Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Crossing One Off the Bucketlist
I was finally able to get to Lima this past November. Lima sat at or near the top of my travel bucketlist for a really long time. Notice how I said Lima and not Peru. Honestly I never had much interest in visiting Peru outside of going to Lima to eat, which is partly why it took me so long to get there. Most people go to Lima because they have to stop there before they go to Macchu Picchu or elsewhere. I was the opposite in that I wanted to go to Lima but didn’t have much interest in going to Cusco or elsewhere, that was a mistake. More on my mistake at the end of this post but for now I’m going to show and tell you why the people that use Lima as just a stop over are also making a mistake.
Pics from Lima (click all pics to enhance)
Lima is the capital of Peru and the country’s political, economic, and culinary centers. It sits on the Pacific coast in a massive desert-meets-ocean metropolis of nearly 10 million people. It’s gritty, it’s historic, and it’s very much a food forward city. Culturally it has a strong mix of Indigenous, Spanish, African, Chinese, and Japanese influence. The city has massive festivals tied to Catholic traditions and a big surf culture as you can catch waves year-round. Lima is often considered the food capital of Latin America. Lima isn’t conventionally “beautiful” at first glance. The traffic is terrible and the sky is grey. But it rewards those that dig in. Miraflores and Barranco are the two hip neighborhoods. Miraflores is modern, coastal, tourist-friendly and has a ton of restaurants. Barranco is bohemian, artsy and nightlife-heavy. San Isidro is the main business district. Centro Histórico is full of Colonial architecture and history. Barrio Chino is home to the oldest Chinese community in Latin America.
Pics from Lima
As far the food goes it really did live up to the hype and then some. I haven’t ate that well on a country's local cuisine since the last time I was in Asia. Lima is rightfully placed among the world’s best food cities. Peru has coast, mountains, and jungle, and Lima sits right on the Pacific meaning easy access to fresh seafood, 100’s of varieties of potatoes and corn from the Andes, plus tropical fruits, cacao, and herbs from the Amazon. Mix all that with the deep connection to the Far East and you have a unique mix of culinary traditions that don’t just coexist — they reshape one another.
Pics from Lima
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La Lucha Sangucheria
We had a reservation for our first meal in Lima but had gotten there a bit early. That said there was an outlet of Lima’s most famous sangucheria down the block so I decided to knock La Lucha Sangucheria off of my hit list. Lima’s most well known sandwich chain was started by a guy named César Taboada, who had plans to make Peruvian-style sandwiches a source of national pride. He succeeded in a very short amount of time as the first location opened in Miraflores in 2008. Fast forward to 2026 and they have more than 10 locations in Lima plus outlets in Mexico City and Bogota.
Papas Fritas y Chicha Morada
The Pan con Chicharron is Lima’s most popular sandwich so it’s only fitting that it’s the most popular offering at La Lucha Sangucheria. This wonderful specimen starts with crisp Pan con Frances that gets stuffed with fried pork belly plus a slice of sweet potato and salsa criolla which is a cold relish of finely sliced red onions sitting in vinegar (it can include salt, tomatoes, garlic, Aji peppers). It's a heavyweight in the wide world of sandwiches and I suggest making a meal out of one by adding a side of terrific fresh cut fries that are cut by actual hands. The sandwich is a great mix of ingredients and should definitely be a source of national pride as should the fries. Make it a complete meal here by adding a Chicha Morada or a fresh squeezed juice into the mix. The former is Peru’s national non alcoholic drink and is made using culli as a base ingredient. Culli is a Peruvian variety of corn commonly known as purple corn and it's abundantly grown and harvested along the Andes Mountains region. Also of note are the juice options at Lima’s sandwich shops - they're outstanding. Limeños eat sandwiches at all hours of the day and they’re very popular for breakfast paired with a fresh fruit juice.
Pan con Chicharron at La Lucha Sangucheria
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Ototo Barra Nikkei
I hit the ground running as I walked over to Ototo Barra Nikkei after my introduction to Lima’s sandwich culture. We made a reservation to try the omakase at Ototo after learning the owner / chef came from Maido which some consider Lima’s best restaurant - it was ranked #1 in the 2025 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list. Well Maido was booked by the time we got our tickets to Peru but Ototo was brand new and word was just starting to spread about this intimate Peruvian-Japanese (Nikkei) sushi bar in Surquillo. They offer a chef-led counter experience featuring fresh and local high quality ingredients in the form of nigiri, ceviche, and a few Japanese street food favorites served personally by owner and head chef Marco Palma. He's joined by his wife and two others in a space that seats maybe 10 people max. You can do ala carte or try all of the food thru the chefs tasting menu which was tough to pass up at a such a fair price-point ($45 for 8 courses). All the food was really good and the meal was very filling. I expect this place to blow up in terms of coverage over the next year or so.
Amuse Bouche
Ostra y Percebes
Octopus Gyoza
Usuzukuri (Tiradito)
Sando con Perjerrey
Nikkei Ceviche
Sashimi
Foie Gras Sashimi
Okayu Criollo
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Verbena Restaurante
Dinner on our first night in Lima was at Verbena Restaurante. I was very much looking forward to trying this place and that was before Chef Marco Palma at Ototo gave it a ringing endorsement during our lunch there. As it turned out he’s good friends with Richi Goachet who’s the head chef at Verbena. Chef Richi and his team are showcasing Peruvian ingredients with global touches in a small and cozy art filled space. The focus as far as ingredients is fresh and seasonal seafood and produce cooked in a small open kitchen. We started out with a plate of the tiradito which is a popular Peruvian dish of raw fish, cut in the shape of sashimi, and similar to crudo and carpaccio it’s served in a well spiced sauce. Tiradito reflects the influence of Japanese cuisine in Peru as the dish is a fusion between Peruvian and Japanese food aka Nikkei Cuisine. The technique of preparing fine cuts of sashimi in a spicy citrus base is practiced at restaurants throughout Peru and chefs get to put their personal touches on the dish as far as what type of raw fish to use and what goes into the sauce. The Tiradito served at Verbena was nothing short of outstanding but I can’t remember exactly what was in it aside from some house fried potato chips using one of the many varieties of Peruvian potatoes. Most of the ingredients they used were native to Peru and thus not flavors I was completely familiar with - but they left a lasting impression. Looking back on it every dish we had here was a hit resulting in an A+ meal.
Verbena Tiradito
Artichoke Stew Empanadillas with Roasted Red Pepper Honey
Duck "Ramen" Pear Dim Sum with Pickled Mushrooms
Grilled Prawns, Zarandaja Beans, Chifles
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Sandwiches Monstruos
Sandwiches Monstruos is an all day and all night operation known for their big and hearty loaded sandwiches, hence the Monster Sandwiches name. The flagship location opened in Barranco in 1967 but they also have locations in San Miguel and Miraflores. I decided to walk over one morning and have a Sanguche de Pavo for breakfast. I chose turkey bc it was commonly mentioned in the reviews and also because turkey sandwiches are very popular in Peru. We’re talking actual turkey and not mystery deli meat. Fresh roasted turkey is stuffed into a Pan con Frances with Aji sauce plus salsa criolla and anything else you want. Simple but sensational in terms of a turkey sandwich.
Sanguche de Pavo at Sandwiches Monstruos
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Al Toke Pez
We made sure to get to Al Toke Pez right when it opened as it was already busy spot before gaining international attention after being featured in the Netflix series ‘Street Food: Latin America’. Though they moved to a new spot not too long ago so it’s not as cramped and tight spaced as it once was. While most of the reviews I read were positive there were a few that said it was overrated or too hyped but that’s to be expected once you hit it big. If you haven’t seen the episode featuring Al Toke Pez the series features Tomás “Toshi” Matsufuji, the Peruvian-Japanese chef and owner of Al Toke Pez. His dad was a renowned restaurateur and pioneer of Peru's Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine. In the episode Chef Matsufuji talks of the early struggle to live up to his dads legacy before deciding he was going to do what he wanted which is a lowkey spot where they do a few things and they do those things really well. The menu is basically made up of ceviche, arroz mariscos, and chicharrón de pescado and most people get the “combinado” which is a platter featuring all three. I was happy with the product. The ceviche tasted super fresh and might've been my favorite of all the ceviche I tried while the fried rice was really nice with big hits of wok hei. It's made to order and they get the wok smoking right there in front of you in the open kitchen. The fried fish was hot and crisp and cut into nice bite sized pieces. The people who leave this place negative reviews must be miserable. We had a fantastic first lunch that fed two of us for just $11. I don’t know if the lines have died down with time but it wasn’t busy on our visit granted we were in and out within an hour of them opening.
