When it comes to local Peruvian food, Orem’s Rincon Peruano is tops
The Mousse de Mango at Rincon Peruano in Orem.
The Bistec a lo Pobre at Rincon Peruano.
Rincon Peruano is among the handful of Peruvian restaurants in Utah County, and might be the best of them all.
The Papa Rellena at Rincon Peruano.
{image}{imagePath}/tcms_purged/Adobe%20InDesign%20Documents/PDH/16/C/Images/PDH_02162017_C_001/bbd6d45c-f32e-11e6-ae8c-00163ec2aa77/bbd6d45c-f32e-11e6-ae8c-00163ec2aa77.jpg{/imagePath}{photoCredit}Daily Herald
{caption}The Arroz con Leche, left, and Mousse de Mango at Rincon Peruano.{/caption}
{standaloneHead}When it comes to local Peruvian food, Orem’s Rincon Peruano is tops{/standaloneHead}
{/image}
It always helps to know a local. In this case, a native Peruvian.
I’ve come to enjoy Peruvian food the past few years. My visits to some of Utah County’s Peruvian restaurants — Se Llama Peru in Provo and La Carreta in Orem — did not disappoint. Talking to a native Peruvian in our office, though, he said these places didn’t quite measure up to the food he ate back home. For that, he said, I’d have to visit Rincon Peruano in Orem.
Now, perhaps it was all the love in the air (I ate there on Valentine’s Day), but Rincon Peruano was so tasty it felt almost romantic. In that spirit, here are the ways my experience at Rincon Peruano felt like falling in love.
It comes from somewhere you’d never expect: I’ve driven by Rincon Peruano countless times. It’s on State Street, across the street from the Midtown 360 apartments. And yet, I had never noticed it. It’s the kind of place you have to really seek out. To quote any number of schmaltzy romantic comedies, “What if the thing we’ve been looking for has been right in front of us all along?”
The deeper you dig, the more intriguing it gets: Before our entrees arrived, we were greeted by our appetizer, the Papa Rellena. This is a potato stuffed with seasoned ground beef, raisins and olives, with the exterior deep fried, all served alongside salsa and a hard-boiled egg. That first fried layer is great. Then you break through to the soft mashed potato-type layer. Also great. Go deeper, and bam, you get the beef, raisins and olives. Like any romantic relationship, a Papa Rellena has layers.
Each experience is a little different, but still reminiscent: For our main dishes we ordered the Bistec a lo Pobre and the Aji de Gallina. The Bistec a lo Pobre was a real flavor explosion. It comes with a fried egg atop a bed of steamed rice, with a large seasoned steak, French fries and a fried plantain, as well as some lettuce and a tomato slice. We’ve all been with someone who lays it all out on the table from the get-go. In that, the Bistec a lo Pobre is a kindred spirit.
Then there was the Aji de Gallina. This one starts things off a bit more mysteriously. With steamed rice and a creamy yellow sauce mingling with potato chunks and shredded chicken, you aren’t quite sure what you’re getting flavor-wise just by looking at it. But that yellow sauce, man. I’d ordered this dish at other local Peruvian restaurants, and Rincon Peruano’s version takes the top prize. The yellow sauce here was far more potent, with smoky undertones that tasted like peanut.
The two entrees each had their own thing going. They still managed to taste cohesive, though, with a variety of smooth flavors and foods that were cooked to perfection.
How sweet it is: We finished off our visit with two desserts, the Arroz con Leche and Mousse de Mango. The Arroz con Leche was a rice pudding with cinnamon, leche and raisins, served warm. The Mousse de Mango, by contrast, was served cold, with a strawberry on top, cut to resemble a red rose. I was a little more partial to the mousse — I’d never had mango-flavored mousse before, and me likey — but really, it’s pick your poison here.
You will shirk your responsibilities: Returning from the restaurant, I parked my car and leaned my seat back. I’d just eaten a lot of food. All I needed was a moment to catch my breath and let the food settle before getting back to work. Silly me, though — that moment turned into an hour of deep, deep sleep. Certainly not what I intended. But love makes you do crazy things.
Where: 355 S. State St., Orem
Hours: 12:30-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday
Prices: Entrees $12-$14, appetizers $6-$8, desserts $4
Info: (801) 234-0526