Instead of singling out a small handful of great meals from the last year, I decided to publish a stream-of-consciousness account of the last year of eating. For us, one great meal often leads to another great meal.
We started the year right in Huanchaco in the Northern Part of Peru, a region known for the ceviche. One of our favorite dishes of the year was Cangrejo Reventado. Technically, we first tried it in the last days of 2022. However, after debating whether it was worth it to bring crab from Huanchaco in our suitcase, we decided to make it one of the first homecooked meals of the year with ingredients from our favorite seafood market in Chorillos.
Back in Lima, we enjoyed fried fish with a view of the cold beach, sampled the scallops (served in the half shell) at some great restaurants including El Mercado and Matria, and had a festive dinner at Baan, one of the few restaurants in Peru serving Thai food (we’re eagerly awaiting their re-opening in Miraflores).
Swimming and Tacos in Cancun and Tulum
Next, we spent a couple of nights in Cancun. We stayed in an Airbnb with what was practically a private beach next to a great restaurant where we enjoyed a 1.5 kg fish just between the two of us (it was the smallest fish they had). We’ve now been to Cancun twice but have yet to step foot in the Hotel Zone.
We spent a month in Tulum, our second stint there. We aimed to find an Airbnb next to the supermarket and closer to the beach, but due to an Airbnb glitch, we ended up in what seemed like a makeshift neighborhood for gringos on the opposite side of town than we intended. The pools were nice though. Yes, there were two pools.
Our best decision was to take a day off of exploring and enjoy homemade Aguachile poolside. After trying several mediocre taco places, we finally discovered a couple of great taco places. One, Taqueria Honorio, was the one that all of the bloggers recommended. We didn’t try it until the end of our second stay because their hours didn’t line up well with my work schedule. Maybe I shouldn’t be but I’m always shocked nowadays when a place lives up to the hype. There were many different tacos to try, all of them good.
Life Events in the US
After Tulum, I headed back to the US including a work trip in Boston, seeing my newborn nephew in Chicago, and celebrating my 40th birthday with friends in Colorado.
In Boston, I enjoyed local seafood including a hotpot and a seafood tower with my cousins. We had a great time in Colorado even though it was during the infamous mud season. I also started cooking again. It took me a couple of meals to get back into the groove, but I made several good meals including green chili, mole coloradito (pun intended) with mole base I brought from Mexico, and hot pot.
It was also a great opportunity to check out the burgeoning food scene in Breckenridge. I had a wonderful dinner with nine friends at Aurum and then with a smaller group who stayed longer, we enjoyed a meal at the Chef’s Table at Rootstalk.
I was also able to meet Chris from Nomadic Foodist in person. He showed me where to get authentic Dim Sum and Asian groceries in Denver. Listen to our conversation about Peruvian food here.
Ten Days in CDMX
Mariela and I reunited in Mexico City. At first, I was hesitant to stay in Polanco because it doesn’t feel like Mexico to me at all to me, but it turns out that the Airbnb was well-situated at the border of Polanco. We got to enjoy the condo pool while being a short walk to a couple of small local markets and local spots.
I had been promising Mariela street tacos for a while. Mariela asked why we didn’t have tacos in Lima. I told her we should wait until we visit Mexico City. Mariela has since learned to be careful what she wishes for when it comes to food. We had tacos about five times a day, usually wherever was convenient but we also made a couple of trips specifically for tacos. I honestly don’t know why people sign up for taco tours when you can easily create one on the fly.
Long Stay in Italy
Our trip to Europe was originally supposed to be a ten-day vacation, but we ended up deciding to stay a couple of days short of the 90-day limit.
We started in Rome, spent a rainy week in Venice, and went to Emilia-Romagna to see what the fuss was about (Bologna, the capital, had just been named the food destination of the year or something to that effect).
I was quite happy at my first pick for dinner in Rome. By eyeballing the map, I managed to find a place that was close to where we were staying but serving more authentic fare.
I know we succeeded not just because of the food but also because we ended up talking to a local who had eaten his way through Rome and more. They told us about what makes a perfect pizza for them and recommended a “Pizza Lab” which we visited and immensely enjoyed. Unfortunately, my other picks, for my actual birthday dinner, for example, were not nearly as good.
I can’t believe I actually toyed with the idea of not eating pasta or carbs in Italy. That would’ve been a mistake!
The highlight of Emilia Romagna was seeing how Parmesan, Balsamic Vinegar, and Salami were made. We did all of this plus lunch, all before the work day started in Boston. In addition to the photos, we still have a souvenir from this wonderful tour. We lugged a kilogram of Parmesan more than a dozen Airbnbs and now a hunk of it is living in our freezer. That calls for making Conchitas a la parmesana soon.

