A lot of the new generation of travelers are foodies who normally include trips to popular food places in their itineraries. I'm not quite like that since I don't normally research good restaurants in the places I visit - I normally just eat where it's convenient - but I do want to try something local whenever I go on a trip. The guide who picked us up from the Lima airport told us that Peru is known for its seafood and that ceviche is their national dish. As such, I made sure I got to try some seafood while in Peru. As I previously posted, I had the Grilled Trout from Lake Titicaca on black quinoa at the Earth to Table restaurant in Inkaterra Hacienda Urumbamba. This was the first time I had fish from Lake Titicaca and it's also the first time I had quinoa.
I had more trout in Earth to Table the next morning. Along with the breakfast buffet items, I also had a variation of Eggs Benedict that was served with trout instead of ham.
Of course, I had my first taste of ceviche and even more trout in Cusco, when I had dinner in Casa Qorikancha. (I will write about this in my next post.)
I also previously wrote about enjoying a Pisco Sour. That wasn't my first Pisco Sour, though. I had one in Lima, as a free welcome drink from our hotel, Jose Antonio Deluxe. Pisco is a brandy from Peru and Chile and this cocktail mixes pisco with lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and bitters.
The great thing about my stay in Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba is that I got to try a local of local food and drinks here. This is where I also got to try Chicha Morada. Who would have thought that you could make a drink from purple corn?
Our first lunch in Lima was in Panchita since it was close to our hotel and we wanted to enjoy local food. This restaurant serves ancient and contemporary Peruvian Creole food. I ordered the Pescado a la Chorrillana, which was fried sea-bass fillet with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and aji panca chilli and served with golden brown potatoes and rice with corn.
A friend of mine also suggested I have Lomo Saltado while in Peru so when I saw it on the menu of the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel restaurant, I ordered it. This fancy Lomo Saltado has traditional sauteed beef tenderloin strips with tomatoes, onions, and potato wedges and is served with white rice.
I also got to try Alpaca meat in Sacred Valley but it was part of a buffet meal so I wasn't able to take a photo of it.
We only had a couple of days in Brazil but as I had written earlier, we did get a chance to enjoy meat cooked churrasco-style and served rodizio-style in Carretão in Rio de Janeiro.
Cuisine-wise, Argentina is known for its grilled meat and its empanadas and also for Malbec wine. Our dinner at La Ventana allowed us to enjoy all of them in one go. We had a fancy empanada as our appetizer...
...and a grilled steak for our main course.
We also had a bottle of Salentein Portillo Malbec wine.
It was close to the end of our trip that I got to try some fastfood. On our last night in El Calafate, I had a burger set meal at Wolly Burgers. I'm not sure if this is an Argentine fastfood chain, but I had never heard of it before so I decided to try it.
I also got to try a unique jam during breakfast at the Kosten Aike Hotel in El Calafate. It is called Magellan Barberry, which is an evergreen shrub that is native to Argentina and Chile.
Before leaving South America, I did take something home with me: a bag of coffee beans that I picked up at one of the Lima airport duty free shops. Peru is one of the top producers and exporters of coffee in the world so a coffee drinker, it made sense for me to buy a bag for myself and try it when I got home.
Grilled Trout from Lake Titicaca with black quinoa
I had more trout in Earth to Table the next morning. Along with the breakfast buffet items, I also had a variation of Eggs Benedict that was served with trout instead of ham.
A variation of Eggs Benedict with trout instead of ham
Of course, I had my first taste of ceviche and even more trout in Cusco, when I had dinner in Casa Qorikancha. (I will write about this in my next post.)
I also previously wrote about enjoying a Pisco Sour. That wasn't my first Pisco Sour, though. I had one in Lima, as a free welcome drink from our hotel, Jose Antonio Deluxe. Pisco is a brandy from Peru and Chile and this cocktail mixes pisco with lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and bitters.
Pisco Sour
The great thing about my stay in Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba is that I got to try a local of local food and drinks here. This is where I also got to try Chicha Morada. Who would have thought that you could make a drink from purple corn?
Chicha Morada
Our first lunch in Lima was in Panchita since it was close to our hotel and we wanted to enjoy local food. This restaurant serves ancient and contemporary Peruvian Creole food. I ordered the Pescado a la Chorrillana, which was fried sea-bass fillet with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and aji panca chilli and served with golden brown potatoes and rice with corn.
Pescado a la Chorrillana or fried fish fillet creole
A friend of mine also suggested I have Lomo Saltado while in Peru so when I saw it on the menu of the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel restaurant, I ordered it. This fancy Lomo Saltado has traditional sauteed beef tenderloin strips with tomatoes, onions, and potato wedges and is served with white rice.
Lomo Saltado
I also got to try Alpaca meat in Sacred Valley but it was part of a buffet meal so I wasn't able to take a photo of it.
We only had a couple of days in Brazil but as I had written earlier, we did get a chance to enjoy meat cooked churrasco-style and served rodizio-style in Carretão in Rio de Janeiro.
churrasco-style meat served rodizio-style
Cuisine-wise, Argentina is known for its grilled meat and its empanadas and also for Malbec wine. Our dinner at La Ventana allowed us to enjoy all of them in one go. We had a fancy empanada as our appetizer...
fancy empanada
...and a grilled steak for our main course.
grilled steak
We also had a bottle of Salentein Portillo Malbec wine.
a bottle of malbec
It was close to the end of our trip that I got to try some fastfood. On our last night in El Calafate, I had a burger set meal at Wolly Burgers. I'm not sure if this is an Argentine fastfood chain, but I had never heard of it before so I decided to try it.
Burger set meal at Wolly Burgers
I also got to try a unique jam during breakfast at the Kosten Aike Hotel in El Calafate. It is called Magellan Barberry, which is an evergreen shrub that is native to Argentina and Chile.
Before leaving South America, I did take something home with me: a bag of coffee beans that I picked up at one of the Lima airport duty free shops. Peru is one of the top producers and exporters of coffee in the world so a coffee drinker, it made sense for me to buy a bag for myself and try it when I got home.
Peruvian Coffee
Aside from La Ventanta and Earth to Table at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, I also got to try a few other good restaurants during my trip. I will be writing about them in more detail over the next few posts.
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