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El Chalan Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
3748 San Pablo Dam RdEl Sobrante, CA 94803
(510) 222-0607
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for El Chalan Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Lucuma - a peruvian ice cream from the rain forest."
(in 35 reviews)
"...weekdays the sauce for the papa a la huancaina is very mild."
(in 7 reviews)
"I always get the Aji de Gallina."
(in 3 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Barbara C.
Albany, CA
1/10/2012
I have been here several times now through the years with my Peruvian brother in law and am reminded how delicious it is each time. The ceviche starter is amazing, if only i had a larger appetite!! The appetite problem is all that goes wrong when i come here, you just don't want to stop eating since it is so good but there is just no more room :) I do not think I have ever ordered the same thing twice because i want to try it all and have never been disappointed. their service is very relaxed and their decor is understated but that is just fine with us, its clear their interest is to dedicate their attention to the food.
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Review from Umesh T.
El Sobrante, CA
K and I came here on a Sunday night as I insisted we had Peruvian cuisine since I couldn't remember the last time I had one -- probably about a year, if not more.
We started with the ceviche which I thought was pretty good but we both agreed we would have preferred it to be smaller cuts. Sometimes the "chewiness" of bigger chunks took away from my ceviche experience --- K gave up after her first serving. I thought the fried corns went pretty well with the fish.
I really enjoyed my Pollo Soltado though I must say I missed the spicy sauce at my erstwhile favourite in the Marin County -- the one here was good but not *as* good. , The portion size was pretty big that I saved about half of it.
K had the spaghetti version of the "pollo saltado" and it looked like she didn't really care all that much for it.
I would come back if there was someone else who would like to eat Peruvian food but not on my own. Since she wasn't a fan of it, chances are less likely I'd drop by again.
I found the service decent and nowhere near atrocious as was mentioned in some of the other reviews. -
Review from Michelle M.
Houston, TX
6/13/2011
This place passed muster for my Peruvian ex, who was outspoken about everything. I figure if this is good enough to have gotten him away from his mama's home cooking, it must have been legit.
It's a nice and quiet place with yummy dishes. There's one dish that even satisfied my very US-centric, meat-and-potatoes kind of tastebuds: Papa a la Huancaina (potatoes in a cheese sauce). For my sweet tooth and the reason for the fourth star is the alfajor! I much prefer this cookie, which is like a shortbread "oreo" with a dulce de leche filling and a powdered sugar dusting, to the Argentine version. (I have actually eaten several of them while in Argentina, so I feel qualified to say this.) Expensive dessert, but yum. As Martha would say, "Simply delectable!"
All this aside, I took my even more 'Merican pal here, and he found it to be too exotic. For these folks, perhaps point them at the Italian half of the menu. -
Review from Rick D.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
San Pablo Dam Road El Sobrante is a pretty busy street being the gateway/short cut to Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Hwy 24 area from I80.
Not too many people realize that there's a quiet town here, with a few really good restaurants and El Chalan being my #1 pick.
There's really nothing fancy about this restaurant, but it is clean. The most important part is the food.
Dinner starts off with fresh tasted bread and a spicy dipping sauce, delicious!
Lomo Saltado and Pollo Saltado are my favorite dishes. Another favorite is called Carapulcra, which I think like a beef stew with little potatoes. They also serve Italian food, but I have never tried.
Servings are generous and for sure you'll leave stuffed.
Bottom line, this is my #1 pick for the area, since it is unique and no other Peruvian restaurant for miles. -
Review from Marka M.
San Pablo, CA
4/5/2011
Aji de Gallina... let me repeat ... AJI DE GALLINA!
This dish is like nothing I've ever eaten, pure Peruvian comfort food. On a cold day, go there, order the Aji, and prepare to be content. It's shredded chicken in a creamy walnut gravy, served over rice, with boiled potatoes and a hard boiled egg. If I don't stop in for a couple of weeks, I start to jones for it, and pick some up to go. BIG portions, to go = 2 meals for sure... About $12 bucks, not bad.
