Chim Pum Callao Peruvian restaurant

Small mom and pop restaurant serving delicious Peruvian cuisine. We had chainfanita (beef heart stew), Aji de gallina (chicken stew), and mixed ceviche (fish, shrimp, and squid) and they are all great. They are not overly spicy or salty. The chilly sauce adds more flavor if you like it a little spicy.

This a place to enjoy real Peruvian homemade style food like my mom used to cook. This is not a fancy restaurant, just a pure Peruvian environment where you will be hosted by the always smiling and humble chef Julio. Give it a try.

I liked it very much. There is a nice staff, some Peruvian and some Mexican. The food is not too spicy or too bland. The rotisserie chicken was a bit spicy but you can go two directions, rather hot or a bit chill. Sauces are served on the side but I suppose Peruvian natives can spell out exactly what they need. The restroom was clean. The other nearby restaurants were busier due to being a taco shop and Giant Pizza King, both of them a staple food for any San Diego resident. But don't overlook this place.

As a Peruvian American man whos tried authentic flavors of Peru from home / country this was not too good the meat was over cooked and dry the fry’s were undercooked and soggy with oil I would not recommend this restaurant. My grandfather born in Peru says the ceviche was bad (malo) and the strong lemon lime citrus taste of good ceviche was just lacking and that his wife (my grandmother) can cook better. So 2 stars it’s edible but not good.

Excellent ambience decent prices, not the best Peruvian food out there but edible. Lucuma ice cream was really good

Peruvian restaurants have come and home. Glad to have found chim Pum in National City with home cooked dishes. As always, I ordered my ceviche, last time all fish, this time a mix of fish and shrimp. In addition on weekends they have the sweet picarones. A youthful 60yo couple (and a niece) sat with us and talked culture and society. Very pleasant!!! Want a nice relaxing meal, it's the place to go. They also have Peruvian TV on cable. Recommended to anyone.

The lomo saltado was bland and flavourless. The rice was overcooked mush. The tallarin tasted off. The purple chicha was yellow. It did not taste like chicha. Our dessert was forgotten altogether. There was not a single part of the meal that was satisfactory. This restaurant is disgusting. This is the worst meal I have had in a very long time.

Hands down the best chicken. Not just Peruvian chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Just the best. Great homemade mayonnaise and homemade red hot sauce.

Really tasty and good portion.. this is my first time eating Peruvian food.. I will recommend.

Great service and delicious food. The restaurant is a little hard to see as you drive in but other than that, it was delicious and reasonably priced.

Was craving pollo a la brasa so decided to try this place. The chicken was smoked so the skin was pretty soggy. I was not a fan but if you like that smoky flavor you might enjoy it. i ordered a 1/2 chicken and a 1/4 chicken. One was supposed to come with fries and salad and the other just salad. We ended up with 2 1:2 chickens all with salad. Pretty sure though i tried my best to order in spanish , we had some pretty serious communication issues. Water was not free and they charge a small credit card fee. The servers were very sweet. The price for the chicken and two waters with tip was about $50.

Chimpum Callao is a mom-and-pop Peruvian eatery run by an elderly couple in a suite at the Otto Square Shopping Center in Logan Heights. I have driven through rougher parts of this neighborhood, however this plaza was well kept, and I felt safe during my visit. The inside had bare bones decor with folding chairs and tables for seating. Menu sheets were available in several spots. One side featured breakfast, drinks, and desserts. The other side listed the soups and entrees (beef, chicken, seafood). Although I could not find it on the menu, the man said Lomo Saltado was available which I ordered. I also selected a Causa Rellenade Pollo as an appetizer and a second entree, Aji de Gallina. The couple went to the kitchen to prepare my food while I waited. The promotional photos looked much more polished than what I received in styrofoam takeout containers. The Causa Rellenade Pollo had the most authentic appearance of my items. It was a layered mini casserole folded into a triangular shape. The top and bottom consisted of yellow potato with white chicken meat in the middle. The Lomo Saltado contained white rice on one side and then a stir fry of marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes, and french fries along the top. The flavor lacked the strong vinegar and soy sauce I have tasted in this dish at other restaurants. The Aji de Gallina was a stew made by sautéing red onion, garlic, and ají amarillo together. Shredded poached chicken meat was then added. The combination was then thickened with cheese or milk. Half of a hard boiled egg garnished the top. This entree had the best taste of the trio because there was a good balance of tartness and savoriness. When it came time to paying my check, the cost was slightly higher than what was posted on the menu. I didn't want to dispute the charges as I felt bad because the owners seemed to be struggling for more patronage. With the mixed experience I had with the food I sampled, I gave a 3.5 star rating for Chimpum Callao Peruvian Restaurant.