La Famosa Combinado at Al Toke Pez
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Alegría Picantería Piurana
Our second lunch of the day was at a newer spot that hasn’t reached the international masses yet but word has spread amongst Limenos. Alegría Picantería Piurana was already packed when we arrived for our 12:30p reservation. When I reached out to make that reservation weeks before they told me a 12:30p was all they had and I could see they weren't lying upon arriving. We were very clearly the only tourists in there as the crowd was mostly made up of large groups of locals ranging from people stepping out of work to eat to older ladies out lunching with their friends and so forth. Everyone here for big plates of Northern Peruvian favorites such as the Northern Ceviche featuring fresh Mero Fish aka grouper marinated in lime juice with onions, cilantro, Peruvian chili peppers. It comes with zarandaja beans and boiled yucca and is starting to gather buzz as the best ceviche in town. I'm not qualified to make that claim but it was extra fresh and had tons of depth in terms of texture and taste.
Northern Ceviche at Alegría Picantería Piurana
As good as the ceviche was it the Máncora style seafood rice that stole the show. I haven’t had enough plates of seafood rice to know how this one stacks up but the version at Alegría Picantería Piurana was one of the best things I ate in Peru. This dish is molded after the seafood rice served up in a resort town in Northwest Peru. It’s made with the daily catch, yellow chili sofrito, peas, sweet corn, zarandaja beans and a touch of lime. The amount of flavor packed into this dish was impressive and it had good texture going for it too with a huge pile of thinly shaved raw onions sitting on top. Unfortunately that was all we got to try as the portions are massive and meant to be shared. If I had an extra day I might've returned here to try something else such as the Seco de Chabelo or perhaps the Northern style baby goat stew. I bet the duck rice is also dank. What a great 1-2 Punch for lunch.
Máncora Style Seafood Rice Alegría Picantería Piurana
__________________________________________________Picarones "Mary"
Picarones Mary was another spot I wanted to try after seeing it on the Lima episode of ‘Street Food: Latin America’ on Netflix. It’s a cute little stand ran by a family that serves fresh Picarones or Peruvian donuts. Picarones originated in Lima during Spanish rule and are said to derive from buñuelos which are a Spanish deep-fried dough. While Picarones look like buñuelos they are one of a kind in that they aren’t made with just flour and eggs but instead with an interesting combination containing squash called macre mixed with boiled sweet potatoes which are mashed to make a puree which is mixed with flour, yeast, sugar. The puree is formed into the shape of a torus and deep fried before getting drenched in a sweet spiced syrup made of chancaca, an unrefined, raw sugarcane sugar product. Picarones are commonly enjoyed alongside a cup of Chicha Morada aka purple drink. Picarones Mary has been in Parque Kennedy since 1990 and has an additional stand in Miraflores.
Picarones at Picarones Mary
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Clon
Clon is a highly acclaimed restaurant in Lima's Barranco district. I would highly recommend it. They offer Venezuelan-Peruvian fusion cuisine and are led by head chef Juan Luis Martínez. It’s the casual "sister" spot to the award-winning Mérito which was still to come. But Clon is much more casual in terms of the setting and the pricing though the food is just as refined. High-quality ingredients are paired with skilled technique resulting in some wonderful plates of food coming out of the intimate open kitchen. I feel like this is the type of spot where you really can’t go wrong with whatever you order. Everything we got was awesome making it tough to pick a favorite. Yet another A+ meal.
