Menu del Día
Sunday, February 11
In order to hike in the National Park of the Cordillera Blanca in the Andes, we first had to get used to the altitude of the Andes, so we spent a few weeks in the city of Huaraz. During the week, we worked from home, and on the weekends, we explored the city or went on hikes in the surrounding area.
The city of Huaraz was our base and starting point for our hikes, but the city is not a particularly exciting destination. After work, we often strolled around the city, visited the market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and over the course of the weeks, we became friends with the vendors at our favorite stalls. On one of our many walks through Huaraz, we discovered an inconspicuous little restaurant that seemed to be very popular with the locals.
The restaurant basically was one room with a few small tables and chairs. In front of the restaurant there was a large blackboard with various Peruivan dishes written on it in colorful chalk. We understood that this humble restaurant offered around ten different dishes every day, that changed daily. Like in many other Peruvian cities, you don’t just order a main course, but rather order the "Menu del Día," the menu of the day. Peruvian daily menus usually include a homemade drink and an appetizer in addition to the main course. If you order a "Menu del Día," you first choose an appetizer or soup from a list of appetizers, and then later choose a main course from a list of mains.
At this restaurant in Huaraz, they always served rice with a variety of meat stews, along with lentils, peas, or beans as a side dish. The owner and her daughter were so kind to us every time, although they were visibly surprised to see us foreigners entering their restaurant. Since this restaurant wasn't geared toward tourists, a Menu del Día there was seven Peruvian soles, or about 1.80, for a starter, main course, and a drink. The food was so delicious and freshly cooked every day that we regularly had lunch there. Because it was often quite chilly in Huaraz at an altitude of 3,000 meters, it was especially nice to eat a freshly home cooked, hot lunch.
