What’s your favorite type of cuisine? Anyone who knows and has dined with me knows my slight obsession with Asian food, but now things are changing – ever so slightly – and my stomach goes pitter patter at the thought of Peruvian food. While I’ve seen many Peruvian restaurants open up in recent months in the Miami (Palm Beach, it’s time to catch up), a recent favorite of mine has to be O’Lima Signature Cuisine located in Bay Harbor Islands.
I was invited in to O’Lima recently for a feast to remember (yes, I believe we did about sixteen courses in one sitting) — and to meet O’Lima’s executive chef, German Gonzales. Gonzales, who you may remember from his time spent at Adrianna’s in Surfside, brings a menu of modern Peruvian dishes with a Japanese flair to this sleek, intimate setting in Bay Harbor Islands.
While the restaurant may be small (there are only 53 seats in the dining room), the flavors are not, so get ready for your taste buds to be awakened. That all starts with a trip to the Pisco bar for a classic Pisco Sour (highly recommended) or opt for one of O’Lima’s variations on the classic. With a drink in hand, you’ll be ready to begin.
When dining in a Peruvian restaurant, do as the Peruvians do and indulge in an array of ceviches and tiraditos — and if you’re looking to experiment with new flavors, O’Lima has plenty of options for you to choose from. While not a traditional preparation of ceviche, chef’s Ceviche a la Brasa was one of our favorites — and it has a cute story behind it. Chef’s wife, originally from Spain, wasn’t an instant fan of Peruvian cuisine — and that included ceviche. On a quest to win her heart over through food and stay true to his cuisine, chef took white fish and prepared it ceviche-style. He then lightly seared the ceviche with red onions and sweet potatoes, added in some Peruvian corn and reinvented the dish, much to his wife’s liking (and to ours, as well).
Other highlights on the menu include a Tiradito de Aji Amarillo (seen below), made with sashimi-style cuts of white fish in a classic, aji amarillo sauce and Tiradito de Cilandro, a vibrant dish of white fish in a spiced cilantro sauce with fried calamari and orange-hued spheres of caviar.
Since we like everything a little spicy, we became instant fans of the Conchitas de Camaron Anticuchado, where the perfect medley of fresh shrimp and Peruvian peppers had us devouring bite after bite. Although in the mindframe of we can’t eat anything else, the comforting bites of Conchitas a la Gorgonzola (scallops and gorgonzola in a Chicha Morada reduction) were too enticing to resist and had us slowly sinking into our food coma.
While O’Lima offers enough small plates to satisfy your every craving, the restaurant also offers an outstanding line-up of hearty entrees, if that is what you prefer. From the Lomo Saltado O’Lima (filet in a green grape aji amarillo sauce) to the Pulpo a la Parrilla (grilled, marinated octopus with golden potatoes and a chimichurri-panka pepper sauce & spicy rocoto sauce), get ready to awaken your senses.
If after reading this, you’re craving Peruvian food, you’ll be happy to know that June 28 every year is National Ceviche Day, a day held to commemorate this classic dish (and hence, a reason to discover a new Peruvian restaurant).
O’Lima Signature Cuisine is located at 1052 Kane Concourse in Bay Harbor Islands; olimamiami.com