Oh yeah, and they have a weird/creamy/HOT sauce that they serve with French bread, goes great with the Aji! And they do really nice salads, and last but not least, order the 'platanos'... They do the simplest and nicest plaintains I've ever had, well fried, and served with only chunks of Feta cheese.
They recently repainted the interior a reasonable beige/brown, so you can actually sit in there and be ok. (It used to be hot pepto-bismal pink, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, nausea inducing...)
And on Saturdays, it seems to be a hot spot for Peruvians, there were musicians showing up when we left, looked like the party was about to start.
Service is ok, a function of busyness, since there's likely one server, busy or not... but whatever...
Did I say AJI DE GALLINA?!?!?!? This will be your mantra as you return again and again... -
Review from John S.
El Sobrante, CA
5/31/2011
The food is great! The service is good when you order a lot of food.
My wife and i have been here three times. The first two times we both ordered a main dish. The server was friendly and kept bringing us bread.
The third time we came here, we ordered one main dish and an appetizer. The waiter looked confused and asked us if we were sure we only wanted one main dish. We said yes and he looked a bothered.
He brought us bread and we had finished it by the time we got our food. He did not bother to come to our table until we asked for the check. He kept taking bread to to other tables and ignored us. -
Review from DJ G.
Richmond, CA
10/4/2011
Tried this place on a recommendation of a friend. The place is a hole in the wall but the food ah the food was authentic. The cook is peruvian and is evident in every dish!
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Review from Tom P.
Concord, CA
5/9/2011
I want to give them 5 Stars, but they just don't deserve it.
Despite the spotty service and the infrequent surprises, it's the food that keeps us coming back.
I'm not Peruvian, but my wife is and I have been immersed into this cuisine for a decade now. We have tried most of the Peruvian restaurants in the Bay Area, but this one stands out as "authentic" in my humble Gringo opinion. Incredible flavors, vast menu (even includes Italian items) and big portions.
One of our favorite times to visit is after Mass on Sunday mornings for their breakfast. Lomito (juicy steak with tomatoes and onions), Chicken Tamales, Ceviche (lime-cooked fish with onions and potatoes), Papa Rellena (stuffed potato then fried) and the pièce de résistance: Chupe de Camarones (shrimp chowder). It's all really good!
Once the food arrives on the table, you'll be extremely happy. But, sometimes the chef doesn't show up (surprise!) and sometimes you have to ask three times to get some bread for your table (this is what happened to us today).
Yeah, we complain each time we go about everything but the food. We'll be back again soon! -
Review from Janai F.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/7/2011
DELICIOUS food!!!!!!!
good service, great food. Go there.
Suggest the Camaron Saltado, and papa a la huan cayina (no clue on how to spell it, just try and sound it out) and to drink, Chicha Morada. -
Review from Gigi T.
San Pablo, CA
Updated - 5/17/2010
Wow. Came here again with the BF for lunch. The service was horrible, the food didn't taste fresh. What is up with that?!
Not sure if I will return especially when the lady waitress is there.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/24/2010
I've been wanting the bf to try Peruvian food for a while now but 3 years ago I learnt that the… Read more »
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Review from Robert M.
Albany, CA
8/27/2010
This one caught my eye when I was driving down San Pablo Dam Road looking for something to eat. A Peruvian Italian restaurant? Strange combo for sure.
Limited menu, about two-thirds Peruvian and one-third Italian. Not sure what the connection is. My sister and I were the only two in there until a few minutes before we left. Granted it was a Monday afternoon, but I would hope more people find this place and give it a try. Decor is non-descript. Single person waitstaff that looked Peruvian. Definitely had a little bit of a communications problem as I had to ask some simple questions multiple times. But it was OK as she was obviously trying really hard to understand what I was asking.
I had the ocopo appetizer and a Fried Chicaron sandwich. Now my understanding was chicaron was fried pork rinds, but this had tasty slices of pork meat in there, topped with small red onion rings and a layer of sweet potatoes. I ended up putting some of their huancayo(?) sauce in the sandwich to spice it up because I like things spicier. My sister had a manicotti, which looked pretty good.
They brought a loaf of bread to the table, a la an italian restaurant. For beer, they had a couple of Peruvian lagers and what's interesting is their wine list was four from Peru, one from Chile and one from Argentina! No cheap American vintages at all. Have no idea if they have deserts. She didn't offer and I didn't ask.
