Nostalgic for homemade Peruvian platters from ‘back in the day’? Always the meaning-maker, Gastón Acurio’s newest establishment offers the old classic Lima dishes and drinks in an atmosphere filled with memorabilia.
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Just when you think you have found a wonderful place with great food, decent service, fair prices, nice ambiance, and that it will simply be unbeatable, no, you are wrong again. Chances are that some new place will pop-up just as good as the previous ones you visited, if not better.
This time it is El Bodegón, the latest establishment of Gastón Acurio that is penetrating splendidly, and at an unrivaled speed into the gastronomic scene.
Interior (Photo: Marco Simola/Living in Peru)
El Bodegón takes its name from the previous restaurant that used to operate in this corner street in Miraflores, just a block away from Angamos and Arequipa, of what decades ago used to be part of the Hacienda Marsano. The place, relatively small in size with less than twenty tables, has its walls covered with photos, drawings and memorabilia from decades ago that evoke a Lima that is long gone.
It is a journey through time.
A nostalgic and fun one as you start recognizing clippings of Scala Gigante, Mr. Magoo, El Cholo Sotil, Chabuca Grande, La Tremenda Corte, Risas y Salsa and much more. The music on the main floor takes you back in time and the radio announcements and programs from years ago playing while in the restroom will do the same. The establishment resembles that of an old tavern where old friends meet for lunch, a quick bite or to have a drink or two. The ambiance is cheerful as the place is full with guests sitting close to each other and waiters smoothly finding their way through the crowd with dishes and drinks coming and going.
Salvavidas and Chicha de Jora Loca (Photo: Marco Simola/Living in Peru)
It was past midday and we were thirsty.
We started with a Chilcano Bodegón (s./16), the house drink, made of pisco, muña, orange, tumbo and passion fruit which was quite nice and refreshing. We also tried the Chilcano de Guinda (s./ 14), a popular drink decades ago which you hardly see any more. It did not have the intense Bordeaux color as I remembered it, but it was pretty good and had character. We also had a classic Capitán (s./14) with vermouth rosso and pisco, which normally I do not like, but this one I did.
As we were joyfully sipping our drinks, we noticed that almost every table was ordering this intense red-colored drink that we certainly wanted to try. It was the Salvavidas (s./8), a house-creation made of hibiscus, pineapple peel, ginger, lemongrass and lemon verbena. This mix of so many ingredients turned out to be pretty good and certainly quite refreshing. We also had a Chicha de Jora Loca (s./7), fermented corn-beer chicha with pineapple and strawberry that created the perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors while keeping the strong but pleasant character of this traditional Andean drink.
Patita limeña con sarsa tibia al ají charapita (Photo: Marco Simola/Living in Peru)
In terms of food, we left Daniela, our very friendly host, and restaurant manager, to decide which dishes we would be trying that day. Daniela reminded us that this was a restaurant where you will find food from the old days in Lima, namely food that was normally served at home.
In fact, going through the menu, we found dishes which you rarely find on restaurant menus in the city such as the Mollejitas estofadas (s./ 24), Ajiaco limeño con pancetta al cilindro (s./28), Huatia de res a la surcana con frejoles y yuca (s. 36), Chupín de lengua levanta muertos (s./ 22), Tortilla de Huevera Guisada (s./24 ) or Huevos Fritos con pure de espinaca (s./24) just to name a few.
So we were ready to start this adventure and be surprised.
The first dish that arrived at our table was the Patita limeña con sarsa tibia al ají charapita (s./ 21). It was a big plate with chopped pig legs –don’t expect to find much meat there- with cassavas and coriander leaves bathed in a yellow sauce. I am not a big fan of pig legs but both the cassava and the sauce were wonderful so that made it for me.
Then came the Coliflor entera almendrada que se cree ají de gallina (s./ 28). A long name for a generous dish that consisted of a huge round cauliflower as a center piece, covered with almonds and bathed in a yellow creamy sauce. The cauliflower was not too soft but ‘al dente’ while the sauce was creamy, smooth with a bit of spice, and simply delicious. I have to say I did not taste the resemblance with the classic ají de gallina sauce, but it was still very savory.
Avocado, Tomato and Onion Salad (Photo: Marco Simola/Living in Peru)
El Bodegón has a few salads in its menu using quinoa, chickpeas and lima beans as main ingredients.
We had, however, the Avocado, Tomato, and Onion Salad (s./19). It is amazing how such a simple dish could turn out to be one of our favorite dishes that day. It all mounts to the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of its products so it seems. The tomatoes were extraordinarily tasty and the mix of it all was superb. Kudos to the wonderful producers which El Bodegón works with and to Gastón for reminding us of their importance. In one of the walls, you will find written the names of those magnificent producers to which all of us living in Peru should be grateful for.
As we continued recognizing old labels and faces posted on the walls, our next dish came along. It was the Arroz con Chancho a la Antigua (s./28). This dish consisted of a big portion of yellow rice mixed with finely chopped vegetables, pieces of sausage from Huacho, bits of flavorful bandiola and roasted pig, topped with crispy fresh onions (sarsa). We were pleased to find in this mix some fine pieces of bananas that gave this dish a ‘homie’ and mouth-watering touch. This was definitely my favorite dish that day, although the Pulpo a la Parrilla with basil and potatoes (s./29) that I had on another visit, is quite close in disputing the first place.
Our last dish was the Canelones de sesos de la abuela (s./28) which came in a big hot pan, baked and filled with ricotta and bathed in a nice tuco –tomato-based- sauce. They were certainly yummy, but for me, I would have preferred the pasta a bit more ‘al dente’.
Chirimoya Pavlova (Photo: Marco Simola/Living in Peru)
It was time for desserts and, once again, we traveled back in time. I saw in their menu the Suspiro de Chirimoya (s./16), Flan Casero con manjarblanco (s./14), Bombas rellenas de chocolate (s./14) and other desserts that, far from pretending being fancy and served gourmet-style, these are pretty straightforward, well served, respecting old recipes and, most of all, yummy.
We tried the Crème Brulee (s./16) which had an excellent flavor, although its texture could improve, and the Strawberry and Chirimoya Pavlova (s./16), a dessert made of several layers of crispy meringues filled in with chunks of strawberries, chirimoya fruit, and condensed milk. The dessert was light, sweet, and simply delicious. I have gone back to El Bodegón just to have another Pavlova only to find out that they quickly run out of it due to its high demand and the restaurant’s willingness to offer their clients only fresh products and ingredients.
It was time to go and the restaurant was still full with people queuing outside. If you have the patience to wait in line, rest assured, it is worth it. The food is of excellent quality, the portions are generous, service is good and fast, the ambiance is cheerful and the prices are pretty good. Is there anything more one can ask for?
El Bodegón
Calle Tarapacá 197 Miraflores
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 12-12, Saturday 11 -1 am and Sunday 12-9
Prices:
Salads – s./ 16-19
Sandwiches – s./16-19
Starters – s./ 16-29
Main dishes – s./ 28-36
Cocktails – s./ 14
Refreshments – s./ 6-8
Beers – s./ 8 – 32
Hot beverages – s./ 3-14
Desserts – s./ 12-16
