This is a lovely restaurant. The decor is beautiful. Green fronds adorned the ceiling. There were…read moreseveral tasteful light fixtures. The ceiling over the bar featured artfully placed corn husks. They had two mocktail options. I had the chicha morada. It was sweet, but light. To start, we had the maitake ceviche. The mushrooms were perfectly firm and complemented nicely by the corn and carrots. The sauce was savory and tangy. Delicious enough to drink! They don't have any vegetarian entrees so I opted for the gnocchi with a side of the brussel sprouts sans bacon. The gnocchi had a rich cheese and melted in your mouth. The brussel sprouts were nicely roasted with a slightly sweet glaze. Two people joined our table late and they let us move to a larger one without issue. Portion sizes were small, especially given the price point, but otherwise, it was great for a splurge.

Fantastic dinner and service. My favorite dish was the hamachi tiradito. We then shared truffle…read moreyucca fries, octopus, the pork anticucho, and the night's special, veal heart anticucho. The portions were larger than we expected, so there were leftovers to take home. Everything was delicious.

Updating my review (don't worry, it's still 5 stars) because El Gordo is single handedly getting me…read morethrough the worst cold I have had in a very long time. If you are like me, and you also crave nothing but delicious, homemade chicken soup when you are sick, look no further. When my mom is too far away to bring me her soup, I get the Caldo De Gallina from here. Its delicious and warm and so nourishing. It has a rich broth, veggies, potatoes, and a chicken leg. Perfect for when all I want is broth with some bites of chicken and veggies in between. I also got an order of the steamed veggies as an add on and was really wonderfully surprised by them. They were so much more delicious than I anticipated. Perfectly steamed, heavily seasoned and a good dose of veggies. Thanks for keeping me sane and fed during a nasty cold, El Gordo!

amazinggggg food! the service was very fast and cool and the ambiance was perfect! I ordered a very…read morecool dish and the taste was splendid and the food was perfectly cooked!

Finally I could come to try this restaurant and I was gladly surprised, the hype is not fake…read more From the beginning, the attention from the personnel was super polite and respectful. I made a reservation and they've respected my request to be seated inside. The atmosphere inside is very vivid, like the name of the restaurant... it feels like you are in a party. My only wish is that they would play Peruvian music so the experience would be more immersive with the food. The menu is big and one of the things that I've liked was to see a lot of dishes that are not common in a Peruvian Restaurant outside Perú... like Aji de Gallina, Anticuchos and Picarones. Now the most important, the food... the quality was very good, since the plates arrived to our table, the smell and the presentation was a temptation to go all the way in. The ingredients used felt fresh and made to order. Every plate had its own characteristic and flavour... good size too. The "choco lucuma" cake for dessert was a great finish... moisty and the intensity of the chocolate and lucuma flavor to a good ratio. If you have the chance to try it... go for it, you'll not regret.

We came to Jarana with high expectations. As fans of Peruvian cuisine, we were excited to try a…read morerestaurant associated with such a well-known Peruvian chef. We left with the impression that this is probably the kind of restaurant someone should visit for their very first introduction to Peruvian food--not because it represents the best of Peru, but because it offers a simplified version of its flavors. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It's clear that a significant investment was made in the design, atmosphere, and overall experience. The service was friendly, and we noticed that many of the servers were Colombian, which isn't surprising since Colombians are well known for providing excellent hospitality. However, there were moments when it seemed that some of the traditional Peruvian flavors and drinks weren't fully understood. For example, the Pisco Sour we ordered was much sweeter than it should have been. We decided to start with the jalea, hoping it would set the tone for the meal. Unfortunately, it did the opposite. The dish was overly salty and lacked the balance and excitement that a great Peruvian jalea should have. Instead of reminding us of the vibrant seafood flavors found in Peru, it tasted more like generic fried seafood than an authentic Peruvian recipe. After that dish, we chose not to continue with the rest of the menu. To make matters worse, both of us experienced stomach pain afterward, which confirmed our decision to leave. One thing that also caught my attention is the restaurant's description of its food as "approachable Peruvian cuisine." Making Peruvian food approachable should never mean lowering the quality or authenticity of its flavors. Simplicity and accessibility can absolutely coexist with exceptional taste. The beautiful atmosphere should be matched by food that delivers the same level of excellence. Considering the premium prices, the culinary experience simply didn't justify the cost. If someone has never tried Peruvian food before, Jarana may serve... again: may serve as an introduction. However, for anyone looking to experience what Peruvian cuisine is truly capable of, there are several outstanding Peruvian restaurants within just a few miles that offer more authentic flavors, a better overall dining experience, and often at a lower price. I genuinely wanted to love this restaurant because the concept and ambiance are impressive. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting or the reputation behind the name.

