Three restaurants on the grid look at Peruvian cuisine through different lenses
Just two years ago, Sacramento had no Peruvian restaurants. Today, the city boasts three on the grid — each offering its own take on a cuisine shaped by centuries of global influence.
Peruvian cuisine integrates multiple international influences, most notably Chinese and Japanese, stemming from immigration across the Pacific in the 19th century.
Chinese-Peruvian cuisine is referred to as chifa, and can be seen in such dishes as lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry, and chaufa taypa, a fried rice dish.
Japanese-Peruvian cuisine is called nikkei. The country’s ceviches are most influenced by Japanese culture, as the fish is sliced on the bias in the style of sushi.
Peru’s ceviches aren’t marinated until served, resulting in a softer texture and less acidic flavor.
Chicha Peruvian Kitchen
Chicha officially opened its doors in September 2024, nearly three years after launching in Roseville in December 2021.
The name refers to the migration of Indigenous Andean people from the mountains to urban centers, forming a blended culture. This theme appears in the decor, which features colorful murals and photos of Chicha migrants.
Chicha serves several ceviches. Reading them on the menu, it can be hard to understand how they differ. The trio cevichero ($36) steps you through three versions, from the delicate anconero to the rich and almost curry-like chalaco.
Chef Giancarlo Zapata serves some of his own innovations alongside the traditional dishes, such as the mahi-mahi en menta negra ($33), grilled fish and vegetables made with a sauce made with a Peruvian herb known as huacatay.
Zapata comes from Lima, where he trained as a chef.
Chicha Peruvian Bistro
Address: 1501 16th St., midtown
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Phone: 916-573-3942
Website: chichaperuviankitchens.com
Vegetarian options: Vegetarian starters and mains are available.
Noise level: Moderate
Paititi Peruvian Bistro
The newest addition to the Peruvian scene, Paititi Peruvian Bistro quietly opened in September in the space previously occupied briefly by Hoptology and Tropics before that.
Their top-seller is the pollo a la brasa ($14.95-24.95), marinated chicken roasted in a coal-fired oven and served with a spicy, creamy green sauce. It draws people from a wide radius.
“A lot of people from Fresno or from Modesto come to Sacramento looking for pollo a la brasa,” manager Hector Greve said.
The lomo saltado ($34.95) was the best I tried, with tender strips of beef.
Chef Alfredo Vega leans into the Italian influences of Peruvian cuisine. Another popular dish is the tallarines verde con bistek ($31.95), a New York steak served on a bed of pasta dressed with a creamy pesto.
He also created a variety of thin-crust pizzas ($23.95-25.95) with toppings inspired by classic Peruvian dishes, sich as lomo saltado.
Paititi Peruvian Bistro
Address: 2001 J St., midtown
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Phone: 916-309-4903
Website: paititiperuvianbistro.com
Vegetarian options: The menu has an entire section with vegetarian dishes
Noise level: Moderate
Octopus Peru
One of the most recent in Ernesto Delgado’s portfolio of restaurants officially opened in April 2024.
Unlike his other concepts, it’s not a Mexican restaurant. Nor is it strictly Peruvian.
“I chose Peru because Peruvian ceviche is one of my favorites, and it’s the classic of the ceviches,” Delgado said.
They feature prominently in the menu, but Delgado takes diners on a journey, demonstrating their transition into Mexican culture, where they transformed.
“In Mexico, sometimes they’re made the day before, and they’re cured overnight. So that gives it a very different texture,” he said.
The ceviche tostada ($15.50) piles citrus-marinated fish on a crisp tortilla. There’s also an agua chile de camaron ($19.50), which while Mexican is made more like a Peruvian ceviche, tossed just before serving, and usually spicy.
One classic Peruvian dish uniquely being served at Octopus Peru is the plated causa ($17), a dish of cold mashed potato layered with tuna, avocado and egg.
It also comes as a causa sandwich ($14.50), the same ingredients stuffed into a fluffy roll. The soft textures and briny flavors are reminiscent of a French pan bagnat.
Octopus Peru
Address: 980 9th St., downtown
Hours: 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays
Phone: 916-724-2154
Website: octopusperu.com
Vegetarian options: Other than a few salads and the causas, the menu is very seafood-forward.
Noise level: Moderate