No real ambiance to the place. Typical checkered tablecloth on table. Large tile floor. Ghetto blaster with tape of Incan music turned on after we'd come in.
For a quick bite to eat at reasonable prices this was pretty cool. I'd try it again if I'm in the neighborhood for sure! -
Review from Cris L.
Sweden, ME
7/17/2007
You know you are in El Sobrante when you do a Yelp search for restaurants and all hits are in Berkeley.
You know you are in El Sobrante when you're having dinner at 8 o'clock on a Sunday evening and all around you chairs are standing upside-down on the tables.
You know you are in El Sobrante when a Peruvian restaurant offers fettuccine on their menu.
But who knew that, in this terrible, suburban, strip-mallesque village, food could be this good. I mean, I was eating some seriously delicious fried trout. And buttery rice. And fried plantain. With feta. -
Review from Dave K.
San Pablo, CA
3/18/2010
I went there for dinner and it was absolutely spectacular.
The seafood ceviche is limed up awesome-ly.
The Rotissirie chicken was juicy and delicious, french fries were crisp and perfecto...
....BUT THEN I CAME HERE FOR LUNCH YO.....
For about 25% less in price you get their lunch menu.
My Girlfriend and I got the Rotisserie Chicken with Soup, Salad and Fries. Now, remember that awesome dinner with the juicy and tender rotisserie chicken? Where DID IT GO? My chicken was dry and super Nasty, My french fries were cold and funky in texture. Could there have been a change in the kitchen?? Is this 2 day old chicken???
anyway I ate my salad, passed on my soup because there was a banana sticker in it .. WTH ??? and left hungry and very unhappy.
Sorry the lunch thing left a bad taste in the mouth and I will not be coming back again.
Over Priced for Dried out CRAP.
b.t.w service is BAD . they are hella nice people, but both visits I had to go up a few times and ask them for service. AND THERE WAS ONLY TWO OTHER PEOPLE INTHE JOINT. they sure do like to yuck it up in the back tho. -
Review from Peter J.
Oakland, CA
2/13/2010 2 photos
My first "Peruvian" experience.
They do serve Italian dishes here also!
I also had the LOMOS SALTADOS
The beef was little dry and chewy but the flavors mingle perfectly.
(edit.. tastes like the Latin version of tomato beef! lol)
Also had Friend Yucca and Seafood cooked in Lime juice.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Everything was fresh and the service was even Fresher!
It has been 2 days and I already want to try more of the menu.
Tomorrow! -
Review from Noe F.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2010
Great!!!!!!! Food here is amazing. Great small business and a superb solution to a Peruvian craving.
Never tried Peruvian before? This is a good place to get your cherry popped!
Recommended dish: Lomo Saltado -
Review from nancy f.
Fremont, CA
6/5/2011
This review is just for the alfajores! Dulce de leche sandwiched between two shortbread cookies topped with powdered sugar. YUM!
This is where I tasted alfajores for the first time and I completely became obsessed with these cookies. Since I don't live close by, I tried finding other restaurants and bakeries near my house that sell this heavenly cookie but this place is my favorite thus far. The flavor of the dulce de leche really comes through which happens to be my favorite part. I savor each morsel of this cookie when I eat them. $1.50 for a decent sized cookie. -
Review from Alena G.
Hillsboro, OR
8/1/2006
I would give it 5 stars but the place is a little on the shabby side in terms of ambiance.
The food is awesome, though. You seriously MUST go here. Their Peruvian Chowder is the best chowder I have ever had and the Ceviche is absolutely perfect. -
Review from Bill M.
El Cerrito, CA
My 2nd visit to El Chalan - I'd rate it a 3.5 but I'm generous.
I had the lasagna (yes lasagna - wanted the cannelloni but they were out of shells - they knocked off a dollar) & Caesar salad. The Caesar dressing is pretty damn good! The lasagna was a tad under-seasoned but it unique and portioned just right.
Inka cola was yummie. Ruby-red and clear, it tasted like cream soda but had caffeine - just the way I like it.