Then we spent six glorious weeks in Florence. A lot of our best food memories in Italy were cooking in our beautiful Airbnb kitchen. When we started planning a longer trip, one of our main goals in Italy was simply to stay in one place for six weeks. After Tulum, we realized that one month in a place felt rushed. By the time, you get settled, find the best market, etc, it’s time to pack up again.
We found the restaurants in Florence to be hit or miss, but we had a great steak Florentine at a spot slightly off the beaten path. One of the worst meals we had was also in Florence. You may have seen the sandwiches on Instagram. The marketing is quite incredible. For blocks, you see people eating these sandwiches wrapped with the distinctive red and white parchment paper.
The sandwiches looked good though a little overstuffed. However, the taste was shockingly bad. I’m still puzzled as to how they managed to find ingredients that tasted like cardboard in Italy (while still looking good for the Insta).
On weekends, we would explore the towns in Tuscany, focusing on ones that we could access by rail. Each town had its specialty. Our final weekend in Tuscany will be the one we will continue to remember. After a couple of wine-tasting stops and a parade of more kinds of cheeses and prosciutto than we can ever remember, we snuck out to a quiet little spot and were engaged!
Tapas and Tinto in Spain
In Spain, we subsisted almost entirely on tapas and tinto verano. I guess our Airbnb kitchen luck finally ran out. In Madrid, we ended up in a place with a kitchen whose ceiling was too low for us to stand up (and we’re not very tall). The hosts also managed to omit the fact that the Airbnb was on the ninth floor and you had to take the stairs. Also, strangely, the food at the market was more expensive than eating out.
As an aside, we discovered several local tapas places in different cities that also served Chinese food, which I hadn’t heard about before. It seems like in this day and age travel articles are all about spoiling the little oddities and quirks you encounter in a destination. It’s nice to be surprised once in a while.
In Barcelona, we had a wonderful lunch at El Quim de la Boqueria. I’m always pleasantly surprised now when a famous place delivers. Even though it was packed on all sides, our server made time to talk to us and answer questions. With the beach, paella, and massive aquarium, Valencia proved to be a great stop.
In Madrid, we were able to share drinks and food including spritzes, picnics, and jamón with good friends from Peru.
Back to Reality in Lima
Three months back in Lima was a blur. Matters of sickness and health were at the top of mind for us.
Food was a welcome distraction during these few months. We managed to find a favorite everyday Chifa spot, one away from the chaos of downtown. We tried many of the trending cevicherías but found ourselves returning to old favorites. We also tried a lot of pollo a la brasa and nikkei food but can’t really declare a favorite (yet).
During our last week, we had a string of great back-to-back food experiences including discovering the pizza at 500 grados, the master class with Chef Arlette Eulert at Urban Kitchen, and a final lunch at La Rosa Nautica.
(This part is especially short since I previously wrote about our experiences.)
Back in the US
I spent a week in Atlanta with my childhood friend and his family. I made Peruvian-spiced chicken while also enjoying Publix’s fried chicken. We rounded out a visit with a stellar dinner at South City Kitchen where we enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes, She-Crab Soup, Cornmeal Spoonbread, Shrimp and Grits, and Banana Pudding.
During a work trip in Boston, I enjoyed another seafood tower, Korean barbeque, lox bagel, and some of the best barbeque I’ve had outside of Austin and the South. In Washington, I enjoyed Thai meals infused with lots of Thai Basil, one of the flavor profiles I miss the most. Thanksgiving dinner was a mix of Asian and American flavors. I made a Thai clam chowder by request and Permission stuffing just because we had so many persimmons.
Staycation in Lima
We had an early vacation in Punta Cana and returned to Lima for the holidays and to close out the year. We decided to take it easy in Lima for the holidays, starting with putting together a puzzle that kept us until 3 am.
I’ve already realized that leaving a little more space between plans allows some things to happen spontaneously. For example, I had dinner at Rocco after a day of Christmas shopping and ran into an acquaintance from my early days in Peru. While messaging with friends over lunch, I managed to convince Jake, a good friend whom I’ve traveled with in Ireland, Thailand, and Ecuador to visit.
Looking Back and then Ahead
This year, I can definitely say that we made just about every meal count. Meals were an opportunity to try new things, learn about the place whether I was just passing through for the first time or revisiting, and most importantly connect with friends and family.
Early next year, I will expand my writing beyond just writing about Peru. I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m planning it to be much more than a chronological narrative. The focus will be on how Mariela and I often experience places—staying longer than normal but not forever. And cooking with curiosity in new places.
Don’t worry—I still have plenty more to learn and write about Peruvian food!