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Category: Latin American [Edit]
1924 I Street NWFarragut West (Blue, Orange)
Farragut North (Red)
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I walked by this basement restaurant thinking it would be cheap, good, hole-in-the-wall ethnic food. The food was cheap and good, but it was definitely nicer than I expected. It's surprisingly bright and makes you forget that you're in a basement. I think 'charming' is a good way to describe it.
Love the red onion relish-type stuff that comes with the papas rellenas (fried stuffed potato balls) and some of the rice dishes. And the spicy sauce that comes with the bread basket will make your face burn but somehow you'll want to keep eating it.
HATED IT!! Stuffy atmosphere, low quality ingredients, Super high price, small portions. The order of papa a la huancaina had 5 peices of sliced potato and a small dripping of huancaina sauce...and it was rubbery.....like as in the wrong kind of fresh cheese !!...Again small portions too.....I think this app was $9 or so. Also got a plate of bread and a dish with a small dap of red ahi.....also expensive and bad form for Peruvian food.
I've been to Peru 11 times and stick to the street food culture and neighborhood eateries...
....head over to Inti on 18th for familiar and fantastical peruvian fare.
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I went here on Peruvian Independence Day (July 28th) with my room mate. I'm Peruvian and wanted to show my roomate how amazing Peruvian food was.
Worst. Choice. Ever.
We go in and it's practically empty even though it's 7 pm. I chalked it up to being early, so I ordered a Papa a la Huancaina as an appetizer then Lomo Saltado for me and Aji de Gallina for her. We were served a pretty good bread bowl, so I had high hopes for the food.
The Papa a la Huancaina did not taste right. There was almost no taste of peanut; it was totally bland. Then the Aji de Gallina was RED COLORED. Even in Peru's super cheap market stalls, aji de gallina is never red. I didn't even know it could be red! I figure that the might have run out of aji amarillo which is totally unacceptable for a Peruvian restaurant. It's like having an Italian restaurant with no garlic.
My lomo saltado was a little better, but still too salty.
Afterwards, when we finally got our bill (after waiting for a good 20 minutes and waving frantically). I opened it up and was shocked to see a bill for $70 something dollars. They had given us the wrong bill which was more than $40 than the actual one. When I pointed it out, the server didn't even apologize. He did switch it though.
Bottom line: I was incredibly upset by this restaurant. Peruvian food is absolutely delicious. This is not at all a good representation. Do not repeat my mistake and go here. Frankly, you'd be a whole lot better spending $7 and going to a pollo a la brasa place. This is a total rip off.
People thought this was:
Peruvian food isn't super exotic (think seafood and potatoes), but the spices are a bit unusual to the American palate, making this a nice place to take someone looking to branch out who isn't really all that adventurous. That said, there are some dishes on the menu that will be completely foreign to most Americans. It's a nice mix.
We were in from out of town, and actually found El Chalan through the http://Yelp.com iPhone app. Thanks, guys! It was the sort of place we'd have walked right by if we hadn't read the reviews, but we sought it out and really enjoyed ourselves.
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Okay so everyone loves the lomo, but I wanted to write a review to suport the seco a la huachana (braised beef) dish, which is also really good.
I know this isn't the secret hole-in-the-wall (um, Tom Sietsema talks about it all the time), but it IS located in a random place unless you happen to work nearby.
The staff is always really friendly and accomodating, and the place is actually always really clean. Since it's in a basement, you'd think it would be a little musty/mildewy smell, but it's not at all. That's a really good thing.
My only complaint is that they use those odd size juice glasses for beverages and that the soda syrup is very much the "cola" syrup from the bar gun. Opt for the iced tea (or a pisco sour).
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El Chalan beats Inti on two fronts:
1. They have causa rellena de atun, which is essentially a cold tuna and mashed potato casserole, which I realize sounds appalling, but is really, genuinely delicious.
2. Oh, the pisco sours: the regal, fruity brandy burning in your throat, warmly spiced with cinnamon, citrus tang of lime and a soft cloud of egg white melting sensuously on your tongue. Although the same price, El Chalan's piscos aren't frozen like those from Inti and are also much, much boozier. Mmmm.
