Lexington Peruvian restaurant closes but you can still get authentic favorites. Here’s how
A restaurant that offered Kentuckians a chance to widen their culinary horizons has closed after 14 months.
Maty’s Authentic Peruvian Cuisine opened Nov. 29, 2021, at 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd Suite 160 in Lexington. Owner Maria Rivera said on Wednesday that higher than expected costs, coupled with low than hoped for traffic, forced her to close the restaurant. All the equipment, including tables and chairs, will be sold Feb. 18-19 at the restaurant.
But she plans to restart her business taking special orders and offering catering.
Rivera, a native of Lima, Peru, launched in 2021 with a lot of hard work and a menu of Peruvian favorites that were new to many in Lexington.
But Peruvian cuisine is a hot trend worldwide and has a growing footprint even in Lexington; Chic Charc, a Peruvian rotisserie style chicken restaurant, opened in September 2022.
“The thing with Peruvian food is we have different regions and very diverse ingredients,” Rivera said when she opened her restaurant. “We use a lot of potatoes, a lot of different kinds of peppers but they are mild, not super hot.”
Peruvian potatoes served in yellow huancaina sauce made with Peruvian aji amarillo chiles is popular.
Lomo Saltado, which is a kind of stir fry served with French fries, also has lot of fans, as does ceviche, which is served in Peru with sliced sweet potatoes and canchita, a kind of toasted corn nuts.
Rivera said customers can find her through her restaurant’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/MatysLexington. She hopes to begin taking orders in March.