Arepa Andina - Wheat Arepa, Fried Pejerrey, Yellow Chili Peppers
Taquito Panceta - Glazed Pork Belly over Arracacha Slices
Udon Chili Crab - Stir Fried Udon, Spicy Sour Sauce, Popeye Crab
Curry - Catch of the Day, Green Curry, Black Mashua Rice, Peruvian Corn
Churros - Churros Choux and Seasonal Ice Cream
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Anticucheria El Tio Mario
The Anticucho is quite literally the heart of Peruvian food. The beef heart-based dish is a very popular late night snack in Peru. Sliced pieces of beef heart are marinated in vinegar and more before being skewered and grilled over charcoal. I had originally walked over to the corner where a famous vendor sets up shop but she wasn’t there so instead I went to El Tio Mario which is a well known Anticucheria in the Barranco neighborhood. El Tio Mario started out as cart but has grown into a full blown restaurant. Lots of large groups out to on my visit which was solo so I got a two piece with potato which ended up being a ton of food for less than $10. The beef had a real nice flavor from the marinade and the grill but it was a tad chewy due to it being cut in huge chunks. A knife and fork come in handy as I found it much more pleasurable when cut into little bite sized pieces. The skewers come with a wonderful pair of red and yellow aji sauce that takes it to the next level. I would eat these again.
Anticucho at
Anticucheria El Tio Mario
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DeMo
Next morning we headed back to Barranco to start the day at DeMo - the popular, high-end bakery and brunch spot ran by Juan Luis Martínez who also runs Merito and Clon. Chef Martinez and his team were 3-3 as DeMo is the real deal in terms of the pastries. We tried a few and each of them was outstanding including the super light and extra flaky croissant with tons of butter mixed in. It was Paris quality. They also do brunch and it looked great but we had lunch plans right down the block.
Pastries at DeMo
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IsolinaIsolina Taberna was right down the block from our last stop so we decided to stop by right as they were opening. Isolina is a celebrated Peruvian tavern style restaurant in Barranco. It’s known for serving classic criolla cuisine which is the hearty, traditional cooking of Peru that focuses on rich sauces, stews, and time-honored recipes. It’s a very popular spot with both tourists and locals thus it was packed within 20 minutes of opening. I wish this wasn’t a spur of the moment stop as the menu here is filled with interesting options but we came for the ‘Pan Con Pejerrey’ which is a Peruvian fish sandwich. It’s made with crisp fried pejerrey fillets served in crusty French-style bread, accompanied by salsa tártara and salsa criolla - a tangy mix of onions, lime, and chili added for brightness and acidity. All due respect to Florida but I think the best fish sandwiches might reside in Lima.
Pan con Pejerrey at Isolina
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Helado de Lima
Helado de Lima serves it's artisanal ice cream at a few locations in the city. The flavors here reflect the city's unique mix of coastal, Andean and immigrant influences. I've mentioned before that I much prefer fruit flavors to chocolate and creamy ones and a scoop of Maracuya was the right call.
Maracuya (Passionfruit)
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Juanito Barranco
Because it wasn’t far I also made an impromptu stop for the Sanguche de Butifarra at Juanito Barranco. Butifarra is Peruvian country style ham which is boiled and roasted and seasoned with Aji panca chile peppers, garlic, and spices. Juanito Barranco is an old school spot that’s been serving Butifarra since 1937. They hand slice the Jamon to order and stuff into a crisp ciabatta roll with salsa criolla making it a simple but sensational sandwich in a real throw back the clock type of spot.
Butifarra at Juanito Barranco
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ShizenThe Nikkei food in Lima impressed at every meal it was featured in. Shizen is widely regarded among the best in town when it comes to Peruvian-Japanese food. The team at Shizen consists of two chefs with Japanese Peruvian roots and one from Northern Peru and they really nailed the combining of these two powerhouse cuisines. At Shizen they mix Peruvian citrus and chilies like ají amarillo and rocoto with Japanese sauces like ponzu, miso, and dashi. The final product is balanced but bold. Tiradito is the perfect example of this and always a must at a Nikkei spot like this. It was excellent.
Tiradito at Shizen
I was particularly enthralled with the Nikkei Nigiri which is a spin on classic Edo style Nigiri that uses Peruvian ingredients and Japanese technique. Nikkei Nigiri is much more contrasting than traditional sushi - it’s got acidity and sometimes even has heat to it. The nigiri menu at Shizen changes based on what’s fresh but based on what we ate it felt like it was tough to go wrong with whatever's selected.
Nikkei Nigiri at Shizen
We skipped the maki at Shizen and opted for some noodles instead. The Udon Uchucuta was a memorable bowl of thick and chewy udon noodles with shrimp and scallops sauteed in Batayaki sauce (a buttery mix of soy, mirin and more). Served with Rocoto Uchucutta which is a spicy condiment sauce commonly made with rocoto chiles, grated cucumbers, peanuts, huacatay leaves, evaporated milk, chopped onions, coriander leaves, queso fresco, and salt. The flavors were magical.
