Peru
Peru, and especially Lima, is currently being hyped as the food capital of South America. That may well be true, but unfortunately it is necessary to lower your expectations a bit as to what that signifies. There are some things done here that are on a level no where else (ceviche is the best example) and some product (think corn- non hybridized varieties with a kernel size 4 to 5 times what we are used to ) that is unlike anything we can procure in the United States. Peru, according to local guides here, gave the world potatoes, corn, tomatoes, strawberries, fava and lima beans (incidentally, the toasted favas, limas and corn eaten as snacks are incredible).
Fine dining is a bit of a letdown compared with the hype- even Astrid y Gaston which is reputedly the best restaurant in the country falls a bit short of its lofty expectations. There is a bit of molecular gastro with the occasional foam and presentation is wonderful, but some of the food fell short- especially a suckling pig that suffered from a gaminess (especially aggravating because a local goat dish was absent of that typical characteristic…best goat we’ve had, in fact). The food occasionally was over seasoned.
Astrid y Gaston has top notch service and a wine list centered around South America and Spain. Portions are more than generous. Foie gras was on par with that anywhere, a spider crab ravioli satisfied, but a rabbit dim sum did not live up to China town standards. If you are looking for one fine dining experience in Lima, this is probably it, but Michelin starred fare it is not.
Restaurant Huaca Pucllana……. Located nearly on top of a 1800 year old mud pyramid really did not live up to the hype of various guide books…service was poor and the food really lacked finesse. Portions were more than ample. If you go, the cuy (guinea pig) appetizer was much better than the entree cuy, which was so tough as to be inedible. Apparently, preparation of cuy is an art, and this may have simply been poor technique. Risotto was heavy and gooey. The view is incredible as the pyramid is lit up at night, but the whole experience somehow seemed disrespectful to the souls of those proud Indians from so long ago.
Matsuei is a revelation and is highly recommended for sushi lovers….we have enjoyed Nobu’s style of sushi before in New York and it was a treat to come to the restaurant he co founded 30 years ago in Lima. Reportedly, he stayed only 3 years but the time there had a lasting influence on him. The experience was terrific, with the freshest product I’ve ever experience…and we did the chef’s choice for 4 persons (a mixture of sashimi and maki) that was more than enough….the cost was only $45 for all 4...11.25 USD each!
As we stayed in the San Isidro section of Lima, we hit 2 of the places mentioned in Lonely Planet for ceviche at lunch. The first was Punta Sal located on Avenue Conquistadores. A modern place, crowded with locals, it hit on every level. Each of the four dishes we ordered were large, and reasonably priced at about 28- 32 solas (about 10 US dollars) each. Washed down with a sweet blue corn beverage (sounds odd but is really a nice counterpoint to the acidity of the lime in the ceviche), this restaurant was a definite one to return to. Highly recommended. The only negative note was the fish tank in the back…the dead koi floating at the top of the tank was a bit disconcerting for a place serving fresh fish. Ceviche is generally a lunchtime tradtion so most places dedicated to serving it close after lunch.
The second place Lonely Planet recommended for ceviche was Alfresco. While the ceviche was not as good as Punta Sal, the black squid ink risotto was perfect. Some of the best anywhere. Having said that, probably would recommend you try elsewhere.
Machu Picchu is a dream trip for most people including us and it did not disappoint. All roads( and flights and trains) to Machu Picchu lead you through Cusco which is a lovely Incan-Spanish colonial town with many beautiful ruins of its own. We did not have a chance to dine independently there, as a typical tourist lunch was included in the transfer and the hotel we stayed at (Sol y Luna) was remote from the town…the restaurant there was merely ok. However, we wanted to spend 2 days seeing Machu Picchu so we stayed at the Hotel Sumaq Picchu in Agua Caliente which is where the 30 minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu originates from. The restaurant at the Hotel Sumaq Picchu was solid, and would be recommended. They have a local freshwater trout which they make a terrific ceviche from. The hotel itself is the last building on the road out of town and has an awesome view of a cascading river. There is a buffet lunch at the Machu Picchu lodge(only hotel at the entrance to the ruins) which is expensive by Peruvian standards at 33 US dollars, but considering it costs a $1000 dollars a night to stay there is probably not outrageous. Fairly standard buffet food, though there was an excellent suckling pig and another nice trout ceviche.
A final bit of advice….beware of Lima cab drivers….not the most honest of human kind.