But overall, I have to say, I don't like the food at El Chalan as much as I do Inti's. Its menu is slightly different - Inti focuses more on chifa cuisine than does El Chalan.
I use the lomo saltado as my gauge--although El Chalan's version is solid, Inti's is far better: the beef tenderer, the sauce more complex, fragrant with cilantro and dark with soy, and the rice more al dente.
The decor is, I suppose, rustic. It's quite comfortable during winter, warm, below-ground, low-ceilings and spackled walls, with enormous tables and garish religious icons bedecked in gilded robes judging you from the walls. It's unromantic, but homey, somewhere where you could quite happily eat grotesque amounts of food and get pissed on delicious, delicious pisco sours with a group of friends.
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El Chalan is as good as it gets for Peruvian food! The restaurant is far removed from the downtown locales and definitely out of place on I street. Nonetheless, it's a perfect place to go to avoid the noisy tourist and business saturated restaurants in the vicinity. The service was great and the interior decor is nice without the pretentious feel in many downtown DC restaurants. Finally, El Chalan is inarguably better than it's Dupont Circle counterpart, Inti, except I wish the former would also serve horchata as a beverage.
Come hungry. Portions are large...Bread is great, and hot.
Quality food, great ingredients...
Can be a little greasy, if you are not used to it.
Have fun.
I went to El Chalan for a friend's birthday. The friend is quite hooked on the Pisco Sour and so we all wanted to check what that was all about. I tried them before and they were OK but here -- ohhh - you want to come here to experience a real Pisco Sour. The slightly sour beverage with the frothy top - like a liquid lemon merengue (sp?) - and some cinnamon sprinkled on top! If you can use your charms they may even let you try a larger version of it with a shot of tequila. Also tasty but I would recommend sticking with the original.
The service here is old school and ultra friendly. You really feel taken care of! The restaurant is basically in the basement of a row house on I Street. The decoration is old fashioned and because of the lower ceilings and the basement it feels cozy!
The warm bread is yummy, the appetizers - especially the ceviche - worth coming back for over and over....
We ate so many appetizers we could only split a main dish - a beef stew. The meat was tender and flavorful and I would not mind having a whole plate to myself next time! (-:
El Chalan is a small, cozy, basement restaurant located in an area overrun with lunchtime salad/sandwich joints. The faded sign and sunk-down doorway don't exactly scream "come eat here", but one must ignore the exterior and enter.
The decor is (what I assume to be) very Peruvian. The tables are set nicely and the service is very professional. Our server was very attentive, polite and friendly, despite his thick accent. I decided to go with the ever-popular Lomo Saltado, a dish I've eaten at many restaurants. It was fabulous. The portions were generous and I feel I got my $15 worth. I washed it all down with a nice Peruvian beer, who's name escapes me.
The prices are standard for a nice restaurant - about $14-20/entree. They have "american-friendly" options like Lomo, but also some exotic plates like a "Beef Heart" appetizer and "Goat Stew cooked in beer".
One thing which must not be ignored is the super spicy peanut chili sauce which is served with their buttery bread... it is awesome and well-worth the burn. It was unlike any other hot sauce I've tried.
There was only one other table eating when we arrived, but it was a Monday afternoon at 5:30pm, so I didn't expect a crowd. I would certainly recommend El Chalan if you are a fan of Peruvian food, if you are interested in trying a new cuisine or if you are on a date. I will be eating here again soon.... goat stew, here I come!
I wish I had tried the Pisco Sour, maybe next time.
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El Chalan is a Peruvian restaurant that is right next to my work so I go there all the time with my co-workers for special occasions (birthdays, promotions, etc.) as well as family & friends. It is one of the few authentic Peruvian restaurants in the city where the waiters are all from their home country and the ethnic food is served with consistency every time. The restaurant has a good ambience with ancient looking S. American works of art decorating the restaurant on all sides and soft Spanish music playing by the small bar area. One of the best dishes in my opinion is Lomo saltado (thinly sliced beef steak) with potato's on the side, although my co-workers prefer Cabra (goat) dish. Also, they bake their own bread which is basically all you can eat. Only complaint I have about this place is the slow service although that can be expected as it is small and tends to frequently get crowded.
