MachuPicchu Peruvian Cuisine

We really liked this place, but it must have closed because the phone number has been disconnected for over a week now. What a pity!

We returned to Machu Pichu today to celebrate my son’s birthday. Again, everything was outstanding, the food, the service, the environment. We started with a Peruvian tamal that has been the best tamal we have ever had, very very different from the Central American tamal or from the Cuban tamal. We also had escabeche Peruvian scallops, this scallops were extraordinary! We ordered Jalea for two, Mahi-​Mahi with peruvian salad and quinoa (the quinoa tasted sooo good, it had peas and carrots, like a Peruvian Chaufa but without the calories of the rice and the salad very yummy) I ordered the lomo salteado with Pacu (lomo salteado is filet mignon sauté with peppers and tomatoes and Pacu is a rice mixed with a Peruvian type of beans that is soo delicious). Its impossible to go wrong with any entrée here at Machu Pichu, everything is just unbelievable great. Desserts were Tiramisu, Peruvian rice pudding and flan de coco (coconut custard) I cannot choose which one was the best because they were all delicious. Thanks to Chef Gloria for decorating our son’s dessert for his celebration. Cant wait to be back for dinner! Sorry I only took a picture of the dessert. We were pigging out so badly that we did not even mind to take pictures of our entrees!

We had met friends for dinner last night. The food was excellent and the owner even took the time to speak with us. You need to check this place out. Make sure to make a reservation as you will not be disappointed.

This was a really strange experience.
First off, the restaurant is in a strip mall (and not a particularly nice one at that). Before walking in I noticed poster sized signs plastered on the outside saying things like «reservations recommended», «credit cards only no cash» and «restrooms for customers only». Not the classiest or most welcoming vibe but we proceeded.
We were immediately asked if we had reservations (no surprise after the sign). We didn’t but we were seated without a problem. The décor looked like a place that was really trying to look like it wasn’t in a strip mall but still not quite there. I was trying not to judge the restaurant by its cover and reminding myself of the 4.5 stars the restaurant had when I looked it up.
The menus came and they were either real or feux leather bound — they looked nice. I opened them up and began perusing the menu (no pun intended) and noticed that my go– to menu item, the lomo saltado, was like $ 20. $ 20 for lomo saltado in a strip mall restaurant? Certainly not what I signed up for so I kept browsing the menu for a cheaper alternative and trying to tell myself «this is that kind of restaurant». You know, a classy establishment, a more expensive dinner. Not something I had signed up for but that wasn’t the restaurant’s fault.
Except it wasn’t. All over the menu were strange comments like «this dish is not an authentic Peruvian dish. It is on the menu for those that don’t want to venture to try something new. Can feed two children.» I’m paraphrasing here but wow I’ve never seen such a condescending menu. Also other overly explanatory comments. Even the note about possible allergens in the food said something along the lines of «if you have allergies– deal with it accordingly.» Not, «please let us know» or «unfortunately we cannot make accommodations», just kind of «make your own accommodations». Like what does that even mean? Have your epi pen ready to inject yourself? I don’t have allergies so I can’t speak to this too much but I almost feel like it would’ve been better not to say anything.
We ordered an appetizer — the cheapest ceviche on the menu– and it was fine but we left after that. I wasn’t looking for a $ 20 a person kind of meal that night and based on the vibes I was getting, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get it even if I paid for it so we decided to calmly exit the establishment.
Overall, it was just a very unwelcoming experience. I might’ve been able to look past the «overpriced strip mall restaurant» impression and called it a «wonderful restaurant starting out — surely to land a better location soon» had there not been signs everywhere telling me to try not to be such a nuisance.

On the door there is a sign that says «reservations strongly recommended,» and this only speaks to their popularity and superb cuisine (and possibly small dining area).
We came here for a lovely date night and this is a rundown of our order:
appetizer — Tiradito
entrée — Jalea for two
drink — Chicha Morada
desert –Tiramisu
The Tiradito was very comparable to ceviche; it was a large portion and delectable. The Jalea for two was amazing for the price and a seafood smörgåsbord. The Chicha Morada was a traditional Peruvian drink of purple corn, fruit, and spices. At only $ 2.50 for a glass, I had to try it. It had a very familiar taste, mainly from the cinnamon, and was not too sweet. The Tiramisu was smaller than I hoped but it was overly sweet and I would not have been able to finish a larger piece.
Service was excellent but we did have a very early dinner and it was not busy at that time.
I was a little thrown off about how nice the restaurant would be since it was in a strip mall but they have curtains that make it an intimate setting. It is also pleasantly and simply decorated to where you can feel comfortable dressed up or casual. The seating is limited so I understand why reservations would be required at prime munching time.