Mark had the Lomo Saltado con Cameronea. Steak and shrimp sauteed with garlic, onions, peppers, french fries over rice.
Again, the hot sauce to dip the bread in was awesome. I swear it tasted hummus-y (I'm sure it's ground chick peas with peppers and vinegar).
Dinner is about 10.00 more for two than lunch. We spent 29.00 - whereas lunch would have been around 20.00.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/9/2010
My mom and I had a late lunch here today. I had the Vainitas con carne (beef with green beans,… Read more »
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Review from Daniel G.
El Sobrante, CA
4/14/2009
This place gets 5 stars because its the only Peruvian Restaurant in the area! I've been going to this place for over 15 years now... and I know the menu inside and out. Plus... if you decide you don't want Peruvian food, the Italian food is surprisingly delicious!
Appetizers: Chorros A La Chalaca... a must have!
Chicharron de Pollo ... the most amazing fried chicken with a sauce that is to die for!
Ceviche de Pescado (or Mixto) - peruvian staple
Anticuchos de Carne .... my favorite food when I was little until I found out what it was... try it tho... and be open minded
Desserts: THE COOKIES!!! - Alfajores are the best!
Lucuma - a peruvian ice cream from the rain forest... acquired taste.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!!
CHICHA MORADA - Peruvian Drink! Super Delicious! -
Review from Alicia A.
El Sobrante, CA
9/28/2008
I was invited to this place by a friend and I have to say I liked the vibe and the owners- very nice. My experience however was like Andrew Zimmerman or Anthony Bourdian- everything seemed to me a tad exotic and that's saying something.
So I did my best to find something simple that I could see my self eating.. and finally settled on beef dish.. it was good but nothing out of this world- again it was my first time ordering Chilean food- so what was I supposed expect as a Chilean food virgin?
In the end the highlight much to my sweet tooth's happiness was the cookies.. OMG.. I think my sweet tooth died and went to tooth heaven.. I swear those cookies could end wars or begin them -they are that excellent.
If for nothing else- go for the cookies!!Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Anne K.
10/16/2008
A Peruvian and Italian restaurant?
Yes, it's true ... marriage combined these two cuisines and a great little restaurant stands as a consequence. Whether you want Gnocchi or Lomo Saltado, the food here is good. I personally lean towards the Peruvian entrees - all I have tried or seen are fantastic. And the hot bread and the chicken soup served with all entrees is probably the best part - worth ordering just by itself.
For lunch, it is particularly a really good deal. 7.50 or 8.50 per entree! They serve large portions and have really good service. The combination of cuisines is a little odd, but once you get past that, the number of options they have is amazing. They don't have much for dessert but I love their Alfajors (cookie with dulce de leche).
It is an odd little restaurant in a questionable part of town (i.e. the bullet holes in the window) but worth the somewhat frequent stop-ins with my coworkers, when we work off-site and pass through El Sobrante during the day. Although one likes it enough to drive to on a regular lunch break. That says something to go five miles out of your way since there are so many good restaurants in Berkeley.Listed in: Favorite East Bay Restaurants
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Review from George A.
11/15/2009
I've had food from here a couple times when I've gone to visit some friends who live in El Sobrante and thought it was excellent!!! Both times we ordered take out and I didn't pick up the food so I have no idea what the restaurant actually looks like.
On both occasions we ordered from the Peruvian side of the menu, but my friends who order from here quite a bit say that the Italian food is good as well. I honestly wish I could remember the actual names for the dishes we ordered this last time but everything was yummy. We had some sort of steak dish that had grilled onions, tomatoes, and potatoes (I think all the dishes here that have potatoes in them use steak fries...there good, but I have a feeling this probably isn't "traditional"), a lamb dish that was served with white beans, as well as a whole roasted chicken that had really good seasoning (cumin?). We also had bread, rice, and salad. They also give you some sort of spicy sauce as well as sliced red onions, which was awesome on the bread and chicken!!!
Most of the dishes are priced between $9-11 and for the amount of food they give you I think it's a pretty good deal. Not a bad wait for the food either. It was ready in about 20 minutes from the time we placed our order. This last time we had three very hungry people sharing and there were plenty of leftovers.
