First bite review: Ceviche, stir fry and the sauce that you’ll want to eat on everything
Lexington’s culinary landscape gets a little broader every day and now you can add Peruvian food to your menu of options.
Maty’s Authentic Peruvian Cuisine opened officially on Nov. 29 at 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd. Suite 160. Owner and chef Maria Rivera, a native of Lima, Peru, said she plans to offer a slimmed-down menu at first but will give customers a variety of options for lunch and dinner.
One thing that will likely be on the menu: Lomo Saltado. During her soft opening earlier in November, Rivera said this dish, which is kind of like a stir fry served with French fries, was very popular.
Other big hits at a recent tasting:
▪ Ceviche. Rivera is a native of Lima on the coast and said that the tangy lime dish is staple there. Served cold with sliced sweet potatoes and canchita, a kind of toasted corn nuts, the ceviche will have you practically licking your plate clean.
▪ Potatoes. Specifically, papa a la huancaina, a boiled yellow potato in a bright yellow sauce that’s cheesy and peppery but not at all like a cheese dip. Huancaina sauce is made with Peruvian aji amarillo chiles that aren’t really hot but have just enough zing, like touching your tongue to a 9-volt battery. It’s so popular that fans put huancaina sauce on just about anything including, yes, tortilla chips.
▪ Arroz con pollo. Rice is another staple of Peruvian cuisine and this chicken made with cilantro and beer is the kind of savory but simple dish you’ll come back for again and again.
The restaurant will expand to a full menu, with a bar, eventually, Rivera said. But until she has hired and trained more help, she wants to keep things simple.
“I prefer to feed people and make them happy rather than make them wait,” Rivera said. “I’m going to try to two entrees and two appetizers or soups.”
Rivera said she named the new restaurant after herself and her sister, Patty, and their grandmother, whom they called Maty. And to honor her, the wedding photo of her grandmother hangs in the restaurant, along with paintings by Rivera and photos of a family trip to Machu Picchu and nearby Cusco, Peru.
“I want them to taste Peru without being pushed. The approach is very friendly. I have a lot of friends who have loved the food and every time we have a pot luck they say, ‘Maria, what did you bring?’” she said. “I’m sharing my culture with everyone.”
Maty’s Authentic Peruvian Cuisine
Where: 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd. Suite 160
Hours: Closed Monday, open Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
