This place makes an excellent semi-frozen Pisco Sour.
The food is just okay. The fish in our Tiradita was so stringy and tough we had to cut it with a knife. The yellow potatoes in the Causa were rather gritty. And the Arroz con Mariscos was so heavily sauced and overcooked that it was risotto-like.
There are lots of better places for Peruvian cuisine in Orlando.
Although the name sounds very Italian, the menu (which is extensive) is divided evenly between Italian and Peruvian foods. (They also serve American breakfast.)
I wasn’t sure the Peruvian food would measure up to other places in town, with all that Italian food competing for attention, but it was top-notch. We started with the fish ceviche, a generous portion of fresh fish with all the classical accompaniments. Next was a terrific shrimp causa, obviously assembled fresh to order. And we finished with the chicken chaufa. I suppose you could count this as a fourth cuisine, since it’s essentially Chinese fried rice!
Special shout-out to the house-made herbal crisps served with oil and balsamic at the start of the meal. They were great.
The food and service were both great, and the space is quite pleasant. Maybe we’ll go back tomorrow for Italian!
***** (5 stars)
This is a great neighborhood, Peruvian restaurant that offers a huge menu of Peruvian dishes plus sushi, and even Italian dishes. We enjoyed the smoked ceviche, although we didn't detect any smoky flavor. The house specialty causa was excellent.
Mares Real Peruvian Cuisine
13586 Village Park Dr
Orlando, FL 32837
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mares-real-peruvian-cuisine-orlando
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite Peruvian restaurant in Orlando. Everything is very authentic. They have the best ceviche I've had anywhere but Lima. The causas are also excellent.
As of this writing if you check in on Yelp they offer a free Chicha Morada, a delicious fruity non-alcoholic drink (based on purple corn, interestingly) with a touch of cinnamon and clove.
The pisco sours are also excellent.
Memories of Peru Pollos a la Brasa
5700 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
https://www.yelp.com/biz/memories-of-peru-pollos-a-la-brasa-orlando-11
**** (4 stars)
This place is certainly aptly named, as it’s hard to pin down the cuisine. On the one hand a lot of items are Peruvian influenced, but Mexico and New Orleans are also amply represented.
The Peruvian Lettuce Wraps came with minced chicken filling. Combined with the lettuce, there wasn’t a lot of flavor, but eaten straight, the minced chicken had a delightful flavor imparted–I think–by yellow Peruvian peppers.
“Peruvian” guacamole was good, and essential just guacamole, except for the inclusion of plantain chips.
Opinions were split on the Savory Monkey Bread. It was okay, but not a lot of cheese flavor.
Wood Fires Steak Skewers were the biggest disappointment. Not a lot of steak, and not really the claimed rib eye quality. In fact, when the server placed it down she said “skirt steak” which is more what it tasted like. The accompanying confusion potatoes were quite good, though.
Shrimp Po’boy sandwich was wholly authentic, and as good as any I’ve had in New Orleans.
The house margaritas are good, as is the “Ranch Water” which is substantially less sweet.
The place is large, but very busy, so go at an odd time or with a reservation.
Great large outside area for dogs.
State Of Confusion
301 E Main St
Chattanooga, TN 37408
*** (3 stars)
What a beautiful setting, with a lovely outdoor patio overlooking the Miami skyline across the water.La Mar by Gaston Acurio
500 Brickell Key Dr
Miami, FL
33131
(305) 913-8358
https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-mar-by-gaston-acurio-miami-5
El Topo
Peruvian sea scallops
Kanpachi, yellowtail and yellowtail ceviche
Pumpkin spice old fashioned for Thanksgiving!
Interior
**** (4 stars)
Very good sushi with a slight Peruvian spin, such as the sauces used for the sashimi preparations. Fish quality was good, and service was friendly. Chill vibe.
SUSHISAMBA – Las Vegas
3327 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV
89109
(702) 607-0700
https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushisamba-las-vegas-las-vegas
Chaufa and 1/4 chicken lunch
Causa (shrimp)
Tuna
Disco sour
Bar
Interior
***** (5 stars)
So far this is the best Peruvian food I’ve found in Orlando.