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So I went here last night . The place looks like they bought a house and redecorated into a resturant! The place is super cozy and I felt like I was at home being served a well cooked meal.
We started off with the Ceviche Mixto which is a cold seafood apptz... Very tangy and has a bite to it... Cold fish served on a bed of lettuce..calamari.. and sweet potatoes with corn. Very sweet and tangy dish.. Oh and the bread here is amazing it almost takes like cake! Its sweet and warm. Served with a spicy dipping sauce that is out this world. I dont know how to describe the flavors but its mouth watering spicy!
Now on to the main course I got the Lomo Saltado which is pieces of steak, onions, tomatoes, green peas, potatoes served with a side of rice.. the meat was so tender and juicy. All the veggies were cooked tender not soggy! I loved it! The flavors in this dish were well incorporated. The Mr. got A Tilipia dish served with a creamy sauce on top of the tilipia there were huge pieces of shrimp and green & red peppers, with some onions.. The sauce was delish! i had a bite and wantred more of his! I couldnt decide which was better my dish or his!!
Now One thing YOU MUST try here is there Sour melon drink... its topped with cinnamon amazing good! Not sure the name but just ask ur waiter for the Sour Peru Drink!! Tastes like a melon drop but with cinniamon and some more sourness!! Great drink!
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As a connoisseur of Peruvian food I found El Chalan to be an excellent value with great food and charming atmosphere. Do not be put off by the entrance that gives the impression that the restaurant is in the basement of an old home. Once inside, you will be pleasantly surprised by the beautifully decorated and very comfortable environment. This is a fine dining establishment. The Ceviche is simple, fresh and clean tasting - great flavors, however smaller portions from what one may find in Los Angeles or Miami Peruvian restaurants. I can recommend the Lomo Saltado Especial which was prepared perfectly using Filet Mignon. If in DC this is a must try for fans of Peruvian food and newbies alike.
My boyfriend and I spent our 5th anniversary in DC. We found this place, it had pretty good reviews so we decided to try it out for lunch. I was skeptical as I walked in the door (I was not impressed by the outside, or that small middle space between the front door and the dining room)...but it quickly earned my approval after some amazing bread (why don't all restaurants serve bread like this?), and two excellent appetizers--one soup (i've forgotten what it's called--it's the "milk based" one), and this potato appetizer--they were amazing.
Service was great, but food was a little slow in coming out (compounded, since I was hungry and therefore impatient)--though i will say it was definitely worth the wait. I ordered the Aji de Gallina, and my boyfriend ordered the lomo saltado--they were both amazing, great flavor to both dishes.
We loved this place so much, we planned to go back for dinner!
Definitely recommended--if you don't mind waiting for your food.
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This restaurant is on my girlfriend's bus route home, and it also looked really interesting. The other week we stopped in to try out the Peruvian food since neither of us had ever had Peruvian cuisine before.
It's a basement restaurant, so don't expect the place to be flooding with natural light. It's also right on the street next to a high-traffic area, so there were moments when the fire engines graced us with their sirens.
Those factors aside, the food is amazing. The stuffed potatoes... fantastic. The blend of various cultures in Peruvian cuisine made it a smorgasbord of deliciousness. The wait staff was attentive and the host was very accommodating, even cute. Jo had the Lomo Saltado, and the beef was extremely tender and very well seasoned. I had the Cabrito Norteno, which was goat (I've never had it, seemed interesting) and it was tasty. It was tougher than I thought it'd be but maybe that was because it was goat, but came in huge portions.
The bread that came with the meal was possibly the best bread I've ever had in a restaurant. It was SO GOOD.
The prices are a little higher than what I normally pay, but it's not unreasonable for great food. I would go back again, and because it's not exactly in the heart of town, it's got plenty of room for an intimate dinner.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE! The Aji de Gallina is delicious. Also, probably the only place in DC with quality pisco sours. It looks like a hole in the wall from outside, but once you walk in, you'll notice the difference. It is such a cute place inside, with wooden tables, cloth tablecloths and napkins, and friendly service. Also, on weekends, there is a man who plays guitar.
