Chicha Peruvian Kitchen & Café serves up Latin American flair.
In Peru, chicha refers to two things: one is chicha morada, the ubiquitous purple beverage made from corn, fruit, and spices. The other is the migration of people from different provinces and regions to the capital city of Lima in search of new and better opportunities.
Local restaurateurs and Peru natives Giancarlo Zapata and Marleny Chavez wanted to honor that spirit of hope and determination by opening Chicha Peruvian Kitchen & Cafe in Roseville, which they did in 2021.
“Thanks to these successful entrepreneurs bringing their dreams, food, customs, and folklore, a new culture emerges around Lima’s surroundings,” Zapata says. “We are using that as our name because we want to do the same by bringing Peruvian culture to the United States.”
A second location of Chicha Peruvian Kitchen & Cafe, in Midtown Sacramento, is scheduled to open this spring.
The restaurant offers dishes that embody the diversity found in Peruvian cuisine. Centuries of immigration means the food takes influence from Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, African, and Middle Eastern traditions. But at the heart are the traditions left by Indigenous people, with staples such as corn, potatoes, quinoa, and chili peppers popping up on nearly every menu. Lima’s culinary offerings are so celebrated that the city is known as the gastronomical capital of the Americas.
Zapata and Chavez are both classically trained, having studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Peru. They both worked in fine dining restaurants in their home country before immigrating to the States and starting a home-based catering company, which was a precursor to Chicha.
Zapata describes his cooking as traditional Peruvian with a modern edge. Popular dishes of his include ceviche, which is the national dish of Peru, served with sweet potato and corn. Another classic dish is the Chinese-influenced lomo saltado, strips of beef tenderloin stir-fried with onions, tomato, and soy sauce and mixed with French fries. Also popular is pescado a lo macho, pan fried white fish topped with seafood and a creamy pepper sauce.
Chavez is the restaurant’s pastry chef, and she turns out decadent sweets such as a passion fruit cheesecake and bread pudding. The two also offer a selection of Peruvian wines, as well as the quintessential Peruvian cocktail, the pisco sour. And yes, they also serve their namesake chicha morada, made from purple corn.
“Global fusion is worth talking about. It’s worth trying and trying again. We’re here to show diners that Peruvian food is worthwhile. We’re as good as any other restaurant out there,” Zapata adds. “We’re proud to bring our culture to the U.S.”
