593614 Wed Feb 04 22:01:26 -0800 2009 19 56 South America 0 4389025 I just returned from a few days in Lima, Cuzco, & Ollantaytambo (January 2009). I loved loved loved the food in Peru. NOT from the tourist recommended restaurants, which tended to be watered down bland and kind of expensive. (Although one exception in Ollantaytambo, the dinner at my hotel the El Albergue was excellent). I can understand why tourists would prefer to eat at these kinds of places, thinking there might be less chance of getting sick. After a few disappointments, I tossed out the guidebook recommendations and picked restaurants the way I do at home in Los Angeles, ..looks clean, smells clean and is full of locals, go for it! (The only thing I did was to avoid lettuce leaves and unpeeled raw fruits or vegetables, and of course the water). Favorite things, in no particular order Alpaca. Alpaca loin cooked medium rare at the El Albergue hotel restaurant. 29 soles with three sides including the green herb Huacatay and a sauce made of sauco berries (Peruvian elderberry, I had a few raw ones in Ollantaytambo also). Choclo...the boiled corn with giant kernels from the vendors near the Ollantaytambo train station...2 Soles to Gringos. Hold the cheese. Cancha..the toasted corn kernels, served before the meal at cebicherias. Coca Tea. Tastes like green tea. Better than I expected. Nice also mixed with lemon grass tea. Nice side effect..appetite suppressant. But don't have more than two at night or you won'l sleep, and don't drink coffee in the morning. Helados/Gelato from local fruits...Sauco, Chirimoya, Lucuma, Tamarindo. The Gelateria "4d" in the Lima Airport was the best I found. They seem to be open 24 hours. Ceviche (Cebiche) in Lima! I was wandering around lost (in the vicinity of the Repsol station at Arenals and Rep. de Chile, and ate at a place called something like Rey del Mar which I think was on Rep. de Chile. For no more than $5 or $6 US, a delicious cebiche mixto with choclo kernels, some kind of yam or yuca, seaweed, the Peruvian scallops, a few whole shrimp, and white fish ( I don't think any octopus or squid), PLUS, a second course of fish soup, AND an Inka Cola. Chicken. Grilled chicken, fries and a salad bar. Everywhere. Hayden Mangos. Like the ones I grew up eating. Limonada. Made with the Peruvian Key Limes Inka Kola...and I don't normally drink soft drinks. Pepino Melons from the Pisac Market. $3 a Kilo. In the US, they're $3 a Melon for a little one. Didn't like...the food I had at Pucara, Cuzco. (Criollo Soup and Lomo Saltado) bland and overpriced. Tourist restaurant. The green tamales I had at Tanta. Odd tasting, the ones that were on sample for free at a Metro supermarket were much better (and Soles 2.50 each, not 17 Soles for two). Tourist restaurant. Coffee. Usually instant. The plain chicha (tastes like cider, which I don't really like). Just my personal taste. The strawberry one was okay. I keep thinking about that ceviche...and I know where a Peruvian restaurant in Los Angeles is..right next to my credit union in Gardena! Wed Feb 04 22:01:26 -0800 2009 71215 mlgb 1 4398712 What did you like in Cusco? I will be traveling there next week. Sun Feb 08 13:56:39 -0800 2009 4389025 262523 MJE3 2 4398886 The chicken place was in Cuzco, but I can't give an exact location. I was walking back from either the Artesania market or the Center for Traditional Textiles. I think it was along El Sol a few blocks south east of the Plaza de Armas, but it could have been a parallel side street. The place was on a corner, you can see the chickens roasting in a big wood fired oven, it had green & white checked tablecloths (which I only know because I took a photo of the meal). There was a little salad bar near the front door, which drew me in...veggie starved. Very nice service but casual. One order enough for two people. Sun Feb 08 15:19:18 -0800 2009 4398712 71215 mlgb 2 4419488 Cusco