Udon Uchucuta at Shizen
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Chifa Titi
I had two food spots that I was not going to miss no matter what. The first of which was Chifa Titi. Chifa is the term used to describe the Peruvian-Chinese food that’s a staple of everyday life in Lima. It comes from Chinese immigrants (mostly Cantonese) who arrived in Peru in the late 1800s and blended their cooking with local ingredients and tastes. The name comes from the Cantonese phrase “chi fan” meaning “to eat rice.” Chifa can also refer to the restaurants that serve Peruvian-Chinese food and chifa spots are everywhere in Peru in the same way American Chinese food is found all over the U.S. Chifa is similar to American Chinese food (also a product of the Cantonese) but it has its own distinctions. It’s a bit saltier, smokier, and less sweet. Though the dishes are the same format with fried rice, stir-fried noodles, and crispy battered meats being the focal point of most Chifa menus. Chifa Titi is a higher end chifa (expect American prices) and those in the know will tell you it’s the best chifa in Lima. I wish I had more eating power here alas it was just me so I only got to try a few things. First up was an order of fried wontons which very much hit the spot but are probably better ordered for a group. Next out was the best shrimp fried rice I’ve ever had, the smoky flavor from the wok hei was incredible. I became familiar with Pollo Chi Jau Kay at a popular Peruvian Chinese restaurant in Miami and it's since become my go-to order at any chifa spot. It's a crispy, battered dish of deep-fried chicken that's cut and covered in a savory brown gravy infused with ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. I loved Pollo Chijaukay before going to Titi and I love it even more after going there.
Chifa Dinner at Chifa Titi
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Pastelería and Panadería San Antonio
Pastelería / Panadería San Antonio was founded by two Spanish friends, Don Pepe (José Vila) and Don Emilio, who together with a team of Peruvian baking artisans opened the very first San Antonio bakery on October 21, 1959, in the district of Magdalena in Lima. Today they have 9 locations in Lima making it a local staple for sandwiches and pastries. I walked over to one for breakfast one morning and it was bumping like we were in Paris or Zurich. I ended up getting a Peruvian Triple Sandwich as I'd read they're known for having a good one. The Triple Sandwich is made up of three thin slices of bread and a trio of layers made up of avocado slices, tomato slices, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and mayonnaise. It’s a ubiquitous snack at birthday parties and is also considered a typical breakfast.
Triple Sandwich at San Antonio Bakery
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Aji y Rocoto
I mentioned how there were two spots on my must stop list and this was the other one. It wasn’t necessarily this exact place but I had to have a plate of Lomo Saltado while I was in Lima and ended up choosing Aji y Rocoto even though it was a bit off the typical tourist path plus they serve a portion meant to feed two. I’d read customers line up to eat here so I made sure I was there about 15 minutes before they opened and lucky me as I was the first one there. By the time I was seated a line started to form and as seen above it went all the way down the block by the time I was leaving. Aji y Rocoto sports a blackboard made up of maybe like ten items with Lomo Saltado always sitting at the very top. This beloved Peruvian stir-fry was originally a chifa dish blending Cantonese cooking techniques with Peruvian ingredients. It’s typically made with marinated strips of sirloin or tenderloin and wok-seared with red onions, tomatoes, ají amarillo peppers and soy sauce plus French fries, and vinegar, and served with white rice. I knew this would be good as soon as it arrived. It had a mesmerizing smell and was still sizzling having come fresh from a flaming wok. I basically inhaled most of what was on my plate leaving nothing but a small pile of rice. The flavors and the textures are off the charts with this dish. It’s tough to pick the single best thing I ate in Lima but it would also be tough not to pick this.
Lomo Saltado at Aji y Rocoto
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Tomo Cocina Nikkei
Tomo Cocina Nikkei is yet another popular spot for Nikkei. It was co founded by two guys that met years ago while working togther in other Lima based Nikkei kitchens. They teamed up to open Tomo and their combined experience and passion for Japanese-Peruvian food speaks loud and clear. For starters a fried fish steamed bun made up of the catch of the day deep fried in tempura with nikkei tartar sauce was lovely. But again it’s the nigiri that really stands out. I could eat the toro roll with tuna belly and a yellow smoked chili sauce every day and never get sick of it. Such wonderful flavors.
