Andina was the recommendation of the indigenous population as well as a more well known restaurant guide. However, once I located the web site, I went to a better resource – someone who hails from Peru with a good palette. A business colleague who I’ve known for a couple of years took a look at the menu and was suitably impressed. He indicated Andina served the rarer Andean dishes along with other popular Peruvian items such as cebiche.
This is only the second lunch review we’ve done, with the all afternoon affair at Le Meurice being the first. Truth be told, like Le Meurice, it’s probably the only other lunch we’ve had that’s worth devoting a blog entry to the dining experience.
We arrived unexpectedly late due to our inability to discern Northwest streets from those of a Southwest nature. After calling to indicate our tardiness, we made our way across the river to our destination on Northwest Glisan.
The space that makes up Andina was larger than expected and seems to ramble a bit, having bar space, a dining area, and something that I didn’t explore downstairs. We were seated in a comfortable booth by the window offering an abundance of (gray) natural light. We were at the end of the lunch service so the restaurant was largely devoid of other patrons. There was a table next to us over which the wait staff hovered incessantly and we thing it may have been the owners. Made for fun people watching at any rate.
The lunch menu is extensive consisting of full entrees and dishes that can be ordered in small , medium, and large portion sizes. Initially, I ignored the optionally sized dishes and went straight to my entree. Yet, when James mentioned having a starter of avocado stuffed with crab and shrimp, my head jerked up like an alert prairie dog. Yes, avocado and crab is one of my favorite combinations. We ordered the small portion and what arrived was perfect for the two of us. One avocado halved and stuffed with a combination of finely chopped shrimp and crab, more of the latter than former. A delicate cream sauce was drizzled over the dish. It was perfect. The avocado had absolutely no blemishes and its flesh was vivid, firm, and flavorful. The crab was lightly sweet with no remnants of shell to be found. I eagerly ate my allotment wishing we ordered the medium.
For his main James ordered the ”Five Elements” cebiche with the fish of the day being Ono. He hadn’t had cebiche in a long time and knew when the reservations were made, this is the dish he would have. The five elements made for a simple but elegant dish with the fresh Ono being the star. He was not disappointed.
My selection was more turf than surf as I chose the braised lamb shank. This was served in the Northern Peruvian style with cilantro, black beer, aji amarillo, onions, and garlic served with a canary bean purée and salsa criolla. Sounding a tad cliche, the meat fell from the bone and melted in your mouth. But not cliche were the flavors bold, spice from the aji and the salsa. Unlike any braised meat I’ve had. Generally, I’m not a person who likes beans of any sort, but those served with dish I could eat for days. Their texture was smooth, almost cream-like, and the flavors from the spices and black beer enhanced them all the more. A truly wonderful dish perfect for the rainy day that it was.
For those of you who enjoy ethnic cuisine that’s not your typical south of the border fare, try Peruvian. If you happen to be lucky enough to find an establishment as good as Andina you’ll like it even better.
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 3
Overall: 3.5
