KUK Bread Bowls: A Fun & Tasty Experience in Lima, Peru

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What came in a beautifully packaged bundle of three was a delicious treat from KUK, a new bread bowl themed company that opened in May 2020.

When I opened the package at my home, there were three cold bread bowls with heating instructions. To be honest, I had quite a long day and was preparing my next day to go to Vichama, an incredible archaeological site north of Lima. And so, I took advantage of the fact that they were cold and kept them in my refrigerator until the next day when I would arrive home.

When it was ready to heat them up to enjoy, I was given two options to heat them up: microwave or oven. The microwave option was quicker, so I went with that. One by one, I heated the three flavors: lasagna, chicken with mushrooms, and bacon with leeks. Each bread bowl has a little bread lid and then slits cut along the edge of the bowl. My assumption is that it would prevent any mini explosion disasters. They took about 10 minutes to thoroughly heat through.

Bread bowl flavors

Chicken and mushroom

I went to open up the first bread bowl after it was heated, the chicken with mushrooms and to my delight, there was an incredible, Instagram-able cheese pull from the bread lid to the core of it. At this point, I was so excited and just needed to taste it. I took a bite of the bread lid and it was as delicious as it looked!

The bread bowls are sourdough bread and they are cooked to perfection. Light brown crust on the outside and soft, fluffy and chewy on the inside. So with my first bite, I was already in sourdough heaven.

Then came the goodies inside! Underneath the generous layer of melted cheese, was the chicken and mushrooms. It was delicious. Creamy and cooked well. I pulled the bread apart near the end with the slits along the edges. It was so fun to eat! It also felt great to not throw out any plastic or cardboard because the entire container was edible!

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Lasagna

Next came the lasagna and bacon with leek. Both had no shortage of cheese and were equally as Instagram-able as the first. The flavors were delicious. I found the lasagna to taste like other lasagna dish in Peru, meaning that it is a little sweeter in taste.

Bacon and leeks

And who can go wrong with bacon and leeks? That dish was creamy and wonderful. I would happily indulge in any of the three flavors again.

After having an incredible and fun experience with the bread bowls, I had to learn more about the company and so I reached out the co-founder, Antonella Monzon.

The story behind KUK bread bowls

She and her partner and co-founder, Esteban Zuñiga created the idea during the COVID-19 lockdown, in May 2020. They saw the dish in San Francisco and Europe and realized that Peru needs to have the bread bowl experience, too! They were experimenting with sourdough starter, (I mean, weren’t we all during quarantine?) but they took it the next level by perfecting their technique and then went off with the bread bowls. Antonella explained to me that sourdough was their choice of bread because it is easier to digest and it doesn’t leave you feeling bloated, which I can confirm in my own experience!

After multiple trial and error periods with their friends as the tasters, they started to sell their product. It quickly boomed and after only one month, Antonella resigned from her job to focus solely on KUK. After only two months from opening, they opened their first dark kitchen. Now they have a solid plan for KUK and they even plan to franchise it in the next year or so. If you want to visit them in person, they now have a stand at Mercado San Martin in Miraflores. (Read about our visit to Mercado San Martin’s pasta stand).

Desserts

 I asked her about dessert options and they recently launched a chocolate cake bread bowl that has chocolate fondue and fun toppings like Oreos, Chips A’hoy, and raspberries! I know I’m eager to try that one out soon!

Why you should try KUK bread bowls

Although I received mine cold, Antonella assured me that you can order them hot already if you order through Glovo, Rappi or at the Mercado San Martin. However, you can still order them cold through those delivery options and in their website, www.kuk.pe, Instagram, or via Whatsapp.

Having them cold is great if want to bring them along on a day trip, or in my case, to save it for later when you have more time. They hold really well so you won’t have to worry about them getting spoiled immediately and your cheese-pull will be ready for you when you are.

Kuk is not just food, it’s a fun experience that you get to eat. They are an inspiring company that flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic and you will not be disappointed when you give them a try.

Cover photo: KUK Facebook Page

Dawn Brookes

Dawn Brookes is an archaeologist from Alberta, Canada who has been involved with archaeological projects in Peru since 2014. Today she lives in Lima and is completing her master’s in ancient Peruvian burials which will later turn into a PhD. Check out her Instagram here.