When Peruvian superchef Gastón Acurio touched down in Chicago nearly two years ago he ushered in a new kind of environment for exploring his country’s food. Prior to that if you wanted to enjoy modern Peruvian cuisine’s unique alloy of Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, African, and indigenous influences, you went to one of a half dozen or so mom-and-pop places out in the neighborhoods, some of which excel at a number of things, but few of which consistently deliver on the great scope of what Peru, from mountain to sea, is capable of producing.
The vividly colored hors d’ouevre-like causitas are well represented too. Cylindrical sections of densely mashed potato, either yellow or purple, serve as vehicles for crab, shrimp, or chicken, garnished with olive and tomato and squirts of thick, creamy chile sauces. These bites appear delicate, but they’re every bit as substantial as the imposing skewers of beef heart, big chunks of the steaklike meat served with a trio of sauces including a thick peanut-based paste and another spiked with the black mint huacatay. It’s an impressive display of muscle for $13.
4024 N. Lincoln 773-348-4900vialimachicago.com