Very good. Original, Unique and nothing like it in Raleigh. My only complaint is lunch is closed M-​Th.
The menu is amazing. You can tell they really care about their stuff. Hard to compare to other Peruvian stuff since it’s so hard to find.

In the interest of full disclosure let me preface my review with the fact that I left Machu Picchu before my entre arrived but after the chef/​owner was rude enough to my wife to make her cry.
I decided to try Machu Picchu since my favorite Peruvian place Inka closed. Machu Picchu is located in a non-​descript strip mall. The décor is a bit above what you would expect in a strip mall. the tables and chairs are wooden but the napkins are paper. The menu prices on the other hand were definitely higher that what I would expect for a restaurant in a strip mall, ceviche is $ 13 to $ 18 and Lomo Lomo Saltado is $ 21.
I ordered the Tamalito Verde for appetizers. The menu says the Tamalito Verde is,“Tamale made with fresh corn and cilantro, stuffed with cheese and wrapped in corn husk”. What I got was just a square of steamed green masa. At $ 9 I can’t say I would recommend it.
I also ordered the Ceviche Mixto. I love Ceviche it is one of my favorite dishes. I get it whenever I go to a Peruvian restaurant. Ceviche is the dish I will judge a Peruvian restaurant on. The Ceviche I got at Machu Picchu was definitely in the bottom five worst I have had. I ate one piece of shrimp and it I had mealy old texture that seemed like it might have been frozen more than once or thawed too quickly. It didn’t have the crisp pop I have come to love in ceviche. It also didn’t have the burst of bright citrus flavor I expect. At $ 15 for a relatively small plate I expected a whole lot better.
This would be where our experience at Machu Picchu went in a very odd and unexpected direction. After my one bite of the Ceviche I called our server over and told her we were very unhappy with the Ceviche. She said she would get the chef. The chef came out and explained to us that we did not know what Ceviche was supposed to taste like and questioned if we had ever eaten it before. No sorry you didn’t like the dish let me try and make it better just an argument about how I didn’t know what I was talking about. Given my years of experience as a cook there was no way I was going to eat anything prepared out of my line of site by someone clearly unhappy with me.
My wife volunteered to go tell our server we wanted to settle up and leave since I was a little too irritated with the chef’s attitude to speak with them. The chef/​owner continued to berate my wife in front of the entire restaurant about how we didn’t know good ceviche and that they were not about to take it off the bill, embarrassing my wife to the point of tears. Oh and I would add they most definitely did not take anything off the bill. I just don’t think that making your customers cry is an appropriate way to behave when you are asking $ 30 or more a head for dinner in a strip mall.
I can only assume from the way the chef/​owner responded to our complaint and the food quality issues I encountered that the restaurant must be struggling. I wish them the best of luck.

Interesting experience. Very small place in a strip mall, but inside white tablecloths and higher end prices. They recommend reservations. They only take credit card (no cash). They close at 8:45pm. Atmosphere was very quiet. Overall service was great. Food was unique and beautifully presented. I liked what we got (the Jalea for 2) and wouldn’t mind trying other entrees. Nice place for a date night. Not good for groups.

My god was this fantastic. I’ve always been a fan of good food made with fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned and obviously made with love. This fits the bill and then some.
We got the appetizer sampler because none of us ever had eaten Peruvian food before, and it was perfect, have us a taste of a bunch of things. Then we got four dinners (there were five of us) and shared everything, and we were all stuffed and happy!
I can’t wait to come back to try everything else in that menu!
Every single thing was delicious. Make sure you get yucca fries!

This place is delicious. Not only is the food amazing, the customer service is excellent.
The chefs make every dish with quality.
We’ve visited a couple of times and every time has been a pleasant experience.
What we ordered:
Tamalito Verde
Picante De Camarones
Lomo Saltado
Quinoa Almodine Ice Cream
Definitely make reservations. Great for a special dinner date.