NOTE: I didn't actually experience this for myself, but I thought it should be noted this place will do to-go sangria if you ask!!! My friend tells me it's a little ghetto, but awesome!!! I guess they just mix some fruit punch with cheap red wine in a huge Styrofoam cup and here's the awesome part...they then open up a CAN of fruit cocktail to mix in!!! Sounds good to me ;) -
Review from Sarah L.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2007
i love peruvian food!! Meat, potatoes and rice... YUM.
Came here because my friend is craving ceviche, made her bf find restaurant with ceviche around the area and found this. Realized its a peruvian restaurant, and i was excited. The ceviche was not what i would recommend in the restaurant (though according to the server, they run out of it before the end of the day) because its not spicy enough for me, otherwise good. My friend was disappointed because she was expecting mexican ceviche.
I enjoyed the bread and spicy sauce they had. The chicken is good, italian food is good. I like the loma saltado and the camarones. Dessert is good with tasty alfajores, picarones and flan. Empanada special was good too, look at the specials on their tiny little board. Oh and the papa rellena!! so good...
It's a nice place in a ghetto neighborhood. My roommate went to school around the area and was surprised to find a restaurant like this. Wa re-reading my review, and realized i made it sound too good. remember that this is not fancy.. its pretty home style but the place is clean and nice. -
Review from Barbara Y.
El Cerrito, CA
1/12/2008
Our good friend (also Cuban), Guillermo and his mom introduced this place to us....Try their Chupe de Camarones, you will LOVE it. And they have the BEST bread in town! Trying to figure out which bakery they use.... Kinda reminds me of my native "Pan Cubano."
It's a little hole in the wall, I do not recall issues with ever leaving there like chicharron grease or having poor ventilation. You are greeted, taken care of with average wait staff, and served pretty promptly.
My husband ordered "Sudado de Pescado" (steamed Snapper), and although a little bland.....my Chupe was PERFECTO!!...YUM!! Their chicha morada is great as is their Lomo Saltado. If you look in the picture posted by Javier M., to the left is a bowl of the Chupe de Camarones, it is HUGE for 12 bucks you won't find a better deal!
Our next dish to try will be the "Tallarin Saltado." They also serve up their rendition of Italian food. -
Review from Don B.
American Canyon, CA
3/15/2009
We've been eating at El Chalan for about 3 years now. It has it's good days and it has it's bad days. On weekdays the sauce for the papa a la huancaina is very mild. On weekends it gets spiced up a bit more (and better) . Must be a different cook.
The lomo saltado and tallarin saltado are great. The papa rellena is also great. I've never tried the Italian food but I've seen it on plates and everyone seems to enjoy it. For me, it's all about peruvian.
Make sure to drink Inka Kola the peruvian national soft drink. The meal needs it to be complete. -
Review from Tom O.
Monrovia, CA
7/30/2008
This place is legit (I only tried the lomo saltado though). I really liked it, it tasted good from start to finish, I could have used a little more saucy-ness, but you can't win them all, and I'll still give it a 5. It's kind of in a weird place, or at least I've never been to El Sobrante before, so I wasn't expecting this. There's a drunk that came in and sat down grabbed a menu, had a loud conversation with his ex about not wanting to pick up his kid (probably because he was wasted) then, when he was done with his 5 min conversation that we all got to enjoy in the restaurant, he gave the menu back and said "nah bro, I ain't payin for no $13 lunch". It was interesting, and in my world that actually adds to the experience and hence the 5. I don't like hanging out at places that feel like a library, i want some weird shit going on.
Good food though. -
Review from Alex H.
Hercules, CA
11/17/2008
I have mixed reviews on this place. It's a Peruvian & Italian restaurant. Quite the interesting mix, but it works. I love the food. I always get the Aji de Gallina. It's chicken w/ potatoes and a delicious sauce that they use. I'm not not too fond of the drinks, so I can't really critique the drinks. I usually just have water with my plate.