Enjoy!!
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It's been several years since we last visited, but the first time I ate there, it was with a Peruvian friend visiting the area. He loved the food so much we went back for dinner the same day.
I went here with my Peruvian coworker today for lunch. The food was excellent. My coworker has been here many times before, and he has said this is one of the best in DC.
I got the steak with the fried egg on top. It has veggies on the side. It was good. The restaurant was packed for lunch. Also, according to my coworker, all of the good dishes are marked with an allow 25 minutes to prepare next to it. Since it was for lunch, we cannot wait 25 minutes for a dish.
Overall, the food was great, service was so-so as the restaurant was extremely busy.
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[Eaten there 5 times from 2007-2009] There's nothing else to say but Lomo Saltado. It's so good, and as you're grabbing the last fry and last cube of beef, you'll think the portions are small. The rice is also very good. I've also ordered the seafood soup, which was pretty good too. (I wouldn't necessarily go for the tripe, unless you're used to eating so much tripe.) I'm not into the bread they hand out or the hot green salsa that's on the table. The only other comment is the place is small (which is okay) but the seating is really tight. Arrive before the lunch rush or you'll be in trouble. It's a bastion of surely the Mexican Embassy, the nearby OAS, and the crowd from the WB/IFC/IMF - so no work chatter. Also love that there's a coat rack at the door. But again, last words... LOMO SALTADO! Always a hit!
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So, a little back story. When my husband proposed to me, he did it as a surprise. Like, an "I thought I was going out to dinner and ended up on a plane kind of surprise". Where we went..I will save that story for another time.
The point of that tale was that our honeymoon was another surprise, And it turned out to be Peru. So, I know my Peruvian food. Believe me, it is pretty close to what I had in Cuzco and other cities,
I suggest the "arroz con mariscos" (rice with seafood) or "lomo saltado" (sauteed beef) are both excellent choices and true to what is offered in Peru. I had never had better ceviche than I had here-- fresh and well spiced. Make your meal complete and order a pisco sour.
Best to come here on a weeknight as the space is small and feels even smaller due to the low ceiling
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Hole in the wall on I Street near Farragut West.
I got the Shirmp Chowder as take out lunch one day, it was okay. Shrimp was a bit overcooked, the chowder is not as creamy. And I don't like the bread that came with the soup.
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A friend and I have been meaning to come here for a very long time so when we were at her place and having no luck on a decision for dinner, I suggested we try El Chalan. YAY!
We got there on the later side and I was concerned that they might be closing soon. Not to worry, the room was filled (bonus points that it was filled with mostly South American patrons - that's a good sign) and was very alive. This little restaurant is tucked in a basement location on I street, but it's so cute and cozy. I really felt like I had been transported to some little hideaway very far from Washington, DC.
We decided to split a salad and a meal. We started with the avocado and hearts of palm salad. I learned for the first time that I do not like hearts of palm. The avocado wasn't ripe enough, but the dressing was yummy. The bread they gave us was interestingly sweet and the spread (I think) was made of habaneros. It was spicy! For our meal we had the Arroz con Mariscos - a Peruvian paella. It was yum-o! I wasn't a fan of the clams and mussels, but my friend liked them so I got the shrimp. There were also big chunks of whitfish and calamari. The rice was perfectly cooked and the sauce was just right. We were full and satisfied.
This late at night, they had a small waitstaff. One server, one busboy and a manager. They did an excellent job of working that entire room. They were efficient and friendly.
On the downside, it was a little pricey. The salad wasn't worth the $8.95 price tag and I noticed that the soups on the menu were also $8.95. However, to balance that out, I've just found that they sometimes send out coupons for buy one entree get one half price.
I would definitely come back here. I'd love to try the pisco sour and sample some of the other fine looking stuff on the menu.
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I have ordered the same dish over and over at this restaurant for six years, and the dish has never varied in quality. The dish, by the way, is cabrito norten~o, and I highly recommend it.
