Walking in the Cholos Peruvian Restaurant in Dickson, there’s an unusual feeling that greets first-time diners. It’s a feeling of walking into someone’s home: where ingredients might have been bought fresh from the market that morning; where the house is filled with the aroma of all-day cooking; where guests are welcomed with wide-open arms and food is the symbol of good times and happy memories
With a menu that celebrates the very best of Peruvian flavours with a firm focus on presenting authentic and traditional dishes – rather than modern or contemporary interpretations for a Western palate – a quick look through the offerings available makes it immediately obvious this is a place for eating and learning.
The Ceviche – a favourite found on many contemporary menus – is made from presented in a bed of lettuce half a cob of corn Peruvian popped corn. Forget the minimalist delivery of many versions found around town. This is a hearty and tasty serving, with sweet potato the traditional addition to take the heat out of the yellow chillies. Dive in and be amazed at how indulgent a delicate fish can be.
Carnivores will naturally gravitate towards the Anticuchos (Ox Heart.) A simply presented dish of thinly sliced heart that has been marinated in paprika and Aji Panca – a Peruvian yellow chilli that adds a gentle edge to the succulent meat. Combine this with the green coriander and chilli sauce, and you’ve got a dish that shows the best of what can be done with holistic cooking.
Giso des Alpaca is exactly what it sounds like. Alpaca is gently and slowly cooked in a style not dissimilar to a casserole. The result? Meat that falls apart at the barest hint of a fork, and is still slightly pink on the inside. Peruvians lover their carbohydrates, so creamy mashed potato and boiled rice are generously placed next to stewed carrots and green beans.
Pollo a la Brasa is the signature dish at Cholos. Smoked and charcoaled chicken is marinated before being cooked in an oven imported from Peru. The skin has the crispiness you’d expect from barbequed chicken however the flesh has lost none of its moisture. All the way down to the bone the spices and smoke flavour penetrates the meat
Desserts come with a selection of menu favourites or, if you are lucky enough, a couple of traditional dishes that appear on the night (be sure to ask the wait-staff if any treats are available!). Why not try the Arroz Zambito (rice pudding), made with chancaca, coconut milk and topped with palm sugar. Again, the carbs are inescapable, but so is the delicious flavour.
For something light, the Picarones (a light batter deep fried into a kind of fluffy donut) are fabulous – especially when dipped in the accompanying citrus syrup. Fun to share around the table, these started as one of those ‘occasional’ dishes from the kitchen but, due to their increasing popularity, have become a mainstay of the menu.
With dinner done its time to regretfully depart and leave your newfound home. Walking back out on to Challis Street returns you to the stark reality that you are still in Canberra. With new friends left behind (along with a collection of empty plates) it’s time to make plans to return once again, back to that family table.
Nos vemos pronto amigos!
