Silver L.
Google
The food at this Peruvian restaurant was good and above average compared to other Peruvian spots in New Jersey. I ordered the ceviche carretillero. The flavor was good, but I was expecting a slightly larger portion. Unfortunately, the leche de tigre was overly salty, which affected the overall experience.
My wife ordered the tallarines a la huancaína con bistec. The portion was very generous, and she enjoyed the dish since we had tried it during our trip to Peru. However, she mentioned that the huancaína sauce was a bit watery, and the steak was overcooked.
Regarding the service, there is definitely room for improvement. My wife entered the restaurant first while I was looking for street parking. When I entered shortly after, I was not greeted, and none of the staff seemed to notice me, although they did greet customers who arrived after me—so this may have been an isolated incident. We also had to call the waitress to place our order because it took quite a while for her to come over. While interaction with customers could improve, she did correctly repeat our order, which we appreciated.
The food arrived one dish at a time instead of together, which seems to be common in Peruvian restaurants but is still not ideal. The gratuity was already included in the bill, but this was not mentioned beforehand, which would have helped us plan accordingly. I did not order alcohol, but I noticed that it is available.
After our food was served, we noticed staff picking food from a plate at the bar, which made us wonder if it was a customer’s plate. Additionally, our waitress was eating in the dining area next to us, which felt unprofessional.
On a positive note, the ambiance was great. The décor was well done, the music was on point, and the restaurant had good vibes overall. The front dining area was cold, while the back was warm and cozy. However, the restroom was poorly maintained, with a broken paper towel holder and a soda dispenser pulled from the wall.
Overall, while the food and atmosphere had some highlights, the service and professionalism issues stood out. We probably would not return to this restaurant.