Tayanti Peruvian Cuisine is a welcome addition to the ByWard Market

Tayanti Peruvian Cuisine arrived late last summer and with its arrival, suggested more to come. Now there are five Peruvian restaurants in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

If you’re ordering the Sombra cocktail, you need to give it a good stir before guzzling. And guzzle you will, because this mix of pisco (a spirit made from grapes), dry curacao (orange liqueur) ginger syrup, lime juice and red wine, is both uncommon and uncommonly good. 

Think of it as a South American sangria without bits of fruit floating in it. You’ll be inspired to have it at home over the summer.

Tequeños are a classic Venezuelan cheese snack wrapped in a slightly sweet dough and then deep fried. Over the years, this snack has migrated and been widely welcomed in Peru.

Tayanti does have the cheese version (I was given a sample-it was delicious) though I opted for the beef. 

They come out looking like miniature egg rolls and in this case,  the wrapper is nicer tasting. The moist beef came running out like lava after one bite. Though they look innocent enough, that's your word of caution. 

The taste had me overcoming the unpleasantness of burned lips. It was a good introduction to what was to come from a well-qualified kitchen crew.

A causa is a popular cold mashed potato casserole. It’s often filled with shredded chicken or egg, tuna or avocado. It’s only limited by a cook's imagination.

Tayanti has created a mini version using a native yellow Peruvian potato. It felt more fibrous and mine came topped with octopus and a traditional sauce made from olives. At first blush they appeared like abstract maki rolls.

They offer several different versions involving beef, chicken and shrimp. I enjoyed what I had, but I felt the olive sauce might be a challenge for some diners. 

Next up was something so hearty it reminded me of a meat and starch platter you might get in a German brewhouse. Only the flavours and some ingredients were different.

Pork is simmered in aromatics, then it’s fried in its own fat until crispy. On the side, rather than potatoes, you’ll find fried sweet potato, hominy corn, cassava and salsa criollo, lime and cilantro marinated red onion.

Pan con Chicharrón is the sandwich version of these ingredients. The dish is wildly popular. I opted for the platter and discovered one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long while: those little planks of fried cassava.

I could honestly be happy just stopping in for a plate of these and a beer. Fried to the point where every millimetre was covered in a crispy shell, biting into one exposed a sweet and fluffy centre. The textural contrast was as much of the appeal as the taste itself. The exceptional housemade tartar sauce only elevated every bite.

The pork, having undergone two separate cooking methods, was moist and flavoured completely through. The lime-soaked onion was perfect against the occasional fatty bits of the meat.

Then it was on to the beef. It’s described as smoky but readers should not immediately leap in the direction of BBQ. Rather, the flavour comes from a well-used wok in which the beef is seared.

The kitchen had taken great care in peeling and seeding the fresh tomatoes, which was a professional touch I wasn’t expecting from a stewed dish.

It seemed they were using skirt steak, a usually tough but flavourful cut. It was perfectly tender and the right choice for this dish. In Peruvian cooking, tenderloin is often used but tougher cuts, when well prepared, pack more punch.

Russet potatoes are common in North American cookery. I’ll get my prejudice out of the way and say that Russets are best used for baking. They make the worst-tasting fries and there’s not a close second. After trying one, I left the rest.

This had nothing to do with the execution, just the very nature of this dreadful spud. Am I taking this far too personally? Yes, but I say ban the Russet!

Tayanti is a welcome addition to the ByWard. The menu is worth exploring, and the cooking is accomplished. The service, even if a bit spotty on this day, was very welcoming. In fact, it was some of the most genuinely friendly I’ve experienced. 

In fairness, the staff did offer a gratis cocktail for some delays. It was this level of self-awareness that impressed me.

I enjoyed the Ajimanta, a spicy drink made with tequila and the fiery yellow Aji Amarillo pepper. If you can handle it, I recommend you try it.

May Tayanti continue to share the love of their culture for years to come.