Nazca Grill

It is probably evident from my previous post on Peru that I love Peruvian cuisine. Everything is so fresh, and the flavors are so vivid. The ingredients are simple, and must be at the utmost of quality and freshness to achieve the standard of Peruvian cooking. Before I went to Peru, I enjoyed several great Peruvian dishes in Los Angeles and even at the International Cottages at Balboa Park (love, love the festivals when these are open and serving food!).

When I discovered from a co-worker that there was, in fact, a Peruvian restaurant right in Kearny Mesa, I was stoked! Peruvian goodness almost any time that I wanted it? Without having to cook or drive to LA? Win!

Nazca Grill is tucked into a strip mall in Kearny Mesa, with nothing else to draw customers in other than some fast food chains and a Home Depot. When we entered, we were greeted with a nice rusty red décor, with the traditional Incan rugs on the wall. I was certain that we were in for a treat.

After some hemming and hawing over what we wanted to order, my husband went for the Lomo Saltado (he wanted a classic for comparison), while I went for a grilled seafood platter. It took awhile to receive our food, so once it was set on the table, we were starving!

With the wait, I guess that I was expecting the food to be excellent; however, I was a bit disappointed in our meals. The strips of beef in the lomo saltado were a little tough, and the seasoning was off. The taste of onions were overpowering, and the vegetables extremely mushy. The French fries, still crispy, were the best part.

My seafood platter, which contained shrimp, mussels, and calamari, was also pretty bland. There was almost no seasoning, and the pieces were very rubbery and overcooked. A tomato and onion salsa was served on top, but consisted primarily of onions and cilantro. I did not finish my order.

I’m kind of sad at the lack of options for Peruvian in San Diego. I’m hoping that Nazca Grill improves with time, as I would really like somewhere local for Peruvian.