Colourful, fun setting to discover Amazonian cuisine in Lima.
Amaz specializes in traditional Amazonian cuisine with a modern international feel. Our main memory of Amaz is one of playfulness from the décor to the combination of ingredients. It felt like we had been given permission to enter the colourful, magical world of the Peruvian jungle from the safe distance of Lima.
Owned by Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, Amaz aims to bring Amazonian cuisine to the city. The focus is on educating customers about the different ingredients and how they are combined to help preserve and rescue those elements of Amazonian culture and cuisine that are being lost. Lima feels a million miles away from the heart of the Peruvian jungle and Amaz tries to bridge the gap in an accessible, modern way.
The menu has been designed for sharing. Each dish complements the next and the menu mixes a range of colours, aromas and textures to bring you on a journey and allow you to explore and discover the magic of the jungle for yourself.
We had the ‘maduros de Doña Eli’ to start. This appetizer is named after the famous lady of the same name who has a restaurant in the jungle town of Tarapoto. These bite-size bowls of plantain were filled with an onion salsa and topped with fried bacon pieces. The tuna tiradito (sashimi style raw tuna) was delicious and different with an interesting nutty flavor from the cashew fruit juice, brazil nut oil and banana vinegar used to marinade the fresh tuna.
We were slightly less enthused by some of the mains we tried. Visually, the dishes didn’t look very appealing. They were certainly novel in their presentation wrapped in the traditional banana or bijao leaves or served in bamboo dishes but once we peeled open the leaves most of the dishes we tried looked rather mushy.
The ‘juane de pollo’ was a ball shaped mass of rice, chicken and egg wrapped in a banana leaf which was somewhat lacking in flavor. The ‘pacamoto de camaron’ or shrimps served in a slightly spicy sweet pepper sauce and cooked in bamboo were better. The pacarashca was delicious, grilled mahi-mahi fish with a tomato and onion-based sauce wrapped in bijao leaves was our favourite dish on the menu
For sides we loved the heart of palm or ‘chonta’ salad which was served in delicate silky ribbons and topped with brazil nut flour for a light accompaniment to the meal.
The chocolate jungle desert was exquisite with a wonderful complimentary range of flavours and textures including chocolate cream, meringue and the cocona and macambo fruits from the jungle.
The restaurant is divided into two sections, the front part is more playful, looks out onto the street and has a definite tropical feel with bright turquoise walls, fuchsia and yellow chairs, and full-size puma with rainbow coloured wings. The second section of the restaurant is definitely more formal and conservative in feel. Decorated in natural tones – browns and beiges try and book one of the ‘moloka’ tables for a more intimate meal.
A visit to Amaz is an experience rather than just a meal. Visit Amaz with an open mind and be ready to try new flavours and textures. We learnt a huge amount about Amazonian ingredients and culinary traditions but we did feel some of the dishes lacked a certain something.
Best of Peru Travel Recommends:
- A big part of the Amaz experience is learning about this fascinating part of the world. When you make your reservation they will e-mail you links to the menu and photos so you can learn a little about the ingredients and the concept before you arrive. This is definitely useful if you want to learn about Amazonian cuisine and make the most of your Amaz experience.