recs: Aji de gallina at Pacha Papa Causa Rellanos at Cafe Ayllu Anticucho and Estoufado de Pollo at Pucara Crawfish gnocchi w/Rocotto sauce at MAP cafe Sun Feb 15 12:01:19 -0800 2009 4398712 19455 AimeeD 3 4496226 I didn't think much of the food at Pucara, unfortunately. Folks I met traveling liked Pacha Papa but I didn't eat there myself. My chicken meal in Cuzco. The veg/marinated things were good..I liked the marinated sliced radishes (similar marinade to the onion salad I had at cebicherias, I think mostly the lime juice and cilantro), there was a green stalk veg (like a chard stem) that was nice, a little bitter contrast. And of course potato salad. Also a version of what we get in Mexican restaurants, the marinated peppers and carrots. Wed Mar 11 18:42:09 -0700 2009 4419488 71215 mlgb 4 4918275 I know know the name of the chicken place, it is Los Toldos, and they have a website http://www.lostoldoschicken.com/ Tue Aug 04 20:08:41 -0700 2009 4496226 71215 mlgb 5 4919666 I'm adding that place to my list. I'll be there next week. Did you try the mollejitas (gizzards)? Wed Aug 05 10:16:30 -0700 2009 4918275 10736 Peter Cherches 6 4920831 No...my mother forced me to eat gizzards when I was little! Enjoy your trip and report back! Wed Aug 05 15:17:48 -0700 2009 4919666 71215 mlgb 7 4929798 macchu picchu is clearly the new disneyland. i TOO will be travelling cuzco-sacred valley - M.P. next week (i look forward to meeting more chowheads than in santa monica) thank you. although generally a food adventurer and big on street food i am a little concerned about ruining my trip, and that of others, looking for a toilet. however i am encouraged. i would certainly think the anticuchos "safe" any and all other suggestions are most welcome. i just learned that Escoffier considered Peruvian food to be "second" only to France (no surprise from him) and Chifa. Sat Aug 08 20:49:00 -0700 2009 4920831 278431 gore_mutt 8 4930179 The street food is perfectly safe. Sun Aug 09 05:44:45 -0700 2009 4929798 36661 Sam Fujisaka 9 4935136 excellent- i'm counting on you sam Mon Aug 10 19:39:37 -0700 2009 4930179 278431 gore_mutt 10 4941925 Just don't drink the water. Peel the fruits veggies And bring a scrip for Cipro just in case Try to spend a little time in the Sacred Valley, eg Pisac Urubamba Ollantaytambo, different climate and feel than either Cusco or MP Wed Aug 12 20:10:53 -0700 2009 4935136 71215 mlgb 11 4947335 Ollanta is great. I just got back to Cusco from there (&MP) last night. I had a good cuy al horno & chupe al horno at a place called Kero's Inka. They also do a combination plate with cuy, chicharon, rocoto relleno, tamales, chuleta de res, all for 50 soles. It's on one of the narrow streets off the Plaza. I couldn't get into Pukarumi, which is in the guidebooks and very popular, but at a place across the street I had a fabulous trucha al ajillo---sorry, cant remember the name, but they have a pizza oven up front. I don't regret staying in Ollanta instead of Aguas Calientes. It's still built on the original Inca plan, and most of the houses are on original stone foundations (some of the portals too--and I hope I don't get busted for the extra-culinary details). Right on the plaza, next to the Heart Cafe, there's a chicheria with a pole with a red bag tied to it. You walk into the courtyard and to the left you'll see mostly old folks in local garb sitting around drinking. A big gulp glass of chicha will cost you 50 centimos, about 17 cents. I made a little small talk with the proprietress and the patrons, but my Spanish is pretty poor. Heart Cafe, by the way, can make mixed fruit juices with ginger, which I always love. At MP I tried to lunch at the a la carte restaurant at the Sanctuary Lodge, but even though it was empty they claimed they couldn't accommodate me unless I was a guest, and I could only do the buffet. To tell the truth, though $33 US, it was quite good, my favorite