Andrew Delaplaine - 2022 Lima (Peru) Restaurants--The Food Enthusiasts Long Weekend Guide

2022

LIMA

(Peru)

Restaurants

The Food Enthusiasts

Long Weekend Guide

Andrew Delaplaine

Andrew Delaplaine is the Food Enthusiast.

When hes not playing tennis,

he dines anonymously

at the Publishers (considerable) expense.

James Cubby Senior Editor

Copyright by Gramercy Park Press - All rights reserved.

LIMA

The Food Enthusiasts

Long Weekend Guide

Introduction

Introduction

T here are many things that you will find confusing in not only Lima, but the whole country of Peru as well, starting with its twisted and convoluted history, its fascinating if sometimes unappreciated ethnic mix of its population, all the way down to its mad drivers who create one of the worst traffic nightmares in any country Ive visited. When you cross the street, do it with 3 or 4 others at the same timemaybe the crazy motorists will veer away from you.

There are thousands of taxis and busses filling the streets, and you will find some of the most dangerous traffic in the world right here in Lima. The buses come in many sizes: large ones, medium ones, small ones. Some of them are so packed you wonder how the occupants breathe.

Situated as it is on the Pacific coast, Lima rests on a massive cliff that rises 10 or 12 stories above the beach. It is quite dramatic.

There are hundreds of people hauling around backpacks and they all seem to be going to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. While I have always wanted to make the trek up into the mountains to see Machu Picchu, by the time I first got to Peru, Lima held far more fascination for me, so I skipped it.

You will quickly learn that the Incas, though they were dominant at the time the Spanish arrived to crush the natives under their Christian heels, were only the last in a long line of ancient cultures to inhabit the area.

If youre American or European (or from just about anywhere else), you will note that you are taller than the locals.

Many of the Indians have come out of the hills seeking work in Lima, which accounts for the high poverty rate around the city. You can spot them with their wide flat faces and prominent noses. Not a very attractive group, as a rule. The Peruvians I know personally are of European or mixed descent, and have white skins, reflecting their Spanish, Italian or German backgrounds. They consider themselves FAR above Indians as a class. (But Ive noticed this in all South and Central American countries, this class snobbery.) In other countries (like Brazil) you will see people of different colors socializing, but not here in Lima.

One can find excellent restaurants with a variety of seafood and Chinese chifas. Archaeological ruins from pre-Hispanic Lima (1200 AD), gold museums with treasures from the Pre-Colombian and Inca periods, the church and catacombs of the convent of Francisco de Asises.

Nighttime cemetery tour. Presbitero Maestro is the cemetery where the remains of several important political military and literary figures are buried. It was the first municipal cemetery in Latin America founded between 1805 and 1808 and contains one of the largest collections of 19th century European marble sculpture in Latin America. The church and catacombs at San Francisco convent. The absolute highlight of the tour is a descent into the conference catacombs that served until 1808 as a burial ground. Quite extraordinary is that the monks arrange the remains according to bone types.

The Magical Water Circuit is located in the Parque de la Reserva. It is a wonderful collection of 13 ornamental and interactive fountains where the water music lights images and laser effects are combined in perfect union and harmony.

Gold museums. There are two gold museums, the Museo Larco with the largest collection of erotic archaeological art. The second, Museo Oro del Peru contains a wide assortment of pre-Colombian gold handicraft, weapons and ceremonial objects.

Pachacamac. Is an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima in the Valley of the Lurin River. It was dedicated to the most important God of the Peruvian coast in pre-Hispanic times, the Ichma Culture (1200 AD) and the Incas (around 1450 A.D).

GETTING ABOUT

B ecause taxis do not by custom have meters, its smart to have your hotel arrange airport pick-ups. They are used to doing this. If not, you can pick up a taxi at the airport.

Do not get into any taxi without first leaning through the window to negotiate the fare. If you get in first, youll get screwed. If calling from your hotel, negotiate the price on the phone or have the clerks do it.

Most drivers will be consistent with the prices. Fares will run between 10 and 15 soles, as the local currency is called.

Try to avoid the bus system unless youre already familiar with it. Its a nightmare.

Do not get into a taxi if someone else is already in it. Dont share taxis.

Be extremely aware of pickpockets.

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A CHE

H RESTAURANT

Av. La Paz 1055, Miraflores, 221-9315

www.achecocinanikkei.com/

CUISINE: Japanese

DRINKS: Full Bar

SERVING: Monday Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch

PRICE RANGE: $$$

No website

Hajime Kasugas sleek Nikkei-fusion hot spot is called Ache (the letter "H" sounds like "ache" phonetically in Spanish). Chef Kasuga is a third generation Japanese-Peruvian. H has just about everything: a restaurant with impeccable aesthetics that serves fresh, refined and creative food interpretations with subtle and clean flavors. Its located just beside two other fusion restaurantsAcurios Italian-Peruvian restaurant, Los Bachiche , and Pedro Miguel Schiaffinos Amazonian restaurant, Amaz . There are the basics, sushi and sashimi, and then tiradito , for which he wraps the fish around shredded turnip, adding an entirely new texture to each bite without altering the flavor. He has the Cebiche Roll , his personal take on the Maki Acevichado that uses a leche de tigre based sauce on top of the roll rather than a mayo one, as well as duck and prawn meatballs, scallops lit on fire in their shells as they are served, and sirloin that sits on a bed of Peruvian cacao.