Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [295]
Eating
Chiclayo is one of the best places to eat on the North Coast. Arroz con pato a la chiclayana (duck and rice cooked in cilantro and beer) and tortilla de manta raya (Spanish omelet made from stingray) are endless sources of culinary pride. For dessert, try the local street sweet called a King Kong, a large cookie filled with a sweet caramel cream made of milk and sugar; it’s available everywhere.
SuperBumm (27-0549; San José 677; meals S5-14; 7am-late) This buzzing, neon-lit young thing whips out local dishes, sandwiches, pizzas and cakes faster than you can blink and is filled every night with hungry diners. The upstairs seating is a little quieter. The portions here are elephantine.
Las Américas (20-9381; Aguirre 824; sandwiches S4, mains S5-25; 7:30am-11:30pm) This bright, popular place off the southeast corner of the plaza is a perennial favorite. With ’60s-style red-and-white booths, Las Américas has a varied menu of soups, meats and fish dishes – try the fish in a savory onion and spicy tomato sauce. This place can be a little hygienically challenged.
Se Salió el Mar (cnr Colón & Torres Paz; mains S6-12; 8am-8pm) The warm-hearted owner here whips up fresh-from-the-sea grills and ceviche in a tiny family-owned shop with plastic tablecloths. It’s a gem.
La Parra (22-7471, 22-5198; Izaga 752; mains S6-14; 11:30am-midnight) There are two restaurants side by side here; one is a chifa and the other is a grill, but they share an entrance and a kitchen. Go figure.
Restaurant Romana (22-3598; Balta 512; breakfasts S7, mains S9-18; 7am-late) This locally popular place serves a bunch of different dishes, all of them local favorites. If you’re feeling brave, try the chirimpico for breakfast: it’s stewed goat tripe and organs and is guaranteed to either cure a hangover or give you one. Otherwise, you can have pastas, steaks, seafood, chicken or pork chicharrones (breaded and fried pieces of meat) with yucca.
Chez Maggy (20-9253; Balta 413; pizzas S8-10; 6-11pm) It’s not how Papa Giuseppe used to make it, but the wood-fired pizzas at this restaurant have a pretty darn good crispy crust and fresh toppings. They have convenient personal-size pizzas for solo diners.
El Ferrocol (Las Américas 168; meals S9-21; 11am-7pm) This hole-in-the-wall, a little out of the center, is well worth the trip, as chef Lucho prepares some of the best ceviche in all of Chiclayo. Treat yourself.
Hebron (22-2709; Balta 605; mains from S12; 24hr) This flashy, contemporary and bright two-story restaurant is a luxury pollería (restaurant specializing in roast chicken) on steroids. Lots of windows, impeccable service and a giant children’s playground that would put McDonalds to shame keep this restaurant marked on the calendars of most Chiclayans. Hebron may have the only kids menu in town.
Pizzería Venecia (23-3384; Balta 413; half-pizza S12; 6:30pm-late) This rip-roaring pizzeria attracts a young crowd that listens to rock and Latin favorites while they chug beer with their food.
Restaurant el Huaralino (27-0330; Libertad 155; mains S15-30; noon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun) One of Chiclayo’s most upscale restaurants, this place serves good Chiclayan specialties, criollo dishes and international cuisine. Bonus brownie points for some of the cleanest bathrooms in Peru.
Restaurant Típico La Fiesta (20-1970; Salaverry 1820; mains S28-38; noon-11pm) Another quality top-end choice, La Fiesta is in the Residencial 3 de Octubre suburb, about 2km west of central Chiclayo. If you want to experience the best of this region’s world-famous cuisine, Fiesta is the place to splurge. The pisco sours constructed tableside and elegant meat dishes, such as rack of lamb with risotto and sirloin with poached quail egg, are worth every nuevo sol. Or try the farm-raised