Pio Pio!

Pio Pio? I asked the waiter if the name of the restaurant means anything in Spanish. Through his thick Peruvian accent he told me, “No, it’s just a name.” I could have very well been walking into a small, low lit, and intimate restaurant in the heart of Lima, Peru. The walls are adorned with traditional Peruvian art against the exposed brick walls in its upper west side location at 94th and Amsterdam.

Pisco Sour is traditional Peruvian drink that was recommended to me, but looking around I noticed everyone had a pitcher of Sangria on the table, so I decided to stick with the trend. Sipping the sweet Sangria, I could have sworn it was juice, but heed warning, it will quickly prove not to be juice. I started with Sebiche. This is a white fish that is stored in limejuice for a period of time and the acid from the lime actually cooks the fish. It creates a unique taste and texture than that of sushi.

My main course was Picante de Camarones, which basically means spicy shrimp. When the plate was placed in front of me, I was a bit disappointed. For $20 I got eight pieces of small shrimp covered in a spicy sauce, and a scoop of quinoa with spinach and goat cheese in the center. The sauce could have been a bit spicier and I would have a like a few more shrimp, but the quinoa did a decent job of suppressing my appetite.

Pio Pio offered delicious Peruvian cuisine, but some dishes were a bit pricy for what you get. I wouldn’t make this a regular stop, but if I’m ever in the mood for deep fried mashed potato’s and Pisco Sour’s, this will be the place to come.