Tradiciones Peruanas

Following the excellent first experience I had when I went to Tradiciones Peruanas, I went back, and was thoroughly disappointed.
This time, I got my order to go, and when I got back home hungry to eat it, I was super disappointed to find out that EVERYthing was over salted. And I dont mean a tiny bit over salted, I mean extremely, inedibly, over-​salted. We had ordered the fish with onions and tomatoes and chicken fried rice. Both of them were not only over salty, but also extremely oily. We ended up cooking at home and dumping 30 bucks worth of food down the drain. Maybe you don’t feel the saltynes and the oiliness as much when you are so overcome by the magnificent experience of are eating Peruvian for the first time ever!
One other complaint is the price. This place is extremely expensive given the ambiance, and the neighborhood. I explore Peruvian restaurants quite a bit after the first time I ate here, and every where I went, the presentation and the food quality was far superior, and I paid the same or even lesser.
Oh, and the Peruvian cookies, yes, they are good, but you can buy them at a store for 3 bucks for 10, while you will be paying 3 bucks for 2 at the restaurant.
It will take a lot to drag me back to this place.

Sad news. Restaurant is closing May 31. Yep, that’s next week. Last Chance for great Peruvian food.

I love Peruvian food (being half Peruvian) and I always look out for local Peruvian restaurants. This place is what you might call a «hole in the wall», and that’s pretty accurate when it comes to the location.
But the food is top notch, authentic Peruvian cuisine. The chef was also the waiter, and he was the only staff in the place. But he seems to be a pro when it comes to Peruvian cooking.
We ordered a «Cebiche Mixto» (as it is spelled on the menu) and he asked if we wanted it spicy. I said yes, and he said «Are you sure? It’s pretty spicy.» When it came out, it had a decent amount of kick to it, but was very flavorful and quite delicious. It might be a bit spicy for some, but for us it was just right.
The main course for me was the Arroz con Mariscos, and it was absolutely amazing. The Picante de Mariscos, which my co-​worker ordered, also looked delicious and his review was in agreement.
I’m definitely going back. Even though the ambiance is virtually non-​existent, the food more than makes up for it. A++.

3.5 Stars! Yep, Lomo Saltado is very tasty. It’s like a very well sauté beef and broccoli dish, but replace the broccoli with french fries and a side of rice. I could not stop eating this thing until every last bit was gone from my plate. Going back for the Arroz con Mariscos (seafood fried rice) next!

Really good authentic Peruvian food. The restaurant is simplistic, but the food is amazing.
The ceviche was slightly different than I’ve had before. The seasoning was heavier and spicier. I got the tacu tacu de carne, which came in a huge portion. It’s a piece of grilled steak over a huge portion of well seasoned and sauteed rice and beans. Also comes with a side of marinated tomato and onion salsa. The arroz con mariscos also looked really good.
Apparently the chef will make items off menu, if you know what to look for. Great place to try out different Peruvian dishes that are probably not available at other places!

–Food was good
–Could have better customer service. We were not greeted and stood around for a minute and were not sure to sit down or order at the counter with menus in our hands.
–Used a $ 10 gift certificate from
.

5 stars for food! 1 star for an ambiance.
Was passing by the sign on a side of the street multiple times, once I stopped by, there was a sign on a door «will be back in 15 min» after 30 minutes waiting I left to eat somewhere else.
I finally made it there. I was really skeptical when i walked in t empty restaurant (except chef/​server and his I believe girlfriend at the table watching soap opera in Spanish).
Red table cloths were stained and not appetizing already, I almost walked out, but the chef was super friendly and nice, I decided to give it a try, and I am happy that I did.
Chef doesn’t speak much English, Spanish mostly, but board on a wall has pictures and menu has translations and descriptions.
If you are all about service and ambiance, order to-​go. Ask for a rocotto salsa, if you like spicy.
THE BEST cebiche!
THE BEST Lomo Saltado!
Beef heart was good
Really good Chicha Morada (red corn drink)

Unfortunately my last visit was unpleasant. I walked in to the music so loud that my date and I could not hold a conversation without shouting. The waitress could not take the hint after the third time she said «What?» either.
The table cloth was absolutely filthy at our table, and we saw more than one cockroach stop by to see what was on the menu.
It seemed at every table there was a different family member hanging out watching t.v. Brings a whole new meaning to «family style restaurant». No big deal, but I thought I might be outnumbered if I asked the music to be turned down.
The fried calimari was delish. The rest of the food was not as good this time and the temperatures were off. My date’s chicken was overcooked and flavorless. I had questionable substances in my paella style dish, but overall it was good. It really could of used salt, but there was no s&p shakers at any of the tables…

