Malabar Restaurant A Classic Peruvian Cooking At It’s Best

The Malabar restaurant is located in Lima’s financial, San Isidro district and is easy to reach by taxi.  It has been voted one of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America and has received many awards and recognitions from many magazines and country winners.

We only booked it two days before our dinner date, and we were able to get a table.

When we arrived at the Malabar Restaurant at 8pm, there were not many diners and the service was professional, warm, and friendly.  It seems the table were close to each other, however, when there were not many diners, the staff put other guests at two tables from us, to give us some space and privacy. The lighting inside is dim,  creating a cozy, and warm feeling, however, there were no flowers on the table.

The staff presented the menu and offered drinks, as soon as we were seated. This is a plus point in m  book.

There were no fixed menus at this establishment, and they only have an “ a la carte menu”. We asked the staff how many we should order, and how large were the portions.  The staff patiently explained that it is good to have one entry, one main, and one dessert.

It was a hard decision to choose which food selection to order since everything looked exciting and interesting.  Of course, we both were greedy and wanted to try as many selections as possible.  There is another word for greedy but sounds so much more exciting.

Finally, we ordered eight different types of dishes including dessert, plus bread, and waited eagerly like children ready to open Christmas presents. We were served a free snack that taste very light, and refreshing, and only served to increase our appetites.

Finally, the food arrived, and the portions were quite large for the entree.  My seared scallop was delicious, tasty, slightly spicy with herbs, and soooooo soft.  It was really delicious……ohhh Malabar Restaurant I am going to miss you!

The presentation of “Bonita tartar” which consists of quill eggs, beef, and crackers was interesting, and we were not sure, if we could eat the holder of the meat, and we had to clarify this with the staff.  The taste was also interesting, and surprisingly,  it did not taste or smell like beef.

The next dish was the fresh palm heart with tomatoes, bacon, and parmesan cheese.  It looked like a salad, however when eaten it tasted so soft like cotton candy..  Oh my….. it was really delicious, light, and it felt like I was flying since it caressed, touched my tongue, my mouth so smoothly, and give me a light head. My… what a wonderful experience.

The pigfish was not the best dish of the night (I forgave it because the rest of the dishes were wonderful). The meat had a strange texture, and it did not have much taste.  However, the fried pineapple accompanying the dish was very good.

Pan-roasted rabbit with peanut sauce dish gives more substance and appreciation for the full meal. But ..oh man…. I already missed the fresh palm heart!

My favorite dish of the month was duck cooked two ways, and it was very good.  The first was duck meat cooked classically and the meat was soft.  The sauce is very tasty and light accompanied by slightly crunchy vegetables.

The second duck serving was cooked with curry, served with rice, peanuts, and dates.  The meat was so tender that it melted in the mouth, and the rice was also delicious.

Lastly and what we were looking for was the dessert.  I ordered the cacao sample, and it was pure seduction and indulgence to the whole body,  soooo delicious.  The vanilla ice cream was refreshing.  The chocolate muffin and the truffle were made with dark chocolate, which I love.  Oh my,….. but alas, my partner ate my chocolate truffle, since his dessert was not as seductive as mine..

After our tea and coffee, plus petit four, I actually could not move…. I was too full and too greedy… and I wished the restaurant had a hotel room upstairs.

The final bill did not empty the wallet and we very much enjoyed this restaurant.  Will definitely be back here next year!  5* experience at the Malabar Restaurant!