Victoria's Peruvian Cuisine, Lantana, Florida

Opened in March 2008, Victoria's is making its mark by word of mouth. It is located on the southeast corner of Dixie Highway and Ocean Ave, just over the train tracks, in the Lantana Center Plaza. A large Peruvian flag flaps over the restaurant marking the entrance to the best Peruvian food in southern Palm Beach County.

The owner Julio Leon comes from a long line of Peruvian cooks. His family has a restaurant -- called El Cristal -- in the town of Trujillo, just north of Lima, Peru. They have been in the food service business for three generations.

Mr. Leon worked for 19 years at a steakhouse in Hagensville, New York, before moving to South Florida to open Victoria's Peruvian Cuisine. He aimed to serve gourmet food at affordable prices. When he first opened, his food was more Americanized. He thought that was what people wanted, but when customers requested more traditional Peruvian dishes, he accommodated. He now imports chili peppers and other spices from Peru to create authentic flavors.

Victoria's makes every dish fresh as it is ordered. Sometimes the dishes take a little longer than expected, so it's good to order an appetizer while waiting for the main course.

Entering the brightly lit restaurant with overhead fans, the first noticeable feature is the bright green walls decorated with mirrors and memorabilia from Trujillo. The room is filled with beige and burgundy - clothed glass topped tables. There are two flat screen TVs at either end of the room playing Peruvian videos, a counter at the back for to-go orders, and a fridge to one side filled with South American beers and sodas.

We went in for dinner and were greeted by Luis Gutierrez, the owner's step son, with a smile that could light the way through a dark tunnel. He thanked us for coming in and handed us the menu saying if we had any questions, to please ask him.

A complementary bowl of Cancha Corn (roasted corn kernels) came to the table while we were deciding what to order. The corn tasted like fully popped popcorn.

I wanted to try Victoria's Chicha Morada ($1.75), a drink made from purple corn, lime juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pineapple juice and a splash of apple. Their version had the expected dark purple color, like beet juice, with amazingly flavorful: sweet, sour, spicy and delicious. Luis said they pressed the corn everyday and waited to the last moment to add the lime juice so it wouldn't become stale.

For appetizers, we ordered Ensalada Mixta ($5.45), a salad, and Anticuchos ($8.95) which was like a Peruvian shish kabob, made with beef heart. The salad, made with curly leaf lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, cucumber and red onions came with a creamy salad dressing. The avocados were very flavorful as were the tomatoes, like they were fresh picked. There was enough for three people.

The Anticuchos, a favorite of many patrons--according to Luis--included six wooden skewers of beef heart, marinated with Peruvian spices before cooking. There was also a slice of steamed sweet potato, and a generous helping of large kernelled white corn. The heart was very tender with a slight smoky flavor. The white corn was surprisingly sweet with a slight chewy texture. An orange colored spicy chili paste accompanied the dish.

For the main courses we ordered Ceviche Mixto ($12.95), fish and other seafood marinated in lime juice, and Lomito Saltado ($10.95) made with sautéed beef. Ceviche is a dish where seafood is cooked in a lime or lemon juice instead of over a flame in a pot. Victoria's was very fresh and succulent without a hint of fishiness. The lime marinade was further enhanced with garlic, cilantro, and sliced red onion. The dish came with large slices of cold boiled sweet potato, yuca, and large kernelled white rice.

The Lomito Saltado came with a large piece of sautéed steak dressed with a Peruvian soy sauce, tomato and red onion sauce, over top of a sea of French fries. According to Luis, a good quality strip steak was used for the dish. All the prep made for an extremely tender and flavorful dish.

For dessert we ordered Helado Lacuma ($2.75), an ice cream made with a fruit that grows in Peru. It came in a Sunday glass with two spoons. At first it was hard to figure out what it tasted like then it came to us-butterscotch!

We are now regulars and each time we go, Victoria's always has something new to try. Mr. Leon likes to keep his customers happy so next season he plans to have a completely authentic Peruvian menu. We plan to be there for it.

Victoria's also delivers: east to the ocean, west to Congress Avenue, north to 6^th Avenue, and south to Hypoluxo Road.

Located:
111 S. Third St., Lantana, FL 33462
Phone: 561-588-9606

Hours:
Tues. to Thurs., from 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday, from 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday, from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday, from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Closed Mondays

Source: http://compendium.travelvice.com/peruvian-choclo-maiz-corn/