So my wife purchased a coupon for this restaurant so that we could try it out. I am half Peruvian and she is always on the lookout for me. Plus she really loves papa la huancaina. Anyways the first time we went it was closed. According to Unilocal it should have been opened but was not. That annoyed me. A week or two later my wife suggested we give it another try. I told her that if that it was not open this time I would not go back. So you can say I did not have the best attitude at that point. Success, it was open.
We ordered the papa, a chupe de marisco and some tallarines verdes (for our daughters) also, I got the lomo which I usually use as a gauge on how good a place may be.
The food was fantastic and unlike most Peruvian restaurants that are popping up, this was not fusion Peruvian food but authentic stuff (hence the name). Truth be told I was not that hungry when I got there but could not stop eating. The food just reminded me of eating at home growing up.
After our meal we met the Chef, Freddy (also known as Lobo). We talked for a good 45 minutes and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Next thing I know he is showing my wife how to make the huancaina sauce from scratch as well as some other things. Great first impression!
If you are looking for traditional Peruvian food I could not recommend this place more. I am not one to be inspired to write a review but this place deserves it and Lobo deserves the business. I will be back soon, and will be bringing my parents for some good Peruvian food.

Went back to Tradiciones Peruanas last Saturday night for more deliciouness.
I am peruvian, born and raised, and can be a bit picky when it comes to peruvian restaurants. But so far, i have found this place to be excellent.
Last Saturday we tried the Sopa a la Minuta, i was craving a sopita because it was a cold and rainy day. Felipe, the cheff, made it to perfection. It was delicious and very satisfying. My companion ordered the pulpo al olivo, which was fresh and yummy. It was his first time trying it and he loved it. He also ordered a tiradito and anticucho, he is quite the expert on these 2 dishes now. The tiradito was fresh and had the perfect balance of sour/​spiciness. It was excellent. The anticucho was very good too, good size portion.
We will for sure continue to come back to Tradiciones Peruanas. It’s not a fancy restaurant and they do not serve fusion stylye peruvian food. But it’s more like homemade, like what peruvians usually eat back in Lima. It’s a small place, clean and with friendly service.
If you’re peruvian you will love this place and you will find a bit of Perú in these dishes. If you have never tried peruvian food, come check this place out. There are dishes that are not easy to find anywhere else (pulpo al olivo, sopa a la minuta, cau cau de mariscos).
Delicioso!

The best ive ever had. Arroz con mariscos was delicious. Good happy service. I took a menu home, and next time i will ask about the $ 6.95 lunch special = main dish, drink + tax, sounds perfect!

Warning: Owner/​chef/​wait staff do not speak English. Having a Spanish speaker amongst you is to your advantage. :) But they’re really nice and sweet anyway. Also, delectable fooood! Chef told us that this is traditional Peruvian food, which you probably won’t find in Peru cos it’s all fusion nowadays.
Anyway, we were the only ones for a while and it was a Saturday night! Just as well though, food came for us in about 10−15mins. Then they went on to serve the next couple who arrived.
We also noted they have really good deals for lunch — $ 6.95 for entrees!
Medium spicy ceviche had a good kick to it. Delicious! Came with cancha (corn nuts) in a creamy looking sauce — didn’t taste very creamy, and red onions, and sweet potato (yum! love sweet potato). $ 13.50
Arroz con mariscos — $ 14.95. Unfortunately, no prawns for us cos a friend is allergic to prawns. Tons of mussels/​calamari though! A bit like fried rice, with carrots peas and corn. LOVE the sweetness of those added veges. I think there were some red pepper strips too.
Lomo Saltado — $ 12.95. Gd rec by fellow Unilocalers! Tender beef strips, deliciously caramelized onions and i LOVED the potatoes. Sort of like fries, but not deep fried [although. the description says french fries so hmm… dunno]. And with yummy sauce. I am a huge fan of sauces. Maybe it’s an Asian/​Chinese food thing.
Use
certificates! Very worth it :) Well, it still came up to $ 10−11/head for 3 people, but better than nothing!

food was soo good. Got the mussels appetizer which was probably the best thing we ate. hubby got the lomo saltado. great sauce! and got the arroz con marisco. both were really generous portions and great tasting.
next time i want to try some soup!

Holy mole, the food is awesome here! We were a bit skeptical as we approached the strip mall restaurant with not a great deal of foot traffic but our meals were incredible.
Hubs had the arroz con marisco which is essentially a sea food paella. Wonderfully, subtely flavored with tender bites of seafood. The bomb was my pescadero al macho (I know I’m screwing up the name) but it had flavors that I’ve never experienced before and was ambrosia to my palate. It was flavored intensely with seasoning and not salt.
Our chef/​owner was so humble and gracious.
I thought it a bit pricey for lunch farebut the food was simply incredible and if it was located anywhere more gentrified that this locale, the price would double and deservedly so, so I shant complain and will happy drag my fat ass there regularly.

