Papa a la huancaina is sliced boiled yellow potato served cold under a thick sauce of queso fresco, aji amarillo, evaporated milk and crackers, garnished with olive and egg.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Named for Huancayo in the central Andes; the dish emerged in the late 19th century along the central railway between Lima and the Mantaro valley. The cracker thickener replaced bread; aji amarillo and queso fresco give the canonical yellow sauce. Now a Sunday lunch starter across criolla Lima rooms; El Bolivariano, Isolina and La Choza Nautica run the most-cited versions in the city.
Common allergens: Dairy, Gluten
Tip from the editors. The sauce should be the consistency of thick yoghurt. If thin, add a cracker; if thick, thin with a splash of milk.
El Bolivariano on Pasaje Santa Rosa in Pueblo Libre Lima is a criolla institution in a republican casona, far quieter than the Miraflores tourist axis.
Why locals goA republican casona in mid-city Pueblo Libre, off the Miraflores-Barranco tourist axis, with criolla tradition dating to the 1780s.
TipOpen from 07:30 for breakfast tamales; Sunday lunch is the family-table service.
Isolina at Av San Martin 101 in Barranco is Jose del Castillo's 2015 criolla taberna, a tribute to his mother Isolina Vargas and her Lima home cooking.
OrderThe tacu tacu with steak and a portion of the carretillero ceviche.
TipWeekend brunch service runs 09:00-11:00 before the regular lunch carta.
Cosme at Calle Tudela y Varela 162 in San Isidro is chef James Berckemeyer's comfort-Peruvian room, opened 2015 after training under Gaston Acurio.
OrderThe chef's tasting plates, anchored by the modern aji de gallina and the beef tartare.
Book1 week ahead
TipSunday lunch is the easier reservation; closed for dinner Sunday.
Astrid y Gaston at Casa Moreyra in San Isidro is the 1994 flagship of Gaston Acurio and Astrid Gutsche, in a 17th-century San Isidro hacienda from 2014.
OrderThe tasting menu, anchored by the cuy pekines, Peking-style guinea pig.
Book4 weeks ahead
TipClosed Mondays; the patio of the hacienda is the seat to request when booking.
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