter the front door. Friendly smiles of service staff make you feel right at home. Their main goal is to greet guests and guide them through a discovery voyage of a captivating gastronomic experience.

Casa Gangotena pays tribute to Ecuador through its magnificent cooking, and accomplishes this by integrating a narrative of its history, based on traditions and living customs of Ecuadorians throughout centuries, into wonderful recipes. This is truly a motive for delight. With a varied and inspired menu, it verifies that traditional ingredients of the Ecuadorian diet -some of them of local origin and others brought from distant lands that go back to the time of the Colony- can rise to very high standards for the enjoyment of all.

From the inspiration of Chef Andrés Robles, that carries within a respectful vision towards these ingredients, the menu prioritizes organic products handled with artisanal manners, which as a result allow Casa Gangotena to offer a refined experience of elements that can be found in the four regions of Ecuador, thus warming hearts through the palate.

The experience is based on the use of Ecuadorian products and modern techniques, applied both by the chef in the kitchen and by the Director of Drinks, Jossimar Lujan, at the bar. The atypical cocktails are a signature of Casa Gangotena, as they rescue the manabita cane and other Ecuadorian liqueurs as main components. It´s an invitation to discover citrus and sweet flavors, fruit aromas … A must try is the Alchemy cocktail, which is gin fused with chamomile and rose buds, a reduction of sugar, passion fruit, pickle and vinegar, flavored with ylang ylang perfume. We recommend capturing its aroma before taking the first sip. Or maybe you would rather taste the Sangorache, a cocktail made with an infusion of Andean herbs, manabita cane, lavender syrup, chamomile and pineapple, decorated with edible dehydrated flowers and a little lemon verbena to flavor it up.

The restaurant offers mestizo cuisine, a name that talks about a diverse origin of ingredients combined with cultural traditions that, according to the Chef, gave birth to a sustainable cooking style, now a vanguard, which respects small producers, seasonal fishing and the environment. It supports indigenous communities such as the Cofán, which is currently in charge of keeping the paiche alive, a fish in danger of extinction that, thanks to this management, is now being reproduced responsibly in the rivers of the Eastern region.

That is what this so-called sustainable cooking trend is about; and it makes national food interesting. Casa Gangotena is also a site with social responsibility that consumes local products, some of which are sold in the vicinity of the hotel, on Calle Cuenca, and at the old San Francisco Market, a spot that keeps culture and traditions alive. Above all, the Hotel is a reflection of where the restaurant is located.

Casa Gangotena links all its surroundings to the concept of a unique experience: the tableware -available for purchase at the Hotel for those who fall in love with it- has a unique shape. The dishes are painted with the same technique that was used to restore the domes of the Church of La Compañía de Jesús. The black stone plates where the delicate muchines are served come from the rivers of Cuenca and were made exclusively for the restaurant. The purple flour in the traditional colada comes from the last existing mill in the Historic Center, which makes it extraordinary considering that the raw material was hand-made by the last surviving miller with this talent.

The vision of Casa Gangotena is about an unquestionable quest to support and keep alive the best Ecuadorean traditions and hospitality through its kitchen, thus making this restaurant a timeless one, by promoting the use of ingredients and products of Ecuadorian cuisine that are at risk of being forever lost in time. Knowing what is behind a product or a dish awakens all the senses and creates unforgettable memories.

Small details of warm Ecuadorian touch create works of art on each plate and highlight our artisan skills. Food is not the sole protagonist. The spirit is to break schemes with world-class service in a gastro-sensory experience that rises above all pleasures. Casa Gangotena exclusive proposal has become a great showcase of what Ecuador is today.