Of course I had to have a Pisco Sour. It was nicely made, with lots of frothy egg white on top, although it was a bit sweeter than I like.
Our server was nice, but there was definitely a language barrier. However we managed to mostly convey our order, although she didn’t understand the concept of appetizer, even though there is a section of the menu labeled that.
The Causa is extremely good, three small towers of the yellow pepper mash topped with fresh shrimp and a delicious sauce.
The Tiradito de Tuna Mikey was a very interesting preparation of sashimi style tuna slices in an Asian sauce and topped with chunks of sweet potato and avocado. The tuna was very good quality, and the sauce was excellent.
On the back of the menu is a small lunch section, with items for $9. Unlike the rest of the menu, there is no translation, so it requires a bit of research. I tried the Chaufa con 1/4 de Pollo a la Brisa. It was rotisserie chicken over fried rice. It was good, but not as good as the other items we had.
Because the tuna and shrimp were so good, on my next visit I will definitely try one of their many ceviches.
Prices seem a bit high, but not unreasonable for a tourist area. The place had only been open a couple of weeks when we went, but there wasn’t much lunch business. I’m rather surprised they opened here, because this shopping center is getting a bit tired, and I thought they were planning to bulldoze it to make room for a luxury hotel. But as long as it lasts I will be a regular visitor, because this is an excellent Peruvian restaurant.
Mo-Chica Ceviche Peruvian Grill
5700 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 723-8416
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mo-chica-ceviche-peruvian-grill-orlando-2
Pescado a la Chorrillana
Ceviche Mixto
Causa de Camarones
Exterior
Interior
***** (5 stars)
This is the best Peruvian restaurant I’ve found in Orlando. In fact, the quality of the ceviche approached our benchmark, which we had in Lima Peru.
The place is small and decorated in dark woods and black fake alligator table tops, but it’s not at all grungy as one review seemed to imply. In fact, it’s quite clean, and even a bit edgy looking. I would vote to lose the really annoying Peruvian travel videos, though, which inexplicably have a soundtrack that sounds like Russian marching band dirges.
We started with the Causa de Camarones, which was a good as any causa I’ve had. It was missing a couple of layers that are usually present, but had a delightfully piquant quality and excellent sauce accompaniment.
Ceviche Mixto was a huge mound of mixed seafood in a mildly spicy creamy lime sauce. The shrimp and fish were good, and the calamari was excellent.
Pescado a la Chorrillana is a large serving of nicely battered and fried fish topped with onions, tomatoes and cilantro, and served with a mild sauce. The flavor of the cilantro came through nicely.
Service was very friendly, and the kitchen is extremely quick, obviously preparing everything from scratch, but at lightning speed. Pricing is reasonable, especially considering the generous portions.
Taste of Peru
9521 S Orange Blossom Trl
Ste 114A
Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 857-2734
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taste-of-peru-orlando-6
Fried rice gaviita
Ceviche
Causas
Exterior
Interior
**** (4 stars)
This is a good Peruvian restaurant in a space that has been many restaurants. As was the case for those others (and even more that were planned here and never opened) the challenge is finding customers. I suspect one reason is that it is nearly impossible to park in the neighborhood. As a result, the staff outnumbered the patrons throughout Saturday lunch, and the two of us were alone for most of it.
The dishes we sampled were all good.
The complementary corn kernels were skinnier, puffier and better than any of the other Peruvian restaurants we’ve been to.
The Causa assortment (they were out of one kind, so we only tried the chicken and octopus) was delicious, the best thing we had.
The ceviche assortment was good, similar to others in town, with three different types of fish, all steeped in lime juice.
The house fried rice was tasty but a bit unusual, more Chinese than Peruvian.
The Pisco Sour we started with was a bit sweet, but we added lots of lime juice and it tasted more authentic.
Service was friendly, but had the tentative feeling of inexperience.
If I was in downtown Orlando and in the mood for Peruvian food I would definitely go back, especially if I didn’t have a car to park.
Gaviota
100 South Eola Dr
Ste 104
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 428-4682
https://www.yelp.com/biz/gaviota-orlando