You’d never suspect that such a place would exist, but next to the Money Mart and the papered up windows of what used to be a 7-11 at Bathurst & St. Clair, is the most wonderful little Peruvian restaurant that ever there was.
Pepe, the owner will greet you and show you to a quaint table in a small room decorated with paintings of all things Peruvian: mountains, llamas, Peruvian people making treks up mountains on llamas…The colours in the room are traditionally bright with lots of turquioise, red and emerald green. The music that plays is an eclectic mix of Peruvian and 97.3 easy rock-type tunes.
Start with a Pisco Sour, the national cocktail of Peru. It is made with fresh lime juice, egg, Pisco,(which is a form of Peruvian grappa that tastes more like tequila), and topped with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
The menu is a staggering five pages long with everything under the sun. Whatever the level of carnivorism or veganism is amongst your guest, everyone will find several items that will satisfy.
Before your food is ready, a basket of warm bread will arrive at your table with a little cup of one of the hottest and flavourful sauces that you have ever tried. My bet is that it is made from Aji peppers, which are found all over Peru. I think I may have the recipe pieced together from tasting it, but Pepe would kill me if I divulged the secret!
My personal favourite is the Sea Bass Ceviche. Tender morsels of sea bass marinated in lime juice with red onions and cilantro. The best ceviche I have ever had.
The french fry is dead to me. Instead, have the Fried Casava. Lighter than a potato and crispier on the outside with a soft fluffy middle and served with a mayonnaise-based sauce for dipping ( I like to use the remnants of the hot sauce that came with the bread!)
The calamari stuffed with rice is out of this world!
I haven’t had a thing on the menu that isn’t fantastic!
The service is slow, but caring. Don’t rush them…. enjoy the company of your guests and be careful how many pisco sours you have…ok, DON’T be careful…get really drunk and dance with Pepe at the end of the night…uhhh, I’ve never done that before, I just heard that someone did it…
Make the venture and tell Pepe that Jen from up the street sent you!
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