A First Taste of Lima

I arrived in Lima that afternoon and went almost directly to a food-tasting tour. The idea was simple: sample a wide range of Peruvian specialties, including fresh tropical fruit and an assortment of unfamiliar snacks.

That was also my introduction to ceviche, one of Peru’s defining dishes. At the time, I knew little about it beyond the bowl in front of me: pale raw fish, sliced onion, a few green leaves, and a sharp citrus marinade. I later learned just how celebrated ceviche is. My own reaction was less enthusiastic. The acidity and raw onion were simply more intense than I enjoyed, and I did not think to take a photograph.

Next we visited a Chinese-Peruvian restaurant. In Peru, restaurants of this tradition are generally known as chifas. The cuisine grew from Chinese migration more than a century ago, and the name is commonly linked to the Chinese phrase chi fan—“to eat a meal”—adapted into local pronunciation.

The chef was not Chinese, but he handled the wok with confidence and prepared beef in a thick sauce. It reminded me of Panda Express. Compared with the Chinese cooking I knew, the beef seemed to have spent a little too long over the heat.

While moving through the city that afternoon, we also stopped at a well-known area for street art. This was the piece that stood out to me.

That evening I went to Juanito, one of Barranco’s most characteristic old bars. Juan Casusol founded it in 1937, and over time it became a gathering place for writers, artists, and the neighborhood’s bohemian community. Its exterior remains remarkably discreet, with barely a sign, and the Casusol family still runs it. The founder was known as Juanito—“little Juan,” using the affectionate Spanish diminutive.