The food

There is a variety of offerings at El Peruanito and ones to suit all palettes / levels of adventure.

Anticuchos (£6)
If you want to be really authentic though, I’d go for the classic Peruvian street food dish, anticuchos (skewered meats). These are traditional made from ox heart. While some of the less daring of you may think this sounds horrendous, it isn’t actually like your usual offal, in that it is really meaty in texture and taste. I’d most liken it to steak, but maybe a little rarer in taste and a tad tougher in texture. Most definitely a good option for those with a keen appetite for red meat. Alternatively you can order chicken anticuchos – which are cooked in the same delicious aji panca marinade and literally melt in your mouth. If you can’t decide, why not have one of each? These are served up with Andean Choclo Corn – the biggest damn corn on the cob you will ever see in your life and with a really filling and different texture; grilled baby potatoes; Salsa Criolla – red onion salsa; and topped with huancaina and huacatay – green and yellow chilli sauces, which are both fresh and creamy tasting, with just a little throat-warming kick (suitable even for spice weaklings like my friend and company for the evening Alex). You can also add rice for an extra 50p!

Aji de Gallina (£6)
This dish is a hearty portion of pulled chicken, smothered in the yellow chilli sauce and served up on a bed of rice. It’s creamy, it’s fresh and it’s so delicious. This makes an awesome lunchtime dish.

Papa a la Huancaina (£5)
For those of you who prefer to steer clear of meat, this one’s for you. All of the tasty components that come with the anticuchos, but veggie-friendly. 

Giant Andean Corn (4)
You might be looking at this thinking there is no way they can be charging £4 for a corn on the cob … well … just check out the size of it! These cobs are massive and the texture of them, which is much denser than the corn we are used to, makes them so filling. Dare you to try and eat a whole one!

The Peruvian Burger (£6)
If you’d rather go for something a little more familiar, the El Peruanito also offers a fabulous burger option. This is a chunky beef burger, topped with the Salsa Criolla (red onion salsa), the yellow and green chilli sauces and potato chips (like Chip Stick crisps) – potatoes mean a lot in Peru! Who said burgers need to be boring?

Inca Kola (£2)
If  you have a sweet tooth then this little treat is most definitely for you! Similar in taste to a cream soda, this crazy Peruvian drink is luminous yellow and full of sugary stuff … but … it does taste good and is rather addictive. We’d recommend sharing one to minimise the sugar intake a little. 

The story

Liz and Adolfo met in Chile in 2010, Adolfo although Peruvian, was living there and Liz was studying there. The two of them hit it off and their relationship began. Liz told us more about their adventure in her own words:

Ever since I’ve known him he’s been passionate about food and cooking and always cooked me Peruvian dishes, we then went to Peru and I saw for myself how delicious it was. That was at a time when Peruvian gastronomy was practically unheard of in the UK and we had the idea of bringing it here and starting our business, however it was only 2013 when Adolfo moved to the UK that it could be a reality. Peruvian food is now really getting some attention, certainly in London with about 3 restaurants opening in 2012. Then, in September this year, the opportunity arose to start our own street food business and so we jumped at the chance of making a 4 year dream a reality and can’t wait to expand share with everyone authentic Peruvian food made with traditional recipes!

The business has only been going for a couple of months, but they are already doing fantastically and have really perfected some great dishes. Please support our friends and visit them at markets and festivals over the coming months – you won’t regret it! 

How to find them

The website is currently under construction, so for now keep up-to-date with them on Twitter @ElPeruanitoUK

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