Llama Peruvian Restaurant, 415 Anastasia Blvd, St. Augustine. 904-819-1760
By Irene Merenda
Spoonbill Courier Restaurant Critic
Frank and I had gone to Llama Peruvian Restaurant when it first opened about 7 years ago. We remembered that we enjoyed our meal, but with the vast assortment of restaurants in our area, we never thought to go back there until recently.
Another couple joined us on a Tuesday evening for our 6:00 reservation made through OpenTable. The first thing one notices when entering the restaurant is the variety of spicy aromas. The slight smell that I thought was marijuana, was not.(Continue reading if you’re curious!) The restaurant was filled when we entered and remained filled throughout our visit. Initially, it was a bit noisy, but after a certain group left, our conversation became much easier.
Our server, Gabriel, was a personable young man who greeted us quickly and brought us a small bowl of crunchy corn, nuts and plantain chips to have with our wine as we perused the menu. Gabriel had a slight “Peruvian accent”…..we thought…..The mystique was gone when he told us he was born and bred in Florida. Maybe we shouldn’t have asked!?
We ordered “Ceviche Lima” as an appetizer. ($17). This was a small portion of corvina marinated in lime juice, cilantro and limo peppers served with corn and glazed sweet potato pieces. Only the peppers were hot. The rest of the dish just had a slight spicy “kick.” It was delicious, but only enough for each of us to have just a bite or two.
After the appetizer, we were served a complimentary “intermezzo” of ginger beer, elderberry liqueur and sparkling wine. The drinks were served in adorable little copper cups. YUM!
Both ladies ordered fish wrapped in plantain leaves (below left) and cooked over hot coals. It was served with yucca, plantains, hearts of palm and a passion fruit cilantro sauce. ($39) Gabriel told us that the fish is typically amazonian arapaima, but tonight flounder was substituted. The fish was delicate and deliciously spiced. My friend thought her fish was slightly over-cooked, but mine was done perfectly. Although it was a fun challenge to remove the burnt plantain leaves from around the filet, I ended up with black fingertips and a messy table cloth! The dish was not beautiful, as you will see from the pictures, and I think could have been presented more artistically on a larger plate, perhaps with the burnt leaves at least partially removed.
Frank ordered “Seco De Pato Norteno” (above right) which is grilled duck breast with cilantro, Andean corn beer au jus with a side of garlic jasmine rice and onion salad. ($47) The duck was tender, flavorful and not greasy at all, as I tend to think of duck. In general, duck is not one of my favorites, but he thought the entree was excellent.
Our other friend ordered “Mar y Tiera,” (below) the Peruvian version of surf and turf. ($49) It was stir fried hangar steak with onion and tomatoes over a shrimp tagliatelle pasta in “Huancaina” sauce. I forgot to ask what made the sauce so delicious, but each of us agreed that this is the dish we would order the next time. The noodles were cooked al dente, the shrimp was fresh, and the steak was tender. However, it was the sauce that made this entree extra special.
For dessert, we ordered the “Sacred Valley Cacao” ($14). This was a dense chocolate mousse served in a cacao shell with a fruit puree, drizzled with chocolate sauce and garnished with burnt Urubamba eucalyptus. The eucalyptus was burned at our table and that’s when we learned from where the unusual aroma came. It most definitely was NOT marijuana!
Llama Restaurant can easily be missed along a busy stretch of A1A before the Bridge of Lions. There’s nothing exciting about the exterior and it blends in with other shops in that block. But it’s certainly worth looking for and finding!
I am awarding 4 and 1/2 Spoonbills out of 5 for this tiny restaurant (about 10 tables) with an interesting menu full of unusual imaginative offerings and unique flavors .