The only thing I can't stand is the service. They have 2 ladies that work there. I can't stand any of them. They always seem to be in an unpleasant mood and come off as being rude. Kind of always seem to have an attitude too. I'm sorry, but you don't need to be getting an attitude for no reason. If you don't like your job, then quit, right?
Usually we get the soup before our meal, but they must have forgot about the soup this one time and when they brought out our plate, we asked if we could get our soup. The lady stated that she had forgot and didn't think we'd need it since we had our food. How you going to tell me what the hell I need or don't need?
I love the food, but suffice to say, I will not be going back. Hopefully you will receive better service. -
Review from Sydney B.
Richmond, CA
8/2/2010
Ceviche, hot sauce, & bread. As luck has it, great spaghetti and meat sauce can be had. A spy's delight while doing recon. Ambiance is suspect, ventilation needs to get looked at, you'll smell of food.
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Review from Maria M.
El Cerrito, CA
5/11/2008
My credibility: Parents are peruvian=peruvian home cookin, I visit Peru, lived in LA with seriously awesome Peruvian food. Where does El Chalan stand? Pretty good peruvian food in the East bay. I live in El Cerrito so it's as close as good peruvian food gets. I've experienced the cling on fried smell but not in a really long time. The servers are nice enough.
More importantly, the food is generally good and consistent. My favorite dishes are the pollo a la brasa, papa a la huancaina and the tallarin verde. Although I think I've had some dry pollo a la brasa experiences they weren't that bad. The chicken dressing can be a little heavy on the vinegar for my taste. Fries are fresh, and so is the salad. I would say if you have room for dessert, try the picarones. Fried donut-ty goodness with just enough anise and sweetness. This was hard for me to find in most peruvian restaurants and the fact that it's actually good is even better. Yeah it's seems weird that there is peruvian food and italian food, but I've seen that mix before in some other peruvian restaurants. I can't attest to whether the Italian food is good.
In terms of breakfast, I've only tried the pan con chicharron and the tamale. Both worth trying, sometimes the pan con chicarron has been on the dry end.
Overall: good, consistent (never terrible) and close to El Cerrito. Better than any peruvian food in Oakland.
Que viva el Peru, Carajo! :) -
Review from J P.
Hercules, CA
3/2/2011
My bro did most of the ordering for a quick Monday lunch, which ended up being most of the appetizers tapas style. Fried yucca, snapper ceviche, papa huancaina. The seafood chowder was the winner for me (mad tasty yo).
Didn't try anything italian but the Peruvian food was enough for me to keep this place on my short list. I'll be back. -
Review from Javier M.
San Francisco, CA
9/14/2005 1 photo
Peruvian food is magic. It's amazing and not so exotic for your mouth to think you're travelling too far away and getting lost in the woods, or maybe the deserts. Peruvian food has it all like the geography of the country: seafood, spices, potatoes, yams, sauteed steak with fries... You can find lots of restaurants in the Bay Area with Peruvian Food but this one is the best in the entire bay.
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Tim C.
Berkeley, CA
7/6/2007
Lunch menu has appetizers, $7.50 entres, and $8.50 entres, then a separate group of Italian dishes, one of which was canneloni. Soup comes with the $7.50 entre, which was a chicken broth with vegetables and a spicy, fragrant cilantro flavor. Salad was caesar, with a hint of anchovy...good. Fresh, warm sourdough bread was brought with a small dish of Aji...one of the reasons I wanted to come here...spicy cilantro and chili peppers in a salsa consistency. Main dish was shredded chicken in a spicy yellow pepper cream sauce with rice. Flavorful and filling. I can't recommend the canneloni, but it looked good..the filling was sub-par. The wait-person spoke very little English, but was very attentive. I'm waiting to hear from my Peruvian friend by e-mail whether he'd been here. Go for the Peruvian food, the Italian dishes fall short.
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Review from Owen M.
El Sobrante, CA
5/3/2010
This place is SO good that we have ventured out to other, much more upscale Peruvian restaurants as a result. At a fifth the price, Chalan pretty well matches the quality of food elsewhere. Granted, "elsewhere" is rare; this cuisine is just not around that much. Surprising, as it is addictive, especially the lamb stew and Aji de gallina(chicken in walnut sauce). A special treat is their amazing hot sauce, unlike anything I've had in any other cuisine.
