World Affair
Peruvian restaurant brings together universal flavors
By Greg Sabin
Photography by Linda Smolek
May 2025
Peruvian cuisine, a triumph of fusion cooking, is having a moment. Chicha Peruvian Kitchen Midtown puts those global flavors center stage.
Chicha opened last summer, taking over from Pronto, a fast casual Italian concept. Chicha’s vibe is young and fresh. The funky hitch of Cumbia songs and the sway of salsa tunes play over the hi-fi. Service is attentive and friendly.
It’s a sit-down restaurant that feels more casual than it actually is. Decorations are cheeky. Murals of jungle cats and haunting female gazes stare out along one wall. Souvenir statues of llamas and bulls, brightly painted and delightful, sit on shelves.
Yet at Chicha, the napkins are linen. Every dish comes elegantly presented.
Peruvian cooking brings together influences from around the world. The indigenous culture has always been deft with the use of seafood, beans, squash and ever-present potatoes.
But through colonization and immigration, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, West Africa and Middle Eastern influences dropped spoons into the Peruvian melting pot. The results are novel and unforgettable.
If you know just one Peruvian dish, it’s probably ceviche. And if you’re like me and eat most of your ceviche at Mexican restaurants, a different experience awaits at Chicha.
Unlike traditional Mexican ceviche of chopped whitefish or shrimp mixed with tomatoes, avocado and a face-punch of citrus, Peruvian ceviche is subtle and mysterious.
Chicha has six ceviches. Each starts with paper-thin slices of whitefish and sweet potatoes nestled in a dressing of leche de tigre, “tiger’s milk.”
When I think of tiger’s milk, I recall a dubious nutrition bar from the 1980s. That’s not leche de tigre.
Peruvian tiger’s milk is a staple of Peruvian ceviche. It mixes vegetables, herbs, chilies, fish stock, fish trimmings and citrus, blended down and strained into a rich, pungent dressing. Add a splash of milk and Chicha’s ceviche is a gorgeous way to start a meal.
That’s how my wife and I began at Chicha. From there, we only communicated with raised eyebrow and yummy noises. Words failed us.
Empanadas are another highlight. I expected a straightforward dish and was surprised by depths of flavor packed into a dense, sumptuous dough. Enjoying a beef and raisin empanada, I thought the filling had been slowly, lovingly braised for days. The mozzarella version matches any calzone.
Main entrées span the globe. Chinese influences appear in fried rice and wok-fried beef. Italian influences are highlighted in a creamy shrimp pasta. African influences show up in a creamy fish dish with a South American take on curry.
A standout is the arroz con mariscos, a Peruvian paella with clams, mussels and shrimp. The texture of the rice and sauce fall somewhere between traditional Spanish paella and Italian risotto. The textures, the cabinet full of spices, and the multiple layers of flavor are not to be denied.
On the 16th Street corridor, Chicha brings intense flavors and unexpected combinations. I’m thrilled Peruvian cuisine is having its moment.
Chicha Peruvian Kitchen Midtown is at 1501 16th St.; (916) 573-3942; chichaperuviankitchens.com.
Editor’s Note: The March 2025 review of Fox & Goose misidentified the current ownership. Peter Monson is the sole owner.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
