Peru: Victor Victoria

As mentioned, I recently took a trip to Peru, visiting the Amazon area, Cusco, and Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes… follow along as I show you everything I ate on my amazing trip!

Following our drinks/snack at Trotamundos Cafe, HBBF led the way to another place mentioned in the guidebook – Victor Victoria.  As we wended our way through the narrow streets, night fell, and we had a little trouble finding it.  Outside many restaurants – particularly those that cater to tourists – people stood, trying to ‘lure’ people into the restaurant itself by telling passersby, “Set menu, really cheap, good food” and other assorted hooks.  Think Little India in New York City, but with every restaurant on nearly every block.  As we neared Victor Victoria, not finding it, HBBF finally asked one of these people talking up their own restaurant if he could tell us where Victor Victoria is.  The man obliged, pointing about a half block away without further comment (it was literally right there, if we’d just kept going, we’d have seen it); I mention this because I thought that was pretty nice of him.  In NYC, I wouldn’t be surprised if one such person pointed us in the wrong direction, or started trash-talking the restaurant we asked for directions to.  Maybe I’m just wrong or cynical or perhaps it was because the restaurant was literally on the same block, but a bit further down; maybe they knew each other… but I thought this was really nice. 

Inside Victor Victoria was brightly lit and very clean.  I thought this sign hanging up was interesting.  I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be an Incan and a Mayan trading goods, or if one of them represents the Spanish.  As I learned on this trip, there is a lot of hatred and resentment running from the Incans or those with a lot of Incan blood towards the Spanish-descended in Peru.  I probably shouldn’t be surprised, but I’m constantly surprised by the resentment that exists in certain countries; I suppose because I live in the United States and I don’t witness much residual anger or bitterness towards England for our colonial days. 

The menu was fairly simple in looks, and we were all able to decide quickly. 

Hard dinner rolls with butter balls – the butter balls, I was beginning to realize, were common at restaurants in Peru.  Not sure why – they look cute, perhaps? 

Most meals/entrees came with ‘a serving at the salad bar’ – they request that you don’t abuse the salad bar and only take what you can eat, which is fair.  Fresh veggies appeared to be abundant here, which pleased me – I’d been dying from lack of fresh veggie matter (and dearly miss my CSA, since I’ve missed the first 3 weeks’ pickups by now).   

Of course, when I went over to get my serving, it turned out most of the vegetables were cooked already.  My friends informed me that fresh veggies were in short supply in Peru, because the water isn’t quite safe to drink, so simply washing your veggies and eating (especially for those that are not Peruvian) can lead to upset stomachs and the like.  Therefore, cooking them quickly or even for extended periods of time seemed to be the popular method of dealing with that… In any case, the bit of salad I had was tasty and appreciated.  The guacamole was really good (I love avocadoes, and avocadoes here appeared to be extra buttery and delicious), and the tray of roasted beets?  Totally awesome.  BF didn’t want any, but I thought the small plate was a perfect appetite opener for the coming meal. 

HB ordered the chiclayana chicken, or chicken cooked with yellow spicy rice and veggies, also – as the menu proclaims – “typical chicken rice – give it a try!!!”  The rice wasn’t particularly spicy, though it was heavily spiced – very flavorful, and the chicken pieces hid underneath the rice.  HB liked this dish quite a bit (I only tried some of the rice).  At 15 sols for the dish, we didn’t think this was expensive, but we also didn’t know better…

HBBF ordered the steak montado, or – from the menu – “steak 150gr, fried egg, fries and rice” – for 14 sols.  The rice is underneath the fried egg.  Doesn’t this remind you of a dish HB and I had in the Amazon?  Considering how thin the steak was, I don’t believe there was an option for ‘medium rare’ or anything, but at the end of the day, it’s meat, fried egg (both HBBF and I prefer our eggs with runny yolks), rice and fries.  I’m pretty sure HBBF enjoyed this sufficiently. 

BF and I weren’t super hungry just yet, so we opted to share a dish, which he allowed me to choose.  Being a glutton for punishment (read: I love fat and deep fried foods), I ordered the chicharron cusqueno de cerdo, or deep fried pieces of pork seasoned with lots of cumin and garlic for 18 sols.  I don’t know about “lots” of cumin, but damn, this awful picture does a poor job of showing off the chunks of pork, the thick strip of fat left on the bone with the meat, and the ultra deliciousness of the meat.  BF hates eating fat (yes, I know!), but he consented to eat a little piece of this with a big piece of meat and really enjoyed it – the salty creaminess of the fat just mmm that’s where all the flavor is, really.  This dish actually reminded both HB and I of a dish we’d shared at the Red Hook Ball Fields – except better, much better.  The meat was tender enough to bite through easily, and the fat brought it to a new level of awesome, of course.  The giant corn on the cob – I haven’t yet found the name for it, but this is not sweet corn, the common corn that is found all over the United States; this is extremely starchy and not sweet at all (I’ve actually eaten this in New York, at a Peruvian restaurant, coincidentally) – is what it is, and while I ate a few kernels, I’m not all that fond of it unless it’s soaked in lime juice and mixed with other things (which is how I’ve eaten it, mixed into ceviche usually).  BF was less pleased with my meal choice than I was, but it was fine since I was more hungry than he, and I wasn’t even that hungry – the fatty goodness of the pork went mostly untouched because I hit the wall fast eating all that fat. 

Overall, a great meal shared with friends: inexpensive to our eyes and yummy. 
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