Mestizo is Adelaide’s first Peruvian restaurant, and its literal translation means “mixed race” which is a reflection of its rich multicultural history.

Peruvian cuisine is a culmination of local practices and ingredients, with influences from it’s indigenous population, Europe (Spanish, Italian, German), Asia (China, Japan) and West Africa. When immigrants first came to Peru, they didn’t have access to many ingredients that were available in their homeland. This actually forced them to modify their dishes with ingredients that were available locally, and this included staples such as corn, potatoes, quinoa and beans. Of course, the Spanish introduced their own staples, such as rice, wheat and meat, and the whole melting pot of nationalities and available ingredients, resulted in a fusion cuisine.

Like Peru, we also live in a diverse society, and we’re lucky enough to be able to experience food from many different cultures right at our doorstep. When my friend first told me that a Peruvian restaurant had opened up in Glenelg, it was a chance to be adventurous and try something new. Similar to what you have at a tapas bar, the menu comprises of a selection of small dishes and items slightly larger than the small dishes (not mains but somewhere in between). The aim is for all dishes to be shared so that customers have the opportunity to try everything.

There’s definitely a modern South American feel to this professionally done, house to restaurant conversion. The patterned cushions and the small wall hung rugs make this place feel a bit more traditional. The open kitchen area is definitely a highlight, where you can examine the cleanliness, and see the cooks prepare the meals. The use of timber is quite prominent and natural earthy colours are common throughout. With bar stools, normal seating, leather sofas and flat sofas, there are many ways to get yourself comfortable while enjoying your meal. One of the benefits of it actually being a house conversion is that they’ve retained the windows on the side of the building. This means there is natural light coming in from two directions making this place feel light and airy.

Originally, my friend and I were going to have a small dish and a slightly larger small dish each, but when the meals finally came out after a long 30 minute wait, we noticed an inconsistency in the larger small dish sizes. Her larger small dish was sufficient for her as a main meal, while my larger small dish was like a normal small dish. In the end, we both agreed that I would have two small dishes and one slightly larger small dish.

My first small dish was the Papa Rellena, which is a fried stuffed potato with beef mince, Botija olives and Aji Amarillo (yellow chilli pepper) sauce. This dish was indeed a small dish and could be easily consumed with two bites. The beef mince was well seasoned and was very similar to an empanada filling. It’s then moulded around soft delicate mash potato before being deep fried to create a  nice crispy exterior. The heat level and the fruitiness in the Aji Amarillo was very subtle as all I could taste was the seasoned beef mince.

My second small dish was the Asado De Carne, which is a slow cooked beef slider with Aji Panca (chilli pepper) sauce. The beef was lean, tender and succulent and there was a subtle smokey and fruity flavour in the sauce. Like the last dish, this one was also small, however, this required a few more bites to finish.

My slightly larger small dish was the Seco De Carne, which is a beef guiso in coriander and beer sauce. It came with a side of steamed yucca. The beef guiso is a variation of a classic Mexican casserole which usually consists of tomatoes, onions and capsicum. In this case, it looks like they’ve added coriander and beer. The beef was tender and succulent, and the seasoning was very subtle. The steamed yucca was like a fibrous, bitter, sticky potato and was not very nice at all.

My friend had the Chicharron De Pejerrey, which is fried garfish with chalaca salsa, fried sweet potato and a rocoto aioli. Out of all the dishes that we ordered, this one was the highlight, and sadly, it wasn’t mine.

The fish was soft and delicate, and fried in a light crisp batter. The chalaca salsa consists of red onion, tomatoes, corn kernels and rocoto. It’s then dressed with lime, olive oil and white wine. What you end up with a very refreshing salsa with a nice kick to it from the spicy rocoto pepper.

When you come here, it’s obvious that the staff know their menu back to front, and they’re happy to explain whats on offer as well as make suggestions. I thought the service was good at the beginning, but the longer we were there, the more inattentive the staff became. Apart from our meals taking too long to arrive, drinks stopped being refilled and there was no table water readily available.

I’m not a big fan of tapas because it involves spending a lot of money in order to get a decent feed. The small dishes (costing $6-$7) are designed as serving sizes for one, while the slightly larger small dishes (costing $14-$19) are more appropriate for sharing. While I can’t comment on the authenticity of the dishes, I thought the meals that I ordered were small in size (even my slightly larger small dish was small!) and average in taste. My friend’s dish, on the other hand, was tasty and of an adequate serving size.

For those who are adventurous about their food and want to try new things, this place will be a bit of a novelty. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost, as the food is a bit hit and miss, and you certainly don’t get your money’s worth.

WHERE: 114 Partridge St, Glenelg South