The bread is a hit-or-miss; sometimes they serve good fresh bread, other times they serve semi-stale bread. I'm not a fan of their flan... there's something artificial-tasting about it, and the consistency doesn't seem quite right. The other thing I don't like too much is that they don't seem to treat their regular customers with any extra care; I used to frequent the restaurant, and considering the fact that I would order the same dish over and over, I'd expect a restaurant to at least indicate that they knew what I'd be ordering.
Otherwise, the main dishes are good in general, and this is a restaurant whose food is reliably tasty.
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Definitley a restaurant in a basement feeling. If your like me and my 20-some cousins, you'll like the rice hear.
The staff is friendly, they even concocted me my very own drink...at least that's what they told me.
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came here with a co-worker after a day at the office and ordered some ceviche mixto to share, lomo saltado for me and the goat stew (cabrito nordeno) for him.
The ceviche was fine, nothing spectacular but nothing too bad. Just be careful, I bit into a jalapeno seed and my mouth was on fire for the next 10 minutes, even after eating bread and other non-jalapeno-y things in the ceviche.
Lomo saltado: the beef was really soft and tender but still cooked well. Overall tasty but the sauce was just really salty. Like...REALLY salty. I needed more rice to neutralize the flavor a bit.
I had a bite of the goat stew which was really good. Better than the goat stew I had a Bukom Cafe in Adams Morgan. Tender and tasty.
The service was spotty, the first 2 times someone came to take our drink order and drop off the bread basket, the server ( 2 separate ones) did not look at us at all. It was bizarre. Oh yeah, the 2 girls next to us who conveniently looked Peruvian got there after us and got their food immediately, while we waited about 20 minutes.
Granted, I guess I can't be a hypocrite since I expect special treatment when I go to Japanese restaurants too...=/
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One of my favorite restaurants in DC. The restaurant is very nicely appointed, a continent away from the the ugly streetscape outside. The service is helpful and efficient. The ceviche here is fantastic, with a perfectly mixed lemon marinade that has a perfect balance between sour and spicy that beautifully compliments the seafood. The beef heart anticuchos are also great, with the thin strips of heart dripping with savory flavor.
The entrees are even more fantastic. The lomo saltado (both versions) are delicious, with wonderfully prepared potatoes and onions giving real body and heaviness to the beef dish, while the steak du jour is a favorite of mine, a prime ribeye steak topped by an egg, with wonderfully seasoned rice next to a surprisingly good tomato and onion salad. The chicken is also great, though the peanut chicken is a bit bland. The cabrito (goat) is unbelievably tasty.
The desserts, though limited to three options are all good. The arroz con leche stands out as being particularly good.
For the quality of the food, the prices are very reasonable. Easily one of the best hidden treasures of Washington, being equally good for a classy date or casual meal with friends. Highly recommended.
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so like all 26 year old asian chicks should do, i decided to celebrate my bday over a course of a week.. you know.. to avoid the horrible one day celebration hangovers..
anyhoo.. because my bday is today, and because it's a monday, my kick ass boss was like.. "dood.. the posse and i will take you out to lunch.. pick a place" .. and after reading the reviews here, and my trusty google map, i was like.. "dood.. let's go to el chalan"
el chalan is awesome.. and here's why:
1) it's a hole in the wall = as every chean azn knows, hole in the wall = don't drink the tap water too much, and gooood fooood.. it's sorta this tiny restaurant on the bottom floor of the building, with cute peruvian styled decor inside. everything's clean, neat, and fit for no one taller than 6'4.. sorry tall people.. you'll haveta feel a lil' like gandolff in frotos' house.
2) the menu is priced cheap cheap CHEAP.. granted i went for lunch, but the prices were all within $15 and under, with the exception of filet mignon.. at a crazy price of.. $24.95.. so dinner might be $15-20.. but it was definitely worth every penny.
3) the ceviche is to die for.. spiced, and cured perfectly with a tangy yet a lil' bit spicy flavor.. it was perfect for those hot summer days. they dont give you any chips to go with, but the bread that they give you actually is a great compliment to that tangy spicy flavor.. it's pricier, but its better than cafe citron ceviche!
4) portions are fabulous.. you get large portions to feed that empty abyss you call your stomach, and everything is well flavored and smells tremendously delish. you'll just want to have whatever your neighbor is having.. .. "just a fork full.. PPPLLLLEEAASSE????"