items being the whole roast pig, ceviche de dorado and the trout braised with shredded vegetables. There were a lot of choices. Basically, Orient-Express has a lock on the whole enterprise, from the train through the concessions. Bring a lot of water, otherwise you'll pay 8 soles for a 300ml glass bottle at the snack bar. So basically, after I finished my firest half liter in the morning, I had to pay over $5 for what should have cost me half a buck, and lug glass bottles no less. I'll post in detail about meals in Peru when I get back to the states. Fri Aug 14 15:10:09 -0700 2009 4941925 10736 Peter Cherches 12 4988847 got back myself this week- did spend much time in sacred valley, certainly did M.P. and cusco (and yes the 8 sole small bottles of water @mp were a necessary BIG mistake) Heidi's was excellent. (posted elsewhere on chowhound) she and her husband were excellent hosts wasted some meals and then made it to Gaston's new (sic) restaurant in Cusco- Chi Cha. ( is it really new- and am i really the first person to post it ? wow) certainly the best we had on the trip "three trouts"- 3 trout treatments rolled with papas, etc lomo saltado- had to try it ceviche- of course chicarrones (these sure aren't the stuff in a bag) succulent pork ribs delightful gracioius place stylish and first world hygiene unfortunately did not do the street food that beckond to me (having spent much time in the markets and on the streets which cautioned us) did eat well however in the sacred valley- and would recommend some of the guest houses and hosterias. we stayed with Hosteria Rummichaca (recommended by an anthropologist family member) the food was quite good- definately Peruvian- just not the usual, and street dishes. Sat Aug 29 13:53:55 -0700 2009 4947335 278431 gore_mutt 12 5024279 In Cusco I enjoyed Pucara and Pacha Papa--which have been mentioned a bunch (I disagree with the OP and found the food at Pucara delicious), as well as La Chomba (had the cabrito). But I don't think La Quinta Eulalia (on Choquechaca) has been mentioned. It may have been my favorite place (service a bit brusque, but it was really busy on a Sunday afternoon). A quinta is a traditional courtyard lunch-only place. The menu of the day is on blackboards throughout the outdoor dining area. It's very popular with locals and families. I started with a soup, chairo, a meat and vegetable soup that was like a cross between a pozole and a sancocho. My main course, roast lamb (photo attached), was served with rocoto relleno, tamal, papas doradas and vegetables. The enormous plate was 18 soles ($6). Sat Sep 12 07:35:43 -0700 2009 4947335 10736 Peter Cherches 13 5204417 I don't mind that you disagree about Pucara..it was just ordinary compared to some of the other meals I had in Peru. Nothing terrible. I'm going back in May..with plans to eat my way thru Lima..not sure if I will be back in Cusco though. Mon Nov 23 23:54:03 -0800 2009 5024279 71215 mlgb 1 4398931 That should be camote (sweet potato) and yuca with the ceviche. Sun Feb 08 15:33:12 -0800 2009 4389025 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 4398944 Thanks, I thought as much but was guessing. Sun Feb 08 15:37:15 -0800 2009 4398931 71215 mlgb 1 4533568 I will also be travelling to Cuzco soon for the week of Easter, and have heard that it's traditional to eat a 12 course meal on good friday as part of the celebrations. Does anyone know if this is available in any of the restaurants in Cuzco and if so, does anyone have a recommendation? My boyfriend and I would love to experience as much of the local culture as possible during the festivities. Tue Mar 24 10:35:47 -0700 2009 4389025 277006 jenchef 2 5026688 Gaston Acurios's Chicha in cusco was great, sorry I didn't post it earlier, were there in June. I would also recomend Tres Keros in Sacred Valley, not many tourist, best pisco sours. Sun Sep 13 13:04:58 -0700 2009 4533568 134391 Lilylima