Along the Wall Township highway, you will find a restaurant that brings Peruvian life to anyone who…read morepasses by.
Website: 5/5
I did appreciate how the website immediately brings you to the Peruvian Spanish version of the site, while also granting you access to the English version.
The menu items have Peruvian names, while retaining English ingredients below them.
Brand: 5/5
The font and the color scheme has a vivacious appeal as part of the Latin American restaurant aesthetics. The font varies, yet retains a level of consistency. I also like the recurring symbols of the Nazca lines throughout the brand's aesthetics. Indeed, the brand effuses the history and culture of Peru from Macchu Pichu to the present.
The management hopes to provide a valuable lesson to the rest of the community in terms of introducing them to typical Peruvian cuisine. The website also details a poignant backstory behind the owner's childhood and the meals Perusa offers.
Ambiance: 5/5
The establishment had large enough space for multiple tables, and it was not noisy in any way. I liked how the menus had a leather exterior. There was a section of the establishment that had a stage for a band to play, which I can imagine must provide life to Perusa. I appreciated the television showing Peruvian news, immersing you into the Peruvian life.
Service: 5/5
We experienced no issues with the staff. While the staff did forget my water, they did come by to ask if I needed anything.
Wait Time: 5/5
We did not experience any interruptions with the wait time.
Food: 4/5
I ordered the Tamales de Cerdo (or Pork Tamales), which consists of corn dough stuffed with pork and hot sauce. I never had tamales before, so I did try to introduce myself to it. The packed meat inside definitely had the heartiness and spiciness that did not break the form of the wrap. The tamales was accompanied by a side of lettuce, onions, and tomato bits. While I did find the meal pleasant and tolerable enough, I did encounter a pit.
I confess that I did not finish it because I never had Peruvian cuisine before and was not sure whether I was supposed to eat the surface of the tamale.
Worth The Money?: 3/5
Upon viewing the menu items on the website, I can say that the establishment has a high price. The food, however, represent Peru with positivity and homeliness, for they reflect the country in a way that an outsider would understand. The food's preparedness matched the wait time perfectly. Coupling with the food, I definitely felt that sense of cultural immersion that every Latin American restaurant hopes to evoke.
The Peruvian news would be important if you were trying to learn to speak the Spanish language and needed to immerse yourself in some way in the language. News channels use formal speech that leaves little to no room for misunderstanding, making it easy to learn Spanish. It did not feel intrusive, yet can evoke curiosity in the sense of trying to figure out the words you learned in the past.
If people were already familiar with Peruvian life and cuisine, then I would say that Perusa would be worth the price. However, a lot of people in America, pertaining to the Hispanosphere, have more familiarity with Mexican and Puerto Rican life and cuisine than Peruvian.
As such, if I were to offer recommendations, it would be to include smaller dishes at cheaper prices (especially highly sought after dishes), in order to acclimate people to Peruvian cuisine.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I have a little bit of hope that Wall Township will see more relevance of Peruvian life and cuisine. I can clearly see how Perusa would continue to maintain relevance along that busy highway.
Recommend To...
Anyone trying to learn about Peru, perhaps wanting to travel there and need to immerse in the culture and cuisine or speak Peruvian Spanish.