5) finally it's not the crisp and juicy peruvian chicken that you're getting at a fast food pace here.. it's authentic, with rice, homemade beans, and meats stewed, roasted, and fried to perfection. I had the goat stew which was lick all your fingers good.. and they have tripe (for the adventurers), lomo saltado - sauteed beef with french fries.., and a great selection of fish dishes... one thing though, if you get the paella, it tells you to give the chef 25 minutes time to prepare.. but you know that in those 25 minutes peruvian heaven will be bestode on you!
in the end, this place is cute, friendly, great on the tummy and fantastic on the wallet.. it's worth making my bf come into the city for dinner ..
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show some respect for the best peruvian restaurant in nwdc. great ceviche and sweet chicha. and they habla ingles.
word to the rookies: the restaurant prints a "buy one entree, get second half-off" coupon in the washington city paper every week.
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This was my second experience with Peruvian. The first time, the experience was horrible and I was going to give up on Peruvian. I am so glad that I didn't. I had a goat stew that is to date, the best goat I have ever had in my life. It was savory and sweet at the same time. I also had a taste of my friends' paella and fish and both were also great.
This place is in Foggy Bottom, but it is not readily noticed from the street. You have to go down some stairs. It is really cozy and good as a date spot.
For dessert, we shared a Peruvian cookie. It wasn't amazing or anything, but it was a nice ending to a very genuine meal.
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My parents, cousin, boyfriend, and I came here at our weekend vacation to Washington DC. My father paid everything for everyone and so because of that, we had to go wherever he wanted to go. He chose this restuarant because it was Peruvian and he wanted something close to our Spanish descent. The restaurant was small and there wasn't many people. My boyfriend and I noticed the tablecloth wasn't even tablecloth. It was paper. Our waiter seemed to be the owner since he looked excited we were a huge group. He was nice, but I felt that when I wanted to change my meal to a soup, he encouraged me to stay with the meal I chose first because I would have more food. I felt like he was making us buy more at higher prices. The food was okay. I had a fried fish with rice and other stuff I don't remember. I like how the tea was served in its own pot. The dessert wasn't special. It looked like something that came from a factory instead of home made. A cookie with a caramel filling. Yay. My boyfriend didn't like how all the dishes were chipped. My experience was okay. It's only good, in my opinion, for people who want something quick, as the service was fast.
We made our second trip back to El Chalan recently and we're glad we did! The atmosphere is very cozy....you step down into the restaurant from the street and feel as though you enter a whole new world. The food is delicious. The seco was outstanding! And when you go...make sure to order a Pisco Sour! wow!
Enjoy!
This little Latin restaurant in a cozy basement was an unexpected surprise. The bread was like Challah w/ a spicy sauce and all the dishes had a great flair. Lomo saltado was yummy. If it were a little cheaper, I would LOVE it. But, the place was packed. Totally authentic - you must go.
I'm really glad that I found this place while randomly taking a different route home. It is a little hole-in-the-wall Peruvian place with fantastic food. Yeah, it's in a basement...but from the reviews I read prior to my visit I was expecting dark and dreary. It's nothing like that! Yeah, if you're really tall you may have a problem-but it's cozy and adequately lit for a romantic atmosphere, not depressing. Since I had not experienced Peruvian dining prior to my visit to El Chalan, I cannot comment on the authenticity of the food. It was delicious, though. And the sangria rocked. If you don't want to eat here, fine...but you should make a trip for the sangria. It was also affordable. We ended up getting two dishes involving filet mignon, a half pitcher of sangria and dessert for $55. Not bad at all. The only reason I'm not giving them 5 stars is that we had to wait forever to get our check, even after trying to get the waiter's attention multiple times. We thought we might have to resort to tackling him as he walked by.
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a surprisingly cheery restaurant, considering it's underground, which has good bread, ceviche, and lomo saltado and just average arroz con mariscos. seemed a little pricey, though it may very well be the best peruvian in DC.
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Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Latin American
Washington, DC
Category: Spanish
Washington, DC
Category: Latin American
Silver Spring, MD
Category: Latin American
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