My husband and I went here for lunch while on vacation. We were greeted by a very friendly waiter and seated immediately. Having never had Peruvian food before we were inquisitive about the menu. The waiter was knowledgable about the ingredients taste and portion size. We ordered the ceviche sampler, and the appetizer sampler. We were going to order the tacu tacu also but he suggested we may want to hold off as that portions were large! He was right.
The ceviche was interesting, three types and all were extremely fresh. The shrimp were huge and the fish was portioned well.
The sampler of six items was a good taste of different types of Peruvian food. It was extremely flavorful. I don’t know what it should have tasted like as I’ve never experienced authentic Peruvian food, but we were not disappointed.
If we lived closer we would frequent this place but it deserves a chance and a was a great place to explore Peruvian food. My only comment would be to lessen up on the onions they are abundant on everything.
Sadly we were too full for dessert, but the service and food were fabulous!

I take great pride in my countries amazing cuisine. Its the thing that makes me most proud. With that said, this restaurant fell so short from what my beautiful country is known for.
First, the appetizers: papa la hauncaina is a great starter as long as your not lactose intolerant. There’s a few ways of making it, all of which still taste amazing. Machu-pichu’s version was bitter, not at all cheesy, and stale; as a matter a fact, it’s the wrong sauce all together.
For my entrée, i took the risk of ordering pescado ala chorillana, boy was i let down. One thing that has always been common, is when any fish dish is made, it will never taste «fishy» — I hate «fishy»!!! This dish is suppose to be pan fried lightly breaded fish in a soy sauce, lemony sauce that has sautéed onions and tomato, still perfectly crisp and a deep fried half potato. Just thinking about makes my mouth water.
Their version didn’t pull through. The fish was under cooked, the onions and tomatoes were soggy, and worst of all it was fishy tasting. I was in utter disbelief!!!
Sad part is — the service was phenomenal! Had the food been good, this place would’ve definitely received 5 stars from me.
Don’t call yourself authentic when you are not even close! Stay away from here!

After reading some of the reviews my wife and I decided to try this place — she is of Peruvian dissent and ever since moving to the Triangle, we have been trying hard to find a good Peruvian spot that isn’t Mami Nora’s.
Machu Pichu claims to be authentic — sadly, it was far from it.
For an appetizer, we ordered Papa a la Huancaina and for our entrées, I had the Secó de Res which is a Peruvian style beef stew and my wife had Pescado a la Chorrillana — a spicy and flavorful fish fry.
Being that these dishes are staples of Peruvian culture and food, it was a very good way to gauge this place because if they screw these up, then the rest of them can’t be very good.
Well, they were screwed up alright. The Papa a la Huancaina comes with a yellow sauce that is usually thick, spicy and tastes cheesy. Instead what we received was a brown sauce that you normally find in a chicken dish — totally off target.
Then the entrées came out — I was willing to let the appetizer slide if the entrées were at least decent — not even close. My wife’s dish is supposed to be crispy on both sides and it wasn’t — in fact, the bottom of the fish had not been cooked all the way. I’m surprised she didn’t get sick. For my dish, the meat was tough — it is supposed to be tender.
Then came the ultimate insult — my mother-​in-​law prides herself on homemade hot sauce — we know what it supposed to look like and taste like. So we asked our server if they had any and he replied yes — the rocotto — a spicy red pepper sauce. He went on to tell me that I was going to love it since it was a homemade recipe and they made it fresh every day. I don’t know what I was thinking when I got excited when I heard rocotto was available. The rest of the «authentic» food was far from it so I should’ve known better than to expect that this would be.
When the server brought it to us, we looked at it, waited until he walked away, looked at each other, shook our heads and started to laugh. What he had actually brought us was nothing more than what you are supposed to use as the base to a homemade sauce — it comes in a jar — nothing homemade about that. I wasn’t mad at the server though, I’m pretty sure this is what the owners had told him.
The sad part about this whole experience is that our service was impeccable. It’s really a shame because I would have given this place a five star review has the food been good.
In fact, the only thing stopping me from giving this place a one star rating is the fact that the service was so great — so I decided to give it two stars.
Otherwise, I have a real problem with a place that claims to be authentic but is far from it while charging top dollar for it.
After eating here, I would guess that people that have given this place a good review probably don’t know what true, authentic Peruvian food is. I believe you’d be better served by going to Mami Nora’s in Raleigh (which is ok — not great) and having any of their dishes. You’ll spend about half the money if not less.

