Yup you heard it. Peruvian cuisine is DE-LI-CIOUS. Lima is Latin America’s food capital, if not the food capital of the world.
I also did not know that food was such a big thing in Peru until I visited. In fact, Peruvian restaurants, and specially those in Lima, rank among the best globally and constantly appear in the top 50 best restaurants in the world. Fortunately, I had the chance to try some of them, and it came to no surprise that they are that successful.
Peruvian cuisine is characterized by the richness of its flavors and ingredients. The landscape of the country, made of a coastal plain on the west, the Andes mountains in the center and a lowland jungle leading to the Amazon river, provides the country with a variety of fruits and vegetables that are unfound elsewhere. Read my blog about a local market in Lima to understand more the agricultural diversity of this country.
Moreover, the history of Peru also plays a role in its current cuisine. The colonial history of the country along with the heavy immigration flows that it had experienced, allowed for several fusions. In the 1500s, Peru was colonized by the Spanish after the Inca civilization. After that, many Japanese and Chinese immigrants moved to Peru, embedding their culture in the country. Today, Chinese and Japanese cuisines are among the ones that blend best with Peruvian food, Nikkei for example is the Japanese-Peruvian fusion and Chifa the Chinese-Peruvian fusion. These cuisines are found everywhere in Peru.
But what made Peruvian cuisine that famous is actually Gastón Acurio, a Peruvian celebrity chef and now ambassador to the Peruvian cuisine. For the past three decades, Gastón had a mission to attract more travelers to the country (back in that time, Peru was in a very bad economic, political and social state). He wanted to show the world the beauty of the Peruvian cuisine, and the blend in cultures it represents. For long, Peruvians have been hiding, or humble-bragging, the multi-cultural origins they had but Gastón put a stop to that.
Gastón started by opening his restaurant Astrid y Gastón (with his wife Astrid). By using local ingredients, Gastón was able to attract millions of tourists with his food. He reached out to other Peruvian chefs along the way to support him in his mission. He also continued on opening other restaurants in the country before expanding his empire globally. As tourist numbers grew, the culinary richness of Peru became globally recognized. Today, the food scene in Peru is exploding with new generations of chefs and Peruvian restaurants ranking as top restaurants worldwide.
Out of all the Peruvian dishes, Ceviche is almost everyone’s favorite. It is actually the country’s national dish. Made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices (most commonly lemon or lime), corn and onions, the Ceviche feels like an explosion of flavors to anyone’s taste buds. I ate it anytime I had the chance to. From street vendors or elite restaurants, if you go to Lima, Ceviche is a must.
From my trip to Peru, I had the chance to visit some outstanding restaurants, I was absolutely in love with their ambiance and their food. Here are some recommendations of restaurants you need to try if you love to indulge in food:
MUST-TRY PERUVIAN CUISINE SPOTS RESTAURANTS IN LIMA
Central
Probably THE most famous restaurant in Lima. Central, a Michelin star restaurant in Miraflores is owned by Virgilio Martínez Véliz, the star of the Neflix series “Chef’s Table”. The place is mostly known for its 17 course tasting menu, arranged by the altitude at which local ingredients are produced, from 65 feet below sea level to more than 13,000 feet above. Central is ALWAYS fully booked since it is very popular, make sure you reserve in advance. You don’t want to miss this spot like i did!
Maido
Another very famous Peruvian restaurant in Lima, and globally. Led by chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, Maido mostly offers Nikkei cuisine, including sushi, ramen and hot rice dishes. It also provides a tasting menu that showcases the richness of sea food that Peru is characterized by. Maido is ALWAYS fully booked as well, make sure you book way in advance of your trip.
Astrid y Gastón
Astrid y Gastón is a 3 Michelin star restaurant, owned by Gastón Acurio. As mentioned, Gastón is a champion of Peruvian cuisine and a founder of more than 30 restaurants worldwide. He also has a weekly TV show “MasterChef” and has received worldwide acclaim for starting a gastronomical revolution in Peru. Dinner was delicious; a fixed menu of tartare, carpaccio, fish and rice, duck or lamb and a variety of Pisco sours. Astrid y Gaston is very famous, but regardless of its popularity, Astrid still makes sure to come to every table and greet her guests. I really enjoyed this humbling gesture.
With Astrid at Astrid y Gastón in Lima
OSAKA
A MUST TRY! OSAKA is an amazing fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. The decor and ambiance are also very nice. In between plants and greeneries, the tables are very classy and comfortable. I specially enjoyed the sushi rolls, shrimp tempura and the sashimi – their fish is VERY fresh and flavorful. Definitely a must-go restaurant if you are ever in Lima. Make sure you reserve in advance.
HANZO
My visit to Hanzo was very entertaining. I had the chance to meet the chef who gave me, and some of my friends, a sushi-making cooking session. I observed him putting the layers of fresh salmon, cream cheese and avocado on the rice, and then wrapping them in the seaweed cover. It seemed easy, until I tried it. I used too much rice and it was falling everywhere, but it was a nice experience and I can finally tell my mom: I know how to make sushi!
The dinner was excellent. I had the chance to try more than 7 small plates of a variety of sashimi, sushi, ceviche, fried rice with fish. I also tried some sake, of course. By the end of the night, it was safe to say, I was in “food coma” mode. I went straight to bed after the meal.
Larco Museum Restaurant
The Larco Museum in Peru hosts one of the cutest and most romantic restaurants in Lima. Hidden between the greeneries, the restaurant offers a variety of local meals made of products and customs of the different regions of Peru, confirming that this country is an extraordinary gastronomic destination.
During my time at the Larco restaurant, I had the Causa Rellena (Layered Potato Casserole made of lemony mashed potatoes layered with avocado and tuna or shrimp), absolutely delicious! I also had a Peruvian style rice with sea food as well as a vegetarian pasta meal and finally a mousse de Lucuma for dessert. Some of these dishes were very new to me, but my taste buds were already excited to try them again throughout my trip.
Rice with sea food & Causa Rellena
I hope you enjoyed learning about Peruvian cuisine in this blog. Let me know in the comments below any must-try restaurants I have not mentioned. Would love to try these on my next trip to Peru!