The women who runs this place reminds me of my grandma... she's so nice!…read more Came here for lunch and the meal was great. They have 9$ lunch specials on weekday's, which I got, while my friend got the ceviche. Both our meals were fantastic- you can tell the corvina was super fresh while my soup and pork chop was cooked to perfection. Make sure to get the emoliente- it's freshly brewed and very unique. It kind of reminds me of sweetened herbal tea with barley and fruit overtones.

They hung up on me twice for not speaking spanish (i do know enough to place an order, they just…read moredidnt give me the chance), before i was able to place an order for take away. A modest restaurant, that seems to be run by family/close friends, which turned out to be some of the best peruvian food ive had in New Jersey so far. I really was craving ceviche and peruvian fried rice when I stumbled on this local store on Yelp. I did have difficulty placing an order at first, but once the man realized i speak some spanish and wanted to order food, he seemed to try to apologize and took my order. When i came in for pickup i was greeted by two workers who did indeed only speak Spanish. I think they forgot to cook my order because when i asked them about my pickup, the man was startled and asked me to wait an addition 10 minutes. After waiting, i received my order and paid (cash only). As a side note, they do have two small tables set outside for those who want to dine in. Despite the issues I had with getting my food, i have to say I am very impressed with the amount and quality of food. It really took me back to food in Peru and I was so happy to have found a good local shop. We asked for the spicy ceviche mixto and arroz chaufa mixto as well. The ceviche had a very good kick and was the best Ive had in NJ. Arroz chaufa was served in a large tray and was an unbelievable portion size. It looked and tasted very home-made and definitely could serve at least 2-3 people. For the price, taste, and quality of food, i dont think you could find better in NJ. It definitely adds fierce competition to larger peruvian restaurants. I know I had difficulty ordering but I do appreciate the hustle of a family serving its community. If you speak spanish or are willing to pick up google translate Id definitely recommend coming here. Will be back!

Rice was not my favorite but I think it is just how I ordered it - loved the Fish Saltado. bit loud…read morefor me personally but there was just a high number of people.

Family owned Peruvian restaurant. Authentic with modest decor inside. Everything here is so good…read more My favorite thing about their dishes is how GENEROUS they are with portions. One papa a la huacaina, arroz chaufa of chicken and ceviche mixed/mixto is more than enough for two people. Trust me. Love this place, order from here often, highly recommend. Plus. Came here Halloween day and they were giving out candy for kids which I deeply appreciate. Specially when other restaurants/stores make a NO CANDY sign instead of buying some bags of tax deductible candy.

Absolutely superb Peruvian food served by very nice folk. We had a trio of ceviche, a huge cauldron…read moreof chicken noodle soup (we took home a quart of leftovers. But the best was potatoes w/three cremas. The yellow was good, the red had a touch of spice, and the green was wonderfully earthy. We want to return with a group to explore more of the menu. The service was warm and caring.

Came here for lunch. My friend suggested this spot. I'm a fan of Peruvian food and I usually get…read morethe roasted chicken. Once we entered, we were seated at our table; there is a good amount of seating inside. I ordered from the lunch menu, which consists of an appetizer, main and dessert. I started off with the empanada de queso which was very cheesy and tasty. For my main, I got the half rotisserie chicken which comes with two sides, I got the rice and salad. The chicken was solid and the green sauce and hot sauce mixed together made for a nice dip for the chicken. Also got a pitcher of this purple drink, forgot what it was called but it was good. For dessert I got the tres leches cake, which was the right amount after the big meal. The portion size is very big and for the price ($14.75), you cannot beat that. They give you so much and def worth the trip. If you're in the mood for Peruvian food, I highly recommend place. * Street parking * Good service

Great causa! Nice staff and ambiance was very cool as well. Will come back for the anticuchosread more

The place was so cute and clean. The 2 girls working there Gimena and Angie outstanding service…read moreand friendly. Food was phenomenal, never try Peruvian food before what a flavor and everything so tasty delicious Thank you ladies for the recommendation.

The food is delicious and the seating area is always really clean. The service is really good!…read moreTry the chaufa!

Love, love, love!! The stuff is so sweet, so welcoming, and it really gives you like that home type…read morefeeling like I walked into my aunt's kitchen. And you know, auntie knows how to cook The food portions are so big for the price that you're paying it's insane. I ordered one meal and it turned it into two! Forget meal prepping. I'm just gonna order two meals at a time and be fed all week. My favorite is probably the stirfry rice with chicken and bunch of delicious flavors. Aka chauffa de pollo. I finally came in on the weekend so I could try their ceviche Mixto and it did not disappoint. I didn't get it this time but last time I came, I got the Lomo Salgado, which is basically like a sir, fry of veggies, french fries, and steak and that really hit the spot . So basically any food porn you want just come over here. It's not necessarily a hole in the wall because it's on the main Avenue but definitely one of the best Peruvian hidden gems!