If you like seafood, this is the place. Large plates, fresh, and at a good price. The area is a little out of the way, but it is worth it! A Peruvian Ceviche is like no other. It is made with seafood, limejuice Aji chile, onions, corn, and potatoes. It is served on a plate not a glass like you would see at an other restaurants. It can easily be a meal. The is a cozy romantic place that makes you feel that you are in South America.

I have eaten almost every kind of food there is to eat, so I like to think I know crap when I see it. I do not understand why this place remains open, I thought perhaps I just ordered the worst things on the menu but my friends didn’t like their food either, I ordered the seco de carne, and we shared the fried calamari with peruvian spices. To start, we were brought little pieces of bread with a homade salse of some sort. The salsa was amazing, a bit creamy and different, so far so good. The calamari arrives, fried calamari which is ok with no noticable spices of any sort, garnished with cold canned corn, yuk. My entree arrives, i cannot remember the description on the menu which made my mouth water however what i got was tough and grainy, low quality pot roast simmered in tomato sauce w some veggies, not the tender marinated slices of beef and so on. I did see a steak go to another table that looked okay but I didn’t go ethnic to eat steak. The service was fantastic and the place is nice looking inside, too bad the food sucks.

If you are a Peruvian you will always try to find a good Peruvian Restaurant around your town. Peruvian Food has flavors and aromas that maintain us in contact with our Peruvian roots, with our happier memories. Ay Ay Picante Peruvian Cuisine is the home i have in Chicago, their food is by far the best i had (comparing to other [peruvian restaurants)places, try their Seco de codero (lamb stew) or my favorite Ceviche mixto(seafood salad), the anticuchos (beef skewers), Cocktail de Camarones,or the traditional papa ala Huiancaina (steam potatoes with yellow cream sauce, prices?? you will be satisfied, portions are big for the price, service is good, atmosphere is great, it takes me back to my land. This place is BYOB… with no extra charge… I am happy to have found this place.
Authentic Cuisine!
Peruvian Chefs!!
Best Peruvian Restaurant of 2008!!
ayaypicante.com