Los Andes
Bread – Olive Oil, Garlic, Aji Peppers
Anticuchos – Aji Panca, Garlic, Marinated Beef Heart, Grilled Potatoes, Rocoto Pepper Cream Sauce
Empanada Andina – Beef Short Rib, Golden Raisins, Onions, Mint Rocoto Crema
Lomo Saltado – Wok Sautéed Angus Sirloin, Tomatoes, Onions, Kiko Soy, Beef Stock, Red Wine Vinegar, Cilantro, Steak Fries, White Rice
Chaufa Aeropuerto – Peruvian Fried Rice, Crispy Pork Belly, Shrimp, Chicken Breast, Ginger Soy Sauce, Egg Omelet, Rocoto Chili Glaze
Ceviche Clasico – Branzino, Squid, Clams, Kiwi Mussels, Cilantro Pureed Garlic, Rocoto Chili Peppers, Lime Juice, Sweet Potatoes, Cancha, Choclo, Leche de Tigre
Fried Plantains
Fried Yucca
Flan
Tres Leches Cake
Attempting to understand how a raucous Restaurant featuring Peruvian and Bolivian Food became one of Providence’s most coveted tables is something of a head-scratcher, but from high marks on Tripadvisor to a Yelp! top-100 appearance the fact remains that Omar Curi and his brother Cesin rarely find Los Andes without a line awaiting entry.
Located at 903 Chalkstone Avenue for over a decade, Omar’s intrepid decision to honor the Cuisine of his homeland despite immigrating at age two still paying dividends today, it is immediately on entering the Bar that guests will find a queue of bored customers along the wall, those with enough foresight to make a reservation overcoming such inconveniences and immediately led to a jammed-packed dining room.
Successful despite a prior lack of industry experience, the well-priced collection of plates unique to an area over-saturated by Italian clearly setting Los Andes apart, it is after settling in that servers distribute a variety of menus offering everything from Drinks to Specials, the Food in no way trying to be “everything to everyone” but instead casting a broad net across the promised region.
Well-culled but not limited, the use of imported Ingredients broadly displayed across Appetizers and Entrees, it was while deciding that crusty Bread and fragrant Oil arrived, a March visit to Lima helping guide choices that included popular Bolivian Empanadas stuffed with Short Rib and Saltanas plus grilled Beef Heart that only seems exotic until guests get a taste of lean Meat tenderized by Marinade and carefully grilled Potatoes that pair well to creamy Sauce.
Playing traditional music overhead and eschewing television for a Fish tank, the colorful Salt species graciously unaware that their less attractive brethren are served in an acidic bath as Ceviche Clasico that compares favorably to that of Peru in terms of taste and texture, it is unfortunate that both Lomo Saltado and Chaufa found themselves compromised by over-cooking, the Angus Beef taking on a chewy and gristled appearance while Chicken Breast was lost to Pork Belly and Ginger in terms of flavor but stood out by way of being far too dry.
Making no mistakes with Yucca or Plantains, the former delightfully crispy and the latter cooked just shy of breaking down, it was with Dessert that the night ended merely 70 minutes after it began, the “Flan” lightly aerated but more like Crème Caramel while Tres Leches featured all the right flavors, but not quite enough Condensed Milk fully saturate the wedge from top to bottom.
www.losandesri.com