The place sort of looks like a dive, which doesn't bother me in the least, but does sort of leave it out as an "impress your parents or a date" destination.
Once ran into a guy I know who is Peruvian eating there. I asked him about other Peruvian places, and he basically said "Why bother?" -
Review from Kenneth H.
El Sobrante, CA
6/10/2010
if i could rate the restaurant 2.5, i would. maybe.
i came here with a friend. he ordered the peruvian style chicken fried rice and i ordered a lodo saldano(?!). well, it had sirloin, tomatoes, fried potatoes and onions with rice.
we were served this tasty soup before the food came. it came with this orange spicy sauce on the side and some butter. i retardedly spooned in two dobs of the spicy sauce without tasting it first. i'm not a fan of spicy food (because my gut cant handle it) but it was pretty good.
the food arrived. we shared a some of the food with each other.
the fried rice is okay. tasted too much of soy sauce. i tasted nothing peruvian about it. i could make this, but i don't like soy sauce in my fried rice.
my entree was similar to his. there sure was a lot of soy sauce. i could make this myself, but i don't see why i would. aside from the tomatoes which i'm not accustomed to (and did not mind), it was rather salty and i couldn't taste anything exotic about it.
i like how it is local, but they need to do something different. or maybe i should have gotten the chicken entree they recommend on their business card. i don't know. i just don't feel like coming back.
plus, if i wanted crappy 'chinese' food, i would have gone to panda express instead. -
Review from Toni M.
10/9/2007
4+ stars. As people have said, it's not fancy, although I disagree that it's in a ghetto neighborhood. The owners are friendly and welcoming. We have loved the mussels and I have cravings for the salad w/ its lemony dressing. I adore the sopa de camarones. It's filling and has just enough spice for me. The first time we were here I had the roasted chicken and it was a bit on the dry side. I can get chicken anywhere. What I get here is special.
Listed in: Eating All Around the World
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Review from Ben R.
Rancho Cordova, CA
Updated - 2/16/2010
So i go there around 1:30pm on a Wednesday and they don't serve anticuchos until after 3pm. I asked for a ceviche and it was ready yet. So i had to order the usual lomo saltado, yuca frita, papa a la huancaina, chicha morada and alfajores. I am not a big dude but when it comes to Peruvian food I TEAR IT UP.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/20/2007
Excellent peruvian food and the prices are affordable. If you like pollo a la brasa or tallarines… Read more »
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Review from Markito M.
Oakland, CA
12/29/2008
The good part is it feels like home and the food for the most part tastes really good. And the prices are reasonable. The bad part is my wife got food poisoning from the ceviche. Another Peruvian friend said her husband had gotten sick from the ceviche before too. They have been back, my wife wants to go back but I'm not interested...
Listed in: Peruvian Places
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Review from Carl B.
Concord, CA
8/10/2010
Their Lomo Saltado is a favorite, and their anticuchos are very tender and tasty...Chicha Morada (purple corn drink,simultaneously sweet, spicy, and fruity) or Inca Kola to wash it down, and you can take it to go...Great lunch for under $15 and if Peruvian isn't what you want right then, they have a good choice of Italian fare as well...good sized portions and 25% cheaper when you order from the lunch menu...I'll be back.
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Review from Noel T.
Hercules, CA
9/5/2006
Peruvian and italian exactly! - an odd mix. Forget about how it looks like from the outside - the peruvian dish I got is good enough to break the Thai/Filipino/Hawaiian/Japanese/mexican monotony.
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Review from d l.
Oakland, CA
11/28/2007
Being part peruvian and having lived there for a few years there is not one restaurant that i have tried in the states that has came close to the resturants in peru . El chalan however is one of the best in the bay area but be cautious becuase there are only a few good things that you cant go wrong with on the menu . they are : ocopa , papa a la huancaina , seco de cordero , pollo a la brasa and chicharron de pollo . the aguadito is not bad either , everything else sucks . also make sure not to wear your best gear to this place because the ventilation is the worst and you leave the joint smelling like the chicharron grease they use in the kitchen