Nikkei Nigiri at Tomo Cocina Nikkei
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Curich Cremoladas
I was very happy to learn of the cremolada while I was still in Lima. Cremolada is a classic Peruvian frozen fruit dessert that’s similar to Italian ice (a personal favorite). It’s a refreshing and fruity slushie type of drink that’s especially popular during the warmer weather months. Made up of finely shaved ice, fresh fruit pulp, and syrup and it sits somewhere between a smoothie, a granita, and a slushie, but with a thicker, icy texture that sets it apart from other iced out fruit drinks. I love any and all forms of icy summertime treats so I sought one out at Curich Cremolada. The roots of this place trace back to 1942 when a man of Croatian descent started a family business that included helados and cremoladas. The Miraflores location is a walk up window and you can choose from dozens of fruity flavors that I’m pretty sure are all very good. I tried Maracuya and Mango and both slapped.
Cremolada at Curich Cremoladas
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Mérito
Our last meal in Peru was my most anticipated meal of the trip. When Lima is discussed as a great food city the conversation usually starts with the higher end tasting meal spots that are commonly ranked among the Worlds 50 Best. Well everything I read (mostly on the fine dining subreddit) said that both Central and Maito were living off their accolades while Mérito had taken over the crown of best tasting menu in town. Some went as far as to say it's the best restaurant in the world right now. If you give any sort of credence to 'The World's 50 Best' restaurant list it currently sits at #26 overall.
Sachatomate aka Tamarillo (Tree Tomato)
Mérito is led by Chef Juan Luis Martínez, a Venezuelan chef who opened Mérito in 2018 after working and training in Peru’s fine‑dining scene. He combines his Venezuelan roots with Peruvian ingredients and techniques to create an acclaimed tasting‑menu experience featuring ingredients from the Amazon and the Andes. I believe the total number of courses can range between 8-12 but by the time we were finished we had 12 courses come out (there’s always a couple of Amuse Bouche type courses). Every dish we had was skillfully made with a few of the plates scoring a perfect ten.
Yacon, fish, kiwicha
Mamey, olluco, macambo
First course out was an eye popping dish, or rather sip, of fermented Sachatomate juice. This "Jungle Tomato" juice was served chilled in it's own shell - it was fruity, salty and quite intense. Second was a plate of edible art made with chopped fish sandwiched between wafers of yacon root and kiwicha - an ancient crop planted and cultivated by the Inca 4,000 years ago. Third course was another plate of edible art made with mamey (a tropical fruit), olluco (an Andean tuber), and macambo, which is also known as white jaguar cacao. For the fourth course we had what I would describe as the kitchens twist on a ceviche. Instead of using limes they used sanky, a very sour Andean fruit, for its leche de tigre-style sauce. Fifth course was simply described as corn bread but it was so much better than any cornbread I've had in the past. Served wrapped in a charred husk with black butter (10/10).
Scallops, sanky and jalapeno
Corn Bread in a Corn Husk
Sixth course was when we started getting into the proteins with dishes like a perfectly cooked piece of local trout in a light sauce made with huacatay - the potent herb also known as black mint. For the seventh course we tried Paiche, the huge Amazonian river fish, featured fish stick-style in a wrapper made of oxidized yacon. For dipping purposes there was tacupi - an Amazonian sauce made with fermented yucca and the addition of cacao nibs (10/10). The eighth course was the kitchens take on a curry mixing ancient and aromatic Andean herbs in a dark green sauce made of chincho, paico, haucatay and basil draped over prawns. Course number nine was my second favorite dish of this incredible tasting. The meals most luxurious dish was made with with Chilean wagyu and oxtail dumplings sitting in a rich and meaty sauce with pickled mango as a palate cleanser (10/10).