Yeah, I burned my mouth on the soup. How do restaurants get food so freakishly hot?
We ordered the fish soup with cilantro flavoring and the beef steak dinner togo. The portions were huge. The soup was a little salty and could have used more rice. But I semi-​homemade it for dinner!
Take the soup, pour the contents into a medium saucepan. Add about half a cup of cooked rice and half a cup of water. Bring the contents up to boil. Add half a cup of chopped tomato and half a diced onion. Bring to boil over medium heat. Take soup off the heat and garnish with some plain non-​fat greek yogurt, juice from 1 lime, and some Belizean hot sauce. DELICIOUS.
The beefsteak was for Phil who ate it with gusto. He gave me a small taste. It was pretty delicious.
In the end, it just needs to scale back a little bit on the salt and add some citrus to brighten the flavors. Everything else is already there. But just a little lime garnish would bring this up to perfection.

This place is so yummy its not event funny! i come all the way from San Jose to eat in the Peruvian place since its the best around the bay area hands down.
I come on Wednesday to get the special witch is chicken dish– aji de gallina witch is delicious.
I also love the lomo saltado dish that is freak in good. the prices are very fair and the owner is a really nice guy.
The only tip I have to go her is to bring a translator that speaks Spanish to help you order =)

Just came back from the best Peruvian dinner that I have had here in the Bay Area. The owner/​chef «Lobito» seated us right away and even though it was 30 min from closing, he didn’t hesitate to offer us entrée after entrée and sit and chat with us. We stayed late reminiscing about Peruvian cuisine among other things and felt completely at home.
The food was delicious. We ordered the ceviche mixto, anticuchos, choros a la chalaca (mussels with delicious dressing on top), arroz chaufa, and the house salad. Everything was cooked to perfection… the ceviche mixto was savory and made to order depending on how spicy you wanted it. The choros were as well made to order and I especially liked the dressing which was acidic but not overpowering. The anticuchos were tasty and did not have an iron-​y taste like some tend to have. We had anticuchos of beef heart and chicken (pollo). And the house salad was not your typical house salad but rather a savory mixture of greens and dressing topped with a kalamata olive.
I would definitely come back here again and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Peruvian cuisine and is looking for authentic flavors.

The FOOD easily earns 5 stars! The Chef is a MASTER of Peruvian food. He is known as «El Lobo» and moved to this location this year. We followed him from his previous restaurant in Sunnyvale. It took us some time to find him, but we are glad we did. The place is still under renovation, but it has what it is needed to have the OMG food experience of your life.
Going back to the food, Lomito Saltado is the best I have tried from all the peruvian restaurants in the bay area. Fish Ceviche gets a big WOW! and a huge YUM… and just yesterday I tried the Arroz con Mariscos (Seafood rice). It was cooked to perfection and with the right condiments. It was not too juicy or to dry, and it didn’t have that overwhelming taste. When you come here, you just don’t need salt and pepper on your table. I also recommend Papa a la Huancaina.
Master Lobo is really passionate about cooking and will prepare your food at the moment you order it.
Buen Provecho!

It was my dad’s birthday, so he picked this place. it is located in a random plaza. we met up with the other half of the party because my dad picked me up from the airport. my sister (part of the other half of the party) arrived first and told me she was scared to go in because there was absolutely no one in the restaurant at 6:30pm on a thursday night. Kind of sketchy. but we decide to suck it up and head on in. we ordered ceviche, pulpo asado, arroz con mariscos, pescado, bistek. the steak was not good. it was over cooked and a bit dry. the seafood rice was yummy & ceviche was good! the fish was alright. i liked how they had fresh guanabana juice here! the items are hit or miss. i enjoyed my meal, but i don’t know if i would go out of my way to come back.

The food was actually quite good, which makes it such a shame that the service was bullshit.
This update would be more detailed if I had more time… you know, time that I didn’t spend sitting there with nothing but a bowl of stale corn nuts and watered down punch that tasted like it was spiked with a packet of spiced cider mix.
For the sake of saying something positive, I’ll talk about food. This is known to be a seafood place, but I actually liked the meat dishes better. Meat, onions, sauce, and french fries are not normally something I would expect to find on a plate outside of a burger joint, but somehow it went well together, and more so over rice. Yum!
To be fair, I’ll go back (probably with fewer people) and update accordingly when they’re not ridiculously busy. I won’t fault the solitary cook, but they are definitely understaffed in more ways than one.