Nazca Mochica has a bar downstairs and a restaurant located on the upper floor; where amazing flavors and textures from the Peruvian cuisine are present in every dish and paired with carefully selected wines to provide an exquisite dining atmosphere. Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.
For starters, we shared the Causitas - four little totems of baked whipped potatoes in aji amarillo sauce, with toppings of olives, chicken salad, cebiche, and piquillo pepper. These bites were delicious and a great way to start off the meal.
Of course, we also had to try the Cebiche Mixto with white seasonal fish, poached shrimp, poached calamari, sliced octopus, “Aji Limo”, “Aji Amarillo”, “Aji Rocoto”, Peruvian corn, cilantro, and sweet potato. The large chunks of raw fish were fresh and married nicely with the lime and peppers.
For his main dish, Keith chose the Lomo Saltado - beef tenderloin wok sautéed in soy sauce and sesame oil, with red onions, roma tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and served with homemade french fries and rice. This dish was decent and really reminded him of our trip to Peru.
I ordered the Pulpo a la Parilla - grilled octopus marinated in “Panca” pepper and olive mayo, served with sweet potato and Peruvian roasted corn. The octopus was very spicy and bit more tough than I like. Especially the smaller ends, which were very jerkey-like.
Overall, I appreciated the Peruvian ingredients with contemporary plating, but the execution of cooking needs improvement. The prices were also a bit high, but this did not seem to deter business as the dining room quickly filled up and was loud with happy diners.
Total Rating: 3.85
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5