I gave this Peruvian restaurant a chance and it was underwhelming. I understand that is a real mom and pop establishment where the older couple not only work back at the house but front of the house with no real help. When it came to the menu, it wasn't very Expensive considering it's Peruvian restaurant. The food was underwhelming. We had a Pollo à la Brasa, which was dry with soggy french fries and finger full of salad. The Lomo Salado was odd tasting lacking the vinegary taste you would expect and the arroz con Pollo was also oddly made. Chicken pieces thrown on a pile of rice. We had no silverware, and trying to get the owners attention was difficult being that he was overwhelmed with the number of people in the place. My mom is Peruvian so I'm not being biased here. I've tasted these foods growing up. I've lived in Peru and I had a hard time not being critical. I'm rooting for these folks, but give it a try and see for yourself. The location is a little sketch but not scary. Having grown up in New Jersey. I know what scary looks like! The couple are very nice. The restaurant is very clean and nice however they do you need some help.

Amazing food! I havent had peruvian food in so long. I dont know when they opened but they seem new. Its run by a husband and wife and theyre so sweet. The restaurant was clean and well ventilated. I brought my bf here who has never had peruvian food before. Hes very picky too. But he liked everything that we ordered! We ordered Lomo saltado, aji de gallina, 1/4 pollo a la brasa and picarones for dessert. We ordered chica morada as well. Everything was so delicious. The only things I would wish was more meat on the lomo saltado, and have an option for white meat or dark meat for the 1/4 pollo a la brasa. We are definitely coming back for breakfast next time! They have pan con chicharon!! Must try for everyone.

Food was OK, but we have had better Peruvian food. We went in the peak of dinner and they were out of a few things we wanted to try.

I had the pleasure of dining at this new establishment within the community. My husband is Peruvian and we are very picky about where we get our Peruvian food at. They didn't have a menu up yet, they're still tinkering with it and getting established. But the food is amazing, absolutely delicious and wholesome! Everything was fresh and portioned well. It will take time for them to have it set up the way they want it to and that's ok, good things take time. I like to focus my reviews on food and service. The service was very spot on and attentive. They didn't have their card reader working just yet but I came prepared with cash because you just never know when a place is just starting out, so glad I did! We started with a ceviche, they used swai as the main fish, it was cut the right size, and tasted very fresh and refreshing for a warmer day. We also ordered a cau cau which is one of my husband's favorite dishes, I didn't try it because it's not my thing to eat that. But my husband enjoyed it very much and said it was tender and tasty. I had the seco de res which was amazing and juicy and oh so tender and those beans were on point! All the right seasonings were ample within these dishes. His aji de rocoto was one of the best I've had here in the States, I've only had it that amazing in Peru. I was very impressed with the food and service. They're just starting out so give them a fair chance it's not a fancy place it's a hueco (hole in the wall), and I see a lot of potential for this establishment. Also, as for drinks they had Inca Cola and jugo de maracuya. It's a small establishment with a lot of heart and it shows in their food. Give them a try even if you've never had Peruvian food, it might be your next favorite food to go and enjoy, I know for me personally it was when I met my husband over 23 years ago, so much that I have learned to cook many dishes over the years for my family.

The food was delicious, tasted like something that would come out of my mom or grandma's kitchen. My fiancé got the lomo saltado, I got the seco, and we split a yummy ceviche. Not many Peruvian spots here in SD that are authentic, so to find a place that is true to their roots is truly special. The owners are sweet and very friendly.

