If the week leading up to our arrival in Lima had been focused on history, archaeology, and hiking, with a sprinkling of food thrown, the next several days in Peru’s capital would be about nothing but the food.
In San Francisco, my introduction to Peruvian food had been through La Mar, the first U.S.outpost of world-renowned chef Gáston Acurio restaurant by the same name. When it opened in 2008, I wasn’t yet familiar with Peruvian food, but after several meals at La Mar, I quickly fell in love with the European and Asian influences reflected in its dishes.
Arrival in Lima: Sunset Views and Chifa First Impressions
We didn’t arrive in Lima until late afternoon, but there was still enough daylight to watch the sunset from our room on the 21st floor, with unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. That evening, we had dinner at Madam Tusan. I wanted to try chifa, a fusion of Chinese—mainly Cantonese—and Peruvian culinary traditions. I may have picked the wrong restaurant, because, while the food was good, there was nothing particularly inspired about it. What I did get a kick out of, though, was seeing the names of the dish names and how they were direct translations from Chinese. The chaufa rice (where chaufa sounds like a mispronunciation of fried rice in Mandarin) was basically just fried rice. We aimed to do better with our next meals.
Walking the Malecón and an Unforgettable Lunch at El Mercado
The next day, after breakfast in the hotel, we walked the Malecón, a six-mile long boardwalk. Starting in the Miraflores, where we were staying, we strolled south to the Puente de los Suspiros in the Barranco district. We crossed the short, wooden bridge, and descended to the beach to head north again—all the way to El Mercado for lunch.
Oh, my! The food at El Mercado was so good we made reservations to come back again three days later for lunch. Our first course was a tuna tiradito—gently seared slices of tuna served with ponzu sauce and layered with avocado and cucumber. It’s one of the best examples of Nikkei cuisine and it was better than sushi! The fish melted in our mouths, and I loved the soft and crunchy textures from the avocado and cucumber. I could have easily eaten another plate.
Then we had causa, a dish of mashed potatoes seasoned with spices and served with seafood. This was a new to me, and I enjoyed the “mash-up” (pun intended) between Quechuan and European flavors. We followed it with a main course of grouper cheeks stewed bananas—an unexpectedly delicious combination—and ended our meal with possibly the best bread pudding I had ever eaten.
After our leisurely lunch, we made our way back to the hotel along the Malecón, hopping from one park to the next. It was reminiscent of San Francisco’s Embarcardero, with people walking, jogging, and generally staying fit!
From the Nazca Lines to Turrón de Doña Pepa: Sweet Discoveries Downtown
The next day was a lot of sitting as we made the three-hour drive (each way) to tour the Nazca Lines. (You can read about it in my separate post here.)
To make up for all the sitting—between the car and the plane—we spent the following day sightseeing around Lima’s historic downtown. That’s where we discovered turrón de Doña Pepa, a classic Peruvian dessert: thin layers of pastry filled with honey-like syrup and topped with colorful candy sprinkles. We stumbled upon Pastelería San Martín, tucked on one corner of Plaza San Martin, and popped in for a snack. A slice of turrón, accompanied by a strong coffee, was just the thing.
Fine Dining Highlights: Central and Astrid y Gastón
The highlight that night was our dinner at Central, which in different years has been named the best restaurant in Latin America and consistently ranks among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. (Read about our experience here.)
For our last dinner in Lima, we went to another culinary institution: Astrid y Gastón. This is the original restaurant that put Gastón Acurio on the map. Located in a gorgeous 17th-century colonial mansion in the San Isidro neighborhood, we walked into the cavernous space and, due to social distancing, practically had the place to ourselves.
Our appetizers—pork belly baos and tender cubes of ahi tuna served with purple potato chips—were a perfect showcase of Peru’s fusion traditions. We then completely stuffed ourselves with squid-ink pasta cooked in a cast-iron pan and loaded generous chunks of seafood. Unlike Central, the flavors here leaned more traditional.
Ending on a High Note: One Last Meal at El Mercado
Before we left for the airport, we made one last pilgrimage to El Mercado. It was Saturday, and groups of people already hovered outside, their conversations buzzing with anticipation. As the door swung open, we lined up to check in with the hostess.
Inside, the tables quickly filled. We lingered over another unforgettable meal, savoring each bite as if trying to hold onto Lima itself.
Hours later, somewhere over the Pacific, we could still taste the tiradito on our tongues—a last, unforgettable memory of Peru.
Lima was one part of our overall Peru experience. Read about the rest of our Peru trip here.