Chimu Peruvian Cuisine & Steak House

Elite '08

15

47

Matt A.

Brooklyn, NY

It always brings a smile to my face when I find a new Peruvian restaurant and if you've ever had a lomo saltado, aji de gallina or papa a la huancaina you'd understand.  Peruvian cooking is known for it's unique flavors and varied menus that include different meat, poultry and fish dishes.  I have eaten here about four times over the past two years and the food and service are consistently good.

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Elite '08

266

574

David S.

Champaign, IL

My boyfriend decided to take me to Chimu while I was visiting, as he'd been there before and had really enjoyed it. We went on a rainy Monday night, so as you can imagine the place was pretty empty and we had no problem getting a table (they did recommend making reservations on weekend nights, though).

I don't think I'd ever had Peruvian food before, so I don't really have a point of comparison. But everything we had was quite delicious. I don't eat steak, so we went for seafood: we started with their grilled mussels... delicious (I just wish the portion was a little larger), after which we had the whole fried snapper. I think it must have been a special, but I don't recall seeing it on the menu, but our waitress recommended it to us: whole fried snapper, topped with all kinds of seafood (calamari, mussels, clams, shrimp...), in a red sauce... seafood galore. It was quite tasty (I love whole fish, and especially snapper), though I was it had come with a side of some sort (veggies? rice?). But no complaints... we ate most of it between the two of us. We also *had* to get dessert, so we got the dulce de leche crepe... yummy if a bit small. And not to forget: they have a great sangria.

Nice place... a bit out of the way (although it's just a block from Metropolitan, if you want to grab a drink afterwards). Service was very friendly and attentive, and they even gave us two "VIP" cards for 20% off for next time we go... how nice is that? Great place for a romantic date, or for a nice dinner with some friends.

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1

92

Emily M.

Brooklyn, NY

I have tried numerous Peruvian restaurants around the city and Chimu always comes out ahead for me.  As a control, I always order the same dish - Jalea.  It's a heaping pile of fried fish and seafood (I only order this for my devoted adherence to the scientific method, you understand).  

The point is, Chimu does it best.

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5

11

Jade E.

Brooklyn, NY

Oh my gosh.  I went here on Saturday night with some friends, we had reservations and were seated within ten minutes.  We had apps (calamari and avocado and shrimp salad)  which were amazing.  The apps came right away but we waited probably 45 minutes for our entrees.  Me and my fiance ordered the meat plate for 2 which was so amazing that I forgave the long wait time.  The manager kept coming over to make sure everything was good, which was nice.  I will definitely come here again and bring friends and family.

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0

10

R A.

Brooklyn, NY

This place is fantastic!  Definitely make a reservation for Friday/Saturday.  Small restaurant but worth it.  Sangria was delicious, steak and spaghetti --- amazing!!

I'm going back!!

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Elite '08

14

275

Alison C.

Hoboken, NJ

Chimu is out-of-control good!  The restaurant is quite small and cramped...and of course crowded, which always makes for a good mix!  Luckily we were able to get a table.  The service was friendly, but extremely slow.  

We ordered a pitcher of red sangria, which was very light and fruity...not to mention potent.  I was pretty trashed before the food even arrived.

Rather than any type of bread, they put a small bowl of oiled corn nuts on the table to tide you over.  They were delicious!  For an entree I ordered what turned out to be like paella with shrimp, yellow rice, and vegetables.  It was amazing!  The rice was moist and flavorful.  The shrimp were plumb and crisp.  It was great.  My friend ordered some type of fish, I think red snapper, which was good but could not compare to mine.

My one complaint was that they stopped making the true Peruvian roasted chicken, though it was still listed on the menu and an authentic dish of the country.

Oh well, it was still worth every bite!

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Elite '08

17

281

Chip S.

New York, NY

The worst thing about this place for me is it is in Williamsburg.  Right next to the Lorimer stop.

This was feature on Bobby Flay's "Boy Meets Grill" TV show, as Bobby went there for some background on Peruvian food.  He went to the right place (once again not sure if it is authentic, but mighty tasty)

Aji de Gallina = Awesome.  Almost a Peruvian take on curry.  Excellent.
Seafood = Almost every item we have had is great.
Maduros = Fried Sweet Plantains, Better than french fries, I didn't think that was possible

Private bathrooms with so-so cleaning and stocking.  3 Flushes

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Elite '08

11

60

elise s.

Brooklyn, NY

it was really hard to choose what to eat off the menu because everything sounded so good! and what we had was really tasty.  we both ordered seafood dishes and they were full of really fresh clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, etc.  
next time i'm going to have to try some steak...

super friendly service, delicious food, a definite positive addition to the area.

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7

35

Melissa B.

Brooklyn, NY

I've been going to this place for quite some time now and I've never been disappointed.  Everything is top notch, the friendly service I receive, the food! Gosh, just thinking of their steak makes me salivate!  Everything I've tried on the menu is excellent. My personal fave is the steak and peruvian spaghetti with fresh basil.  YUMMY YUMMY

Try a pisco sour while you're there.  It's one of the best I've had oh and don't forget to complete your meal with the rice pudding or tartufo.  

*sigh*  I think I'll have to walk down there now.  Better switch to my stretch jeans and loosen the belt.

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Elite '08

18

154

joe r.

Brooklyn, NY

Only thing wrong with Chimu is they're so willing to seat so many people and they're so popular that they get a little crowded from time to time.  But it's totally worth it.  Seafood is a real highlight, as you might guess.  Yum yum yum.  Their little roasted corn nuts or whatever they are as appetizers are great.

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Elite '08

8

151

anni b.

Brooklyn, NY

Chimu makes some of the best carnivore-friendly dishes in town!  Heavy, filling, and delicious cuisine - the ceviche is always great, as is anything with red meat in it.  Better yet, even though they are a relatively high class establishment, they even deliver - although based on the presumed high fat and calorie content of most of the dishes, it would probably be best of us all to get out of the house and actually walk there.  Moderate prices, and I always have leftovers for next day!

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Elite '08

20

213

Chris F.

Brooklyn, NY

It's hard to go wrong at this competitively priced Peruvian restaurant.  Any entree involving steak promises to be a large, tender cut, and although the difference between the spaghetti in Spanish cheese sauce and the spaghetti in Peruvian cheese sauce isn't apparent, they're both filling and delicious.  Pay attention to the specials on the board outside; they're usually 25% or so more expensive than anything on the menu, but frequently worth the extra expense.  Sometimes, especially on weekends, there's a band and dancers.  Expect an extra wait then.

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