THE WORSE PERUVIAN RESTAURANT, THE WORSE PERUVIAN EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD! I am from Peru, born in Trujillo and Lived in my country for 21 years. Ever since I moved to the US, I have had the opportunity to live in a few different States and cities across the US and have also visited lots of other beautiful cities as well their restaurants. With that being said, it pains me to say that this restaurant has been The Worse Peruvian Food restaurant out of all of the many other Peruvian Restaurants I have ever tried in the US before and I mean from WI to DC to VA to PA to FL to CA and NC…
The only reason why I went to this restaurant tonight is because of the great reviews and I thought it would be delicious! Boy was I wrong!!! I should have stuck with my fav Peruvian restaurant in Chapel Hill «Mi Peru» that is really a great restaurant and they really try to imitate the flavors the best the can. This MachuPicchu restaurant was awful! Huancaina sauce is not made with cilantro or huacatay leaves! The sauce was green and the American waitress who has never been in my country wanted to school me!!! SERIOUSLY!!! The CEVICHE WAS DISGUSTING! People, trust Me, how can you screw Peruvian ceviche! Its one of out staples!!! My husband who is an American, tried it and couldn’t believe it either! Tasted like they used lime juice that comes already squeezed in those container shaped like a lime! The aji de gallina, one of my hubby’s favorite, had the same «green Huancaina sauce» in it… SO WRONG!!! The Tamalito Verde was as bad as everything else… I was looking forward to it… Even the sweet potatoe and peruvian corn that came with the ceviche were gross… The worse part is that I brought my some of my American family with Me cause I wanted them to try some amazing food and this restaurant ruined it for Me… I heard that «The Chefs» were Peruvian too!!!
What’s wrong with them then? The stupid excuse I always get is… We have to tweak it for the American people… FLASH NEWS «CHEFS» NO YOU DONT!!! This people want to have the Peruvian experience!!! Our food is not spicy… Its flavorful and you can add the spice to it if you want! Americans need to be educated and learn what Peruvian food is all about… The flavors are amazing! This people eat Indian, Thai, Korean, Mexican food already!!! Peru is the Number 1 culinary destination in the world again this year! I recommend you rethink your crappy recipes because the FOOD SUCKED SO BAD!!!
Shame on You people!!! NEVER GOING BACK ! I have a stomach ache thanks to the crap you fed me and terrible service btw!!!

Food is really good: loved the pisco, the fried yuca, and the lomo saltado. Only issue was when we complained of the fish dish: the chef came to talk to us that the dish was fine (although smelling like charcoal). He said he would bring another dish, which never happened. The waiter was really nice, although wasn’t able to change the dish

We had a reservation on a beautiful Saturday evening. We walked into the restaurant nestled into a strip mall and were seated promptly. The dining room is small and cozy. The decorations look a bit cheap and sparse, but that’s not why we’re here is it? The server greeted us quickly and warmly. She was forthcoming with recommendations and such a warm character. Based on her recommendations and having read the reviews, we ordered:
Trio of Ceviche: Beautiful, excellent serving size. Enough for about 3 – 4 big bites per ceviche. I personally thought this was a bit too strong and would’ve done well to been better balanced. The acidity was pretty good, but it was also very heavily salted. The only one not suffering from this was the shrimp ceviche, which was by far my favorite and I would love to order again.
Lomo Saltado with Tacu Tacu: The meat was seasoned well and tender enough. It melt in your mouth, it had good chew. But it suited the dish fine. The flavor was on point. The tacu tacu was truly gigantic and honestly way too big and filling. It was really delicious for the first few bites, but quickly became a bit too much. I honestly think rice is better to soak up the sauces.
Picante de Camarones: The sauce on this was AMAZING. We dipped the fries from the Lomo Saltado and ate a lot of the tacu tacu in this sauce. Highly recommended.
Rice Pudding: This was awesome. It was not too sweet, and just enough cinnamon. Truly well done rice pudding.
Finally, i will note that our server got 2 orders wrong, and forgot things multiple times. We thought she was wonderfully friendly and she was happy to correct the mistakes she made, but I did want to note how many there were.

