Tanta: Peruvian Food

Sebiche is a lot like kinilaw in the Philippines~ but the fish cooked in lime rather than with vinegar

Dave and his group for Entrepreneurial Management wanted to pick my brains on social networks so they invited me to join them for dinner yesterday. Danella suggested that we have Peruvian food~ awesome choice in my opinion since I've never really tried it before (and since she was from Peru, she'd know exactly what to order). And so, there I went.

Tiago looks at my glass of Chicha (Morada). It's mine!

I've been hearing a lot about Sebiche (above)~ which was raw fish cooked in lime, onions and some spices. My classmate mentioned that Peruvians usually order sebiche fresh... and that no restaurants would serve it after a certain time (interesting, right?).

What surprised me though was the yellow things that accompanied the dish. I thought I was looking at cloves of garlic... but apparently it was corn! Damn big right?! It was my first time to see kernels of corn that big!

Danella ordered some Chicha~ which was this grape-looking fruit drink. It was pretty interesting... it was sweet and had this unfermented taste. It was served cold like a soft drink~ when you drink it for the first time, you couldn't quite put your finger on what it tastes exactly like. It turns out, it was actually made from purple corn.

I liked it a lot actually... and I would've ordered more. But my better judgment told me to go with the flow... coz later Danella might order more things. True enough, my guy instinct was right.

More food! Yay!

The platter that followed gave me a quick sample of other Peruvian dishes. Only one item was familiar~ empanadas! It's quite similar to what we have back in the Philippines except the crust was a bit thicker.

They also had this baked / mashed potato dish which contained a huge chuck of meat inside. It felt a lot like an interesting version of sio pao. If I didn't have to share it with anyone I would've eaten it all by myself.

The tray also had this fermented-tasting sweet potato mash served with tuna, egg and tomatoes (yes, that yellowish item on the lower part of the photo). It's nothing I've tasted before... and it kinda gave me an idea of what things are possible with Peruvian cuisine. Really interesting~

Later that night we ordered more items, and I was too engrossed eating that I gave up on taking photos. The main course I had was this beef tenderloin dish... it was really really good (and I regret not taking any photos coz it was the best item I ate). In any case, I think I'll go back there to eat again. The restaurant was a bit pricey but the good food, ambiance and service made it feel worth the trip. On my way out, I noticed that the restaurant had this gourmet sticker on its front~ confirming that it was a really good place to dine.

Tanta, Bistro Peruano is located at Plaza del Peru 1, 28016 Madrid.