Lima: Gems in the City of Grey Part 2

In part 2 of my Peru highlights journal I will focus on the hotels I stayed in Lima and a few of the better restaurants I tried. In Lima, there is a wide variety of dishes due to many foreign influences and regional variants. The food here has its own blend of spices and sauces for flavor. While in Lima, here is some regional food and drinks you should try. I tried them all except the cerviche, since I do not eat seafood.

Pisco Sour- This is a Peruvian and Chilean drink made from lemon, egg white, cane sugar and Pisco a regional brandy made from muscat grapes. It kind of tastes like a margarita to me. There is a rivalry between Peru and Chile since both claim this drink as their national drink.

Chicha- This is an alcoholic drink made by people in the Andes. It is made from fermented yellow corn and it is straw colored. It has a slightly sour taste. The one I tasted, tasted like, well how do I described it? Taste the liquid that is in canned corn, now imagine that with alcohol and a bit sour; that is the taste.

Peruvian corn- The corn is boiled just like the corn in the U.S., but the kennels are huge. They are sometimes the size of the fingernail on your thumb or bigger. The corn actually tastes more like potatoes, since I think it has a higher starch content. It is a whitish-yellow color.

Chicha morada- This is a Peruivian corn drink made from the juice of purple corn that is sweetened and mixed with lemon. It is non-alcoholic.

Cerviche- This is a dish with sushi grade fish marinated overnight and served in a glass with green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, celery, olive, salsa, pepper, celery salt. Needless to say I didn’t try this since I don’t eat fish and raw fish from South America, I don’t think so. But a friend eating it seemed to enjoy it.

Arroz verde con pollo- This is green rice with chicken- The green in the rice comes from spice and corriander.

Inca Cola- This is a yellow soda made in Peru. It outsells coke and Pepsi over there. It tastes like bubblegum.

 

Quick Tips:

Guinea pig-cute little tribble like creatures. Usually served grilled or roasted. I couldn't eat one when I saw how cute they looked like.

Carapulcra-This is a spicy pork stew made from freeze-dried potatoes and pork. The Inca’s figured out how to freeze-dry things to preserve them.

Tacu-tacu- This is fried beans mixed with rice. The one I had used chick peas.

Lomo saltado- This is sautéed beef dish with onion, hot pepper, tomatoes, cilantro and flavored with lemon. Eating, drinking, and sleeping.

I hope some of the dishes above make you want to try some Peruvian food.

As for hotels the biggest tip is to always check about the air-conditioning and bathroom situation. It is brutal on a hot day without air conditioning, or if you have to share a bathroom with 10 people.

Best Way To Get Around:

The staff was friendly and helpful. I had asked them for suggestions for a restaurant and they did not disappoint. They even handed me a ticket for a free Pisco Sour at the restaurant, if I chose to go. The lobby had free Internet service which was easy to use.

I stayed in a single room. The room was very clean and had a large window which could open up. The room had air- conditioning, which is a major plus on a hot day. The room also had cable TV and a mini fridge. The bathroom had hot water, a hair dryer and a bathtub.

The location could not be beat since it is in the middle of Miraflores. There are many stores and a Citibank near by. Kennedy Park is only 5 minutes away.

It is a nice hotel in a good location at a great price.

I had requested a courtesy car to pick me up from the airport and the car was on time. Upon reaching the hotel, in addition to the key, I was given a coupon for a free Pisco Sour at the bar.

The room was nice and clean and had a TV. One major negative point is that my room did not have air-conditioning. At least, I did not see anywhere to turn it on. It is a good thing it was not too hot of a day, or it would have been unbearable. I did check my expedia papers, and it did not list air-conditioning on my papers. On future travels to South America, I will remember to make sure that an air-conditioner is listed as available. The bathroom was clean.

The staff was helpful and I was allowed to use the Internet for free upstairs.

The location is pretty good as well. It is four blocks from a park and a shopping center. Costa Verde beach is six blocks away.

The hotel is a good option, if you stay on a day that is not hot and you do not need air-conditioning.

The rooms in the restaurant are painted yellow and burgundy with hardwood floors. The tables have white linens and napkins. Antique cooking utensil and ceramics line the walls. The big draw is the awesome view of the Pacific Ocean, especially at sunset.

The service is good, and the food is excellent. It should come as no surprise to find the owner wrote several cookbooks. It was here that I tried lomo saltado for the first time. I asked for it to be accompanied by arroz verde instead of white rice. The food tasted great when it arrived and I accompanied it with some Chicha moreada. The purple corn and cinnamon tasted excellent. The view of the ocean and the park below complemented the meal.

This restaurant was a pleasant experience. I only wish I had room to try the dessert.

This is an Argentine styled steak house. The restaurant is very bright and elegant.The service in the restaurant was excellent. Our water glasses were filled. While we were waiting for our main dish, we were served some bread with different sauces. The food was worth the price. My steak was juicy and delicious. My friends mixed grill plate looked even better.The total bill for two people was around $50. This included two nonalcoholic drinks and two main courses.

While walking in the Miraflores area I saw a Victorian styled restaurant at the end of a pier. I knew it was probably expensive so I did not go that day. After a city tour my final day, I decided to treat myself to the restaurant before my flight out. I was apprehensive about entering the restaurant since I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt but the cab driver said it would be okay. When I arrived at the restaurant around lunch time I was at ease since half of the people were dressed to the 9’s and the other half were dressed like I was. I was seated in a spot with an excellent view of the ocean. While eating I could see the surfers and watch the beach goers on the shore, all the while listening to the waves pounding underneath the restaurant.The restaurant was very elegant with white table cloths and napkins. There are green trees and plants all around the restaurant. I believe every seat in the restaurant has a good view of the ocean.The service in the restaurant was excellent. My water was always full and I was given fresh bread while I waited for my main course. You could see the waiters communicate with each other with their headphone walkie talkies to bring things right away. For my main course I ordered a cheese stuffed chicken dish. For a side dish I received vegetables and these fried mashed potatoes sticks that were excellent. Everything was presented nicely.My only mistake was ordering the dessert Rosa Náutica’s chocolate soufflé with Grand Marnier sauce that would take 20 minutes to make. I was told this beforehand and the wait was not too bad since I went to the second floor to take in the view for 10 minutes while I waited. The dessert was OK but not as good as the main course. I think a better choice may have been the chocolate with lemon and berry sauce.The Rosa Nautica is relatively expensive, for Peruvian standards at least, but the service, food and views were worth it. For those who want to know, it cost me $45 for the main dish, dessert and a glass of wine