Where: Se Llama Peru, 368 W Center Street, Provo
Who Went: Chelsey & Kierea
Number of Visits: 1
What We Ordered: Lomo Saltado with Steak & Chicken, Barbecue Chicken
What It Cost: ~$16
What We Thought:
Okay I have to be honest, I stumbled upon this restaurant because the restaurant I originally wanted to go to wasn't open. And I've never been to Peru or had Peruvian food. So this is coming from that perspective.
So, if you've never had Peruvian food, I bet you didn't know that nearly everything is served with French fries? Yeah, we were surprised too! Basically every option on the menu appeared to be some combination of meat served over French fries. I went with steak + chicken so I could try out both meats. The meat was pretty flavorful, nice and juicy and I liked the tomatoes. The fries were just a little weird to me, and I kept being confused about how to eat it all together. The onions were also very, very strong. There was no kissing later that evening for the husband. It also comes with rice on the side, in case you didn't get your carb fix with the fries.
Funny enough, the friend who was accompanying me on this lunch adventure was on a no-carb diet. Um yeah. Don't go here if you are trying to avoid carbs.
She ended up getting the barbecue chicken, which looked very much like super-blackened and charred chicken, and they were nice enough to substitute the fries with a pretty sad looking salad (no dressing). My friend wanted something to go with the chicken since it was quite dry, and after exhausting all the typical options, we were served something called "sauce." We asked what kind of sauce, and she said, "I don't know, it's just sauce." Hm. Well the sauce was fine I guess, though a little uncomfortable since we didn't really know what it was...
What You Should Do: I want people to go here and tell me if it's authentic Peruvian food. Like I said, I am not an expert on this, so I can only say that if you aren't familiar with Peruvian food, I probably wouldn't recommend it. It was really heavy, the fries tasted frozen, and the service was sub-par in a restaurant with very unflattering lighting and uncomfortable seating. But hey, if it's the real deal, I want to know! Guess this is a good excuse to convince Owen that we need a trip to Peru....?
Besides the BBQ chicken it's pretty authentic. Lomo Saltado is a very popular Peruvian dish. What you should try next time you go to a Peruvian restaurant is Ceviche. It's basically a kind of almost raw fish, but it's so good.
ReplyDeleteI gotta try some soon. Been lookin for some authentic Peruvian/South American cuisine. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are crazy for only giving this two stars! It totally is authentic and it is amazing! The lomo saltado is the best! My husband served a Spanish-speaking mission and heard from a friend that it was good and I was hesitant at first but we've been back three times and loved it more every time! The people there are very friendly (if you make an effort to talk to them--they are a little shy at first). Also, with that dish (which looks like the lomo saltado) you're supposed to mix it all together--the meat and veggies, fries, and rice. It sounds weird, but it's really the best! I am really surprised you didn't like it! I would give it like 10 stars.
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