After reading all the good reviews, I was looking forward to coming here as I always make a point to find a Peruvian spot whenever traveling. Unfortunately we never were able to try any food. The poor couple were trying to handle the kitchen and the dining room all by themselves. When we tried to order food the lady said they had no pollo, no lomo saltado., and I can go down the list. Basically just a select few items that so guess they had time to make. She said her niece was supposed to come help but I'm guessing she never showed up. I feel bad for the older couple because they were scrambling to keep up with everything. We would have stayed to at least try the few items but they were only seafood and I'm allergic so that was that. If I'm in the area again I'd love to try it and give them a better review but I don't know if they will last. I wish them well

We went for mother's day and were very disappointed. We trusted the five star reviews and were deceived. Being three generations of Peruvians we should know what good Peruvian food is and this place is far from it. The food is bland, not properly cooked nor seasoned. I do not recommend and stay away

I tried pollo a la brasa and seco de carne. It was delicious, it almost felt like eating at home. They were very nice, and the prices are very low. I would recommend them to try to have more of the dishes they have on their menu so there is more option, maybe having so specials of the day so they can offer different options.

Julito magaña el mejor cocinero peruano k e conocido muy amable atento el y su señora muy buena sazón visítenlos esta buenazo Chimpum's callao

The food was ok and not that expensive. The service was great. The owners are the only ones that work here and both are super friendly. The ambiance definitely made me feel like I was in my aunt's house enjoying some food. The ceviche mixto was missing a little bit more salt but they have salt on the table in case it was needed. We had the pan con chicharrón which was really good. We also had jugo de maracuyá and it was very refreshing. I would definitely come here again especially since they don't have many peruvian restaurants this far south.

I think the place is coming together. It's very clean and humble. It was character and it's authentic. The food is good! I recommend the papa a la huancaina. The aji de gallina was decent. My girlfriend had the pan con chicharron that was also good. We'll be coming back. The service was good as well. It can take a bit longer than usual but not bad at all for a mom and pops. Also the pricing is decent. I think the priciest item in the menu is $15. We've been paying at least $18 to $20 at other places. We'll be coming back

Buena comida hecha por Julio, que tiene años preparando excelentes platos peruanos. Vale la pena darse una vuelta porque su menú es dinámico, así que da para probar variados platos tradicionales como hechos en casa de la abuela.

I went here with my girlfriend - we've had Peruvian food almost everywhere we visit and we were excited to see a new Peruvian restaurant opening up in San Diego. For our entrees, we had Lomo Saltado and Arroz con Pollo - both were delicious, well-portioned, and were not overly or under-seasoned. We were especially excited as they had Picarones, which have been hard to find in SD. The dough was fried perfectly and the syrup had a good amount of sweetness. Despite being full by the end, the food did not feel heavy and was quite refreshing - which I feel is a huge positive, as I've had plenty of Lomo Saltado before that felt like it had a bit too much of salt or soy sauce added. When we visited, it was just the owner and his wife running the restaurant, but they were quick to help whenever we called them over. Both were very welcoming and kind! They had just opened in March 2024, so it's still very early and I can see they're working on the restaurant, but I think anyone should 100% give this place a try. The menu seems to be changing daily (I saw they post it on their Instagram), but I imagine they'll have all the classic Peruvian dishes available on any given day. We'll definitely be coming back!

Amazing food, great service I recommend. Amazing atmosphere. Great choices of food, tastes like homemade food.

Best Peruvian food out here made by real Peruvians must check it out, ceviche was 10/10 they have a daily menu only for now on their instagram Service was great.

First time trying Peruvian food and this place was such a cute, lovely find. The elderly couple (the owners) working were very warm and friendly despite the language barrier. The food was delicious especially the Lomo Saltado. It was like eating a home cooked meal made with love. The place was very clean and had a home feeling like hanging out at your family's house. Still fairly new so have some patience and grace. My advice would be to ignore the people that leave bad reviews that haven't even tried the food and experience it for yourself. Support small businesses!

I'm visiting from San Jose. Looks like new in business but ceviche was like homemade and all the ingredients were fresh and tasty. I recommend it.

Excelente comida 100% recomendable El lomo saltado muy bueno. Así como El ceviche, tallarines verdes, seco de res etc