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La Carreta restaurant offers taste of Peru in Orem

By Sarah Harris daily Herald - | Aug 1, 2019
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Lomo Saltado is served on top of fries with rice at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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Lomo Saltado is served on top of fries with rice at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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Lomito Mixto al Jugo is served on top of fries at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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Bisteck a la Carreta is served with fries, salad and rice at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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A half Pollo a la Brasa is served with fries and salad at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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Fried Yucca with Huancaina is served at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

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Chips and salsa are served at La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem.

There is nothing quite like the savory flavors in Peruvian cuisine, and La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant in Orem knocks them out of the park.

I found the food delicious, the service friendly and the environment quaint on a recent early dinner visit to La Carreta.

My party of four was seated promptly after we arrived, and we enjoyed seeing the Peruvian decor and listening to the folk music inside the restaurant.

After spending some time looking at the menu, we settled on ordering the Lomo Saltado, Lomito Mixto al Jugo, Bisteck a la Carreta and a half Pollo a la Brasa for entrees and Fried Yucca with Huancaina as an appetizer.

While we waited for our food, we enjoyed a few imported Peruvian beverages: Inca Kola, a sweet yellow soda; Chicha Morada, a punch-like liquid made of purple corn; and Maracuya, a passion fruit drink.

Our server also brought us some chips and salsa to munch on. The salsa had a good consistency and the perfect amount of heat — enough to give each bite a little kick, but not so much that it overpowered the flavor.

The appetizer we ordered was brought to our table soon afterward. The Fried Yucca came out hot and developed a unique creamy texture as we chewed it, complementing the smooth consistency of the spicy Huancaina cheese sauce.

Our entrees also came out before long, each one with a unique and delicious Peruvian flavor.

A highlight of La Carreta’s menu for me is its homemade fries, which are warm, soft and flavorful. A few entrees on the menu, like the Lomo Saltado and Lomito Mixto al Jugo, are served on top of the fries, which makes these dishes sing.

The Lomo Saltado contains lean beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes and zucchini, and the Lomito Mixto al Jugo adds to these same ingredients chicken and shrimp. The meats and vegetables in both entrees were tender, and the savory brown sauces they came in served to enrich the texture of the fries, add flavor to the rice with the Lomo Saltado and tie each dish together.

These plates were truly irresistible and unlike any I’ve ever tasted before. They were definitely my favorites of the food we tried.

The Bisteck a la Carreta — steak marinated in grapefruit juice, spiced with garlic and parsley, and served with fries, salad and rice — was also delicious, offering a unique savory-sweet flavor and bitter aftertaste.

The half Pollo a la Brasa (offered only on weekends) we ordered was well-seasoned and served with tasty sauces upon request, also coming with fries and a salad with dressing.

We thoroughly enjoyed every dish we tried and appreciated the kind and efficient service we experienced, especially when we had to make a quick exit to travel to another activity.

When it comes to finding delicious flavors from Peru in Utah County, La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant does not disappoint.

LA CARRETA PERUVIAN RESTAURANT

Where: 340 E. 1200 South, Orem

Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Sunday.

Prices: $10.99-$18.99

Info: (801) 229-2696, http://lacarretarestaurantutah.com

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