Trout and Huacatay
Paiche, cacao and tucupi
Andean Curry
Beef, arracache, mango
It’s not often a dessert dish is my favorite course of the night but I could not stop thinking about course number ten which the menu described as "cocona, mashua and lemon verbena." So an Amazonian fruit (cocona) with an Andean starch (mashua) plus Lemon Verbena - a fragrant perennial shrub with a strong lemon-scented aroma. Please believe me when I tell you it was as memorable of a dessert I’ve had. By this point the meal was well worth the price of admission ($220/pp) which isn't cheap but still very fair when compared to U.S pricing. The eleventh course was another delicious dessert described on the menu as Papa volodora (a tuber) coffee and lucuma. Served with a slice of super-airy cake that evaporated in your mouth like a cloud of sweetness leaving behind a delicate hint of caramelized warmth that balanced perfectly with the rich, earthy coffee and the tropical, almost honeyed flavor of the lucuma. Last but not least was a complimentary serving of their otherworldly flan which they sent out as an anniversary gift. Thus completed our culinary journey to another world.
Cocona, mashua, lemon verbena
Papa volodora (a tuber) coffee and lucuma 
Flan at
Mérito__________________________________________________
BONUS TRIP!!!
Cusco Peru
Cusco is one of those cities where you can feel the history, even more so than the altitude. Upon our arrival I took a quick 25 minute stroll around town and quickly fell in love with the place. Yes it’s touristy but the tight cobblestone streets spill into grand plazas and the ghosts of the Inca civilization lurk at every turning corner. Serving as the gateway to Machu Picchu, Cusco is a magical place where mornings start with coca tea and afternoons are spent wandering past stone walls that have survived earthquakes since the 1400s. Evenings are meant for a Pisco sour or two. We weren’t there to eat (or drink) but I found a few spots that I would recommend including some very good shawarma served with Peruvian aji sauces at Shajjar "El auténtico sabor Mediterráneo" kebab & Shawarma. I tried an alpaca burger at Jacks Cafe and it was a tad dry but that was fixed with the toppings and a terrific house baked bun. I walked past Polleria Don Lucho one night and it was bustling. Three floors worth of dining rooms were jam packed but I managed to squeeze a spot and taste what everyone was there for - Peruvian style rotisserie chicken with salchipapas (French fries with sliced hot dogs and sauces). Other than that we ate at The Belmond Hotel which is where we stayed. They had a great breakfast buffet with local flavors including fresh fruit and Butifarra breakfast sandwiches. Our lovely stay at The Belmond came with perks so one night we tried a teriffic Arequipenian style rigatoni with shrimp in coral sauce, buttery cheese and Huacatay chimichurri. I wish we had more time to explore Cusco proper but we had daytime activities planned for every day save for the day we arrived.
Food in Cusco
We hired a local tour guide and a driver who took us on a daytrip to visit an old village where we watched locals make the alpaca clothing you see all over Cusco. It’s a very interesting and 100% natural process. I bought a close fitting knitted hat and some gloves that have come in handy in Chicago this winter. We also stopped at a popular passage on the Inka trail where mass was in session at an old church. After that we visited the Moray, a significant Inca archeological site located in the Sacred Valley. Our last stop of this incredible daytrip was the Salinas de Mares. The Salt Mines of Maras consist of over 5,000 ancient, terraced salt pans in operation since pre-Inca times. My jaw was dropped the entire day. It felt like I was in one of the mast magical places in the world.
Passing on an old Inka Trail
Moray
Maras Salt Mines
Of course the main reason for our visit to Cusco was the same as everybody else - to visit Machu Picchu. I'll just come out and say it from the start. It would've been crazy to go all the way to Peru and not visit Machu Picchu. Words cant describe the out of experience I had upon entering the area. It was breathtaking walking around this ancient site. There's different ways you can get to Machu Picchu including hiking but we didn't have the time or the will to do that so instead we did the exact opposite of walking and camping. We rode the Hiram Bingham, an extension of the Orient Express. A trip on the Belmond Train includes the ride to Machu Picchu and the return journey with food, entertainment, and unlimited drinks. It's not cheap but it did make a memorable day even more so. The food was good (not great) but we met a really nice older couple from Australia on the way there and hung at the bar where everyone was having a good time on the ride back. If you want to reach out via email I can set you up with the people that took care of us in Cusco. That’s it for this trip!
Boarding the Haram Bingham
Entrance to the Amazon (Aguas Calientes)
MACHU PICCHU
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