My family and I decided to try this spot for lunch and we had an excellent experience. I called ahead to make a reservation since the dining space fills up quickly. My father and I ordered the pescada with tomatoes and onions. I forgot what my mom ordered but everyone enjoyed their food.
The chef came out several times to talk with us and checkin to make sure we enjoyed the good. Service overall was great! We also had the yucca appetizer and the sauces on all of the good prepared was amazing!
I’m definitely going back!

Hubby and I were looking for something quick and delicious and ran across this restaurant! New to Raleigh we were excited to experience cuisine outside of the typical southern food one would come to expect! The service was great, we were seated right away and our server was very attentive. The servings are large! I didn’t get a picture of food this time but it was very flavorful! I wanted to give this restaurant the props it deserves! It threw me off a bit that it was in a strip mall — and the décor was kind of Bare– however the food speaks for itself. So authentic and fresh! The cook clearly prides herself on a great meal! Bravo to my strip mall dining experience!
#hancockhelping we will be back and want to try something new!

We had this restaurant on our to-​go list for awhile, and we finally did it… it was definitely a different experience. We would go back just for the Ceviche and the desserts (we had a Tiramisu and a rice pudding-​ish dish) which were truly superb.
We had a calamari appetizer as well, which was really good. The dipping sauce was a mustard-​based relish which was yummy, and the calamari itself was moist and juicy, and not dry and rubbery like at most places. so two thumbs up!
The entrees, however, are probably an acquired taste. The presentation was stellar and you can tell that the chef took pride in serving up every dish we had. We had a pork entrée, which seemed to be a pounded out pork cutlet with rice and beans. The pork itself was not very flavorful and was lacking seasoning, and also had a slightly sour aftertaste. We couldn’t tell if that was how Peruivan pork was supposed to be or if it was stale meat. We also had some sort of tomato and cream-​based spicy stew with shrimp, which my partner really enjoyed. I, however, kept getting a strange aftertaste with every bite that was really off-​putting, but that probably could’ve been just me.
So all in all it was a mixed bag for us. Wonderful appetizers and desserts, but confusing entrees. But, like I said, we will certainly be back just for the Ceviche and desserts!

FIrst off, it can be difficult to find this place, particularly at night. It’s a small place located in the corner of a large plaza. The directions on their website are helpful. Tons of parking available in the lot.
Came here on a weekday night and there were hardly any people, yet a bunch of tables said «reserved» (never saw these tables filled, and I stayed until closing). Small place but great décor — love that the napkin is rolled up like a volcano with a flame emitting, adds a nice fancy touch to the place. Staff is super nice and helpful. The chef even came out to chat and shared his background.
Chicha Morada ($ 2.25) — «The National Peruvian refreshment,» a healthy beverage made from Andean purple corn, fresh fruits, and spices. Purple corn is believed to lower cholesterol and fight obesity due to the 6% Anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant. Amazing drink — thicker than typical juice from the grocery store, but easy to drink the whole thing in a matter of seconds because it’s SO DELICIOUS! Looks like dark cranberry/​plum juice, tastes mildly sweet and addicting. Definitely recommend — yum!
Before your meal arrives, you’ll receive a tiny container of complimentary kernels. They’re large and look like they’ve been roasted, but they’re dry. Didn’t care much for these.
Jalea ($ 18.95) — a medley of lightly battered, deep fried fish and shellfish, served hot in a bed of lettuce, fried yuccas (similar to cactus plant, starchy and tastes similar to potato), and topped with a sauce made of diced onions, diced tomatoes, and chopped cilantro with lime juice and spices. Apparently there’s a «large» version «for 2» available for $ 25.95, but I must warn all of you out there: the regular size is GIGANTIC!!! I was entirely shocked when I realized the entire mountain was all mine. Still, I managed to finish it all — I don’t believe in wasting excellent food! It’s beautiful, refreshing, and filling. The lime is VERY strong though, too much citrus. Almost like a healthy salad supreme, minus the deep fried fish, calamari, shrimp…
Mazamorra Morada ($ 6) — Peruvian purple pudding-​like dessert, made with purple corn drink, fresh fruits, and spices, thickened. Sprinkled with cinnamon, contains no dairy products. This is definitely different. Not a big fan of the chunks of fruits mixed with the thick pudding, but the rest of this healthy dessert was good.
TL;DR Everything at this place tastes incredibly refreshing!