Panchita is located in Miraflores a block away from Ave Jose Pardo. The restaurant serves up traditional Peruvian dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.
Panchita is a very large restaurant with a bar area and a main dining room. The restaurant’s dark wood furniture provides a comfortable atmosphere while the colorful chairs livens up the restaurants tones. The restaurant provides English menus and takes credit cards. It was fairly full when I arrived around 5:30 PM with no reservations.
The service was great as I sat at the bar. The bartenders didn’t speak English but he had an English speaking waiter come over to help me. The waiter gave us recommendations and followed up on some of the details of our order. The food came out relatively fast after I ordered.
Now, the food. I wanted to try some of the Peruvian classics; therefore, my order consisted of the mainstream Peruvian dishes.
- Lomo Saltado – Lomo Saltado is one of the most popular Peruvian dishes, which draws its influences from the Peruvian Chifa culture. Chifa is the Chinese cuisine of Peru and a testament to the diversity of Peruvian culture. The dish is stir fried with marinated strips of sirloin steak, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes; in addition, french fries are added to the dish to round it out. Panchita’s version didn’t include rice. The sirloin strips had a nice tender texture and wasn’t over-marinated. The fat steak fries had a crispy exterior but the interior was nice and soft. The large onion pieces were partly caramelize which provided a sweet yet sharp taste.
Lomo Saltado - Cebiche – The fish was served raw, showered with lime, topped with onions, peppers, cancha (i.e., corn nuts) and cooked corn. The freshness of the cebiche was incredible. The dish had a complex yet robust flavor with all its ingredients. The tangy zest with a little spiciness added for flavoring was marvelous. The fish freshness was fantastic; it didn’t contain any hint of old piscine. I have to agree with Anthony Bourdain that Cebiche is Peru’s national dish.
Cebiche - Aji de Gallina – My mission in Lima was to try as many different arroz con pollo as I can because I absolutely love the dish. It’s one of my favorite traditional Peruvian dishes. Panchita serves Aji de Gallina and it serves it well. The stew was topped with eggs, olives and slices of bell peppers and served with corn rice. The creamy yet spicy stew tasted freshly made. The shredded chicken had a nice juicy texture soaking up the stew and the potatoes were starchy. The rice was nicely cooked with the pieces of corn. It was a great example of Aji de Gallina.
Aji de Gallina
Overall, Panchita is a great Peruvian restaurant serving some classic dishes. It’s definitely your “grandmother’s cooking” as the restaurant’s website indicates. The dishes details provided robust flavors and it’s a perfect restaurant for anyone who enjoys a hearty meal. My mouth is watering right now thinking about their food.
Check out our other Lima articles here.
- Service - 7.5/107.5/10
- Presentation - 7.5/107.5/10
- Flavors - 9/109/10
- Decor - 7.5/107.5/10
- Ambiance - 7/107/10
Summary
Panchita serves traditional Peruvian dishes and does not disappoint. The “grandmother’s cooking” description is absolutely correct with their robust flavors. The dishes details provided robust flavors and it’s a perfect restaurant for anyone who enjoys a hearty meal.
