Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar In Buenos Aires

Photo: Guía Óleo

One city in which Peruvian cuisine had a bit of a challenge in gaining a culinary foothold is Buenos Aires.

As Jorge Gobbi explained in his travel blog, Peruvian food in that city was initally seen as a cheap dining option, primarily found in mom-and-pop establishments geared more to the thousands of Peruvian immigrants who live and work in Buenos Aires.

Back in 2006, Gobbi wrote, "to become a gourmet option, Peruvian food needs to transform itself, both in its preparation and presentation, and refine itself to the elements of haute cuisine."

It appears that in the interim of the past couple of years, the Peruvian food boom has reached Buenos Aires, and there are now various high-end options for Peruvian food in the Argentine capital.

Photo: Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar

A recent review in the Buenos Aires daily, La Nación, features Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar, located in the Retiro district of the city.

Named after the Moche archaeological site in northern Peru, famous for the tomb of The Lord of Sipán, the La Nación note highlights the culinary trajectory of owner José Castro Mendivil, formerly of the Japanese Peruvian restaurant Osaka, and the Marriot Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Photo: Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar

The restaurant offers a full Nikkei Peruvian sushi bar, which also features the sashimi-like tiraditos, such as salmon in passion fruit, or octopus with a cilantro mayonnaise. Sipan also serves chifa, which is Peruvian-style Chinese food, as well as offering a wide variety of fine piscos, such as Biondi, Payet, Ocucaje, Queirolo, Centenario Najar and Gran Cruz.

Sipan was also mentioned by Clarín, another major Buenos Aires daily, which mentions the restaurant's decoration, focused around the color red "which represents the fusion of Peruvian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine as well as the rich cultural legacy of Peru, including the discovery of the tomb of the Lord of Sipan."

Photo: Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar

In the Buenos Aires restaurant guide, Guía Óleo, we found the following most-recent customer reviews of Sipan in the comments section:

"It's really been a while since I had truly enjoyed a meal in a restaurant in Buenos Aires, in a restaurant that breaks with the tradition of what we usually eat here (grilled meats, breaded steaks, and pastas) which eventually becomes routine. The pisco sour was magnificent, although expensive, and the flavor of the dishes was very delicious and different, as well having a good presentation."

"A low-key locale but very pleasant. The piscos are not only very good but help you relax to enjoy the good food. The menu is impeccable. There is a varied and well-balanced selection of dishes. It's hard to choose because quality and flavor are present in all the options. Desserts are worth a special mention. My dining companions happily enjoyed their suspiro limeño, while I had the tres leches, which was truly exquisite. The decoration is fine, but nothing out-of-this-world. I don't recommend it for romantic dinners."

"The food (tiradito and fried rolls) were excellent and this meal allowed us to escape from the routine and try a different cuisine from the traditional type found in Buenos Aires. The service and recommendations were very good. The dining area was very comfortable. I recommend it."

The blog, Cocineros Impunes, also has a review in Spanish of Sipan at this link.



Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar
Paraguay 624, corner of Florida
Retiro, Buenos Aires
Phone: 4315-0763
Website: Sipan Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar

Click here for the Peru Food main page.

TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana