The first Peruvian restaurant I ever tried was Don Julio in Elizabeth, NJ.
The best dish you will ever eat from there is the Lomo Saltado. Don’t get me wrong their other food is amazing too, but it’s so hard to stray from this dish when ordering. Finish it off with alfajores for dessert!
Located in Princeton, NJ, The Witherspoon Grill is a must try.
Warning! – Expensive. But totally worth it.
We don’t usually spend a ton of money on eating out, but we like to splurge when it’s a special occasion. (Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)
We came here on our 1 year anniversary and spent nearly $200!
Our meal:
Lobster Bisque (Rich and big chunks of lobster)
Oysters Rockefeller
Filet Mignon
Pan Roasted Salmon
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
The Millionaire Coffee Cocktail (Edgar)
Pomatini
Fun Fact – I love craft beer. I even brew my own!
If you’re a craft beer lover, and you’ve never been to Triumph, what are you waiting for?
Maybe it’s because my first few dates with my man was here that I hold a special place in my heart for this brewery, or I love the ambiance.. Regardless, the beer here is superb.
Triumph has three locations:
Princeton, NJ
New Hope, PA
Red Bank, NJ (coming soon)
This is a great place for any occasion. Does your significant other not enjoy beer? That’s OK! They also serve hand crafted cocktails that are delightful. The location we often fancy, in Princeton, NJ, is slightly hidden. Once you enter, you walk down a long hallway, that leads you to a large pub. At the bar, you can see the tanks the beer is being brewed in, and your beer will be poured straight from the tap.
While they offer many selections, my two favorites are the Amber Ale and the Coffee & Cream Stout, which uses coffee beans from Small World Coffee located down the street in Princeton. Around $6 for a pint, and $20 for a pitcher, this beer is so worth it. They also sell growlers to go.
Your bill can certainly rack up quickly at this joint though. Some nights when we are feeling rich (payday), we dine in as well. Traditionally, I always get the Fish N Chips (which the batter is made with their Amber Ale). But when we just want a small snack, the nachos are the way to go! Topped with braised short rib ragu, tomatillos, avocado cream sauce.
Stamp of Approval –
Located in Lambertville, NJ is an authentic Peruvian/Mexican restaurant named El Tule.
(Again, any Spanish cuisine I am down for)
Peruvian is one of my favorites though.
This cute restaurant is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner after some shopping in Lambertville, NJ or New Hope, PA. Especially during the warmer months, because they have outdoor seating.
Our first trip there, my boyfriend had never tried Peruvian food before.
We ordered a pitcher of the Chicha Morada (Purple corn drink). While a bit sugary, this is a staple at any Peruvian restaurant, and has delicate hints of cinnamon. I highly recommend squeezing a lime in it!
For an appetizer, we had a common dish called Papa Rellenas, which are stuffed mashed potatoes with ground beef, served with red onions in lime juice, avocado salad and salsa criolla.
I had Aji de Gallina for dinner. I’ve had a hard time finding this dish anywhere else, so I had to get it! Boy, did it not disappoint. I’m drooling just thinking about it now… slightly spicy and bright yellow from the aji amarillo peppers, and rich from the cream sauce made with walnuts.
Edgar leaned more towards their Mexican cuisine, which was also fantastic! He had the taco platter of the day which turned out to be huge and filling! The black beans were by far the best I’ve had, packed with flavor.
If you are trying Peruvian cuisine for the first time, I also recommend these dishes:
Papa a la Huancaina
Lomo Saltado
Pollo a la Brasa
Alfajores
Inca Kola
Lucuma Helado
Korean BBQ has been on our “must try” list for a long time now.
Edgar, my boyfriend, works in a new location and passes this restaurant everyday, New Keum Ho Jung in Edison, NJ.
Finally one Saturday night, he said let’s finally try this. Because we knew this was going to be such a new, exciting experience, we wanted to share it with others.
Do you have those friends you just know will be down for anything? We called them. And they were oh-SO-down.
The Rundown.
$89.95 for a Large Beef Combo (Serves 4 People)
Marinated boneless short rib.
Thinly sliced brisket.
Prime rib eye.
Steamed egg. (Holy yum)
King mushroom.
Sweet potato.
Kimchi.
Beef Brisket Soybean paste stew. (Meh)
Appetizers (No idea what they were, but they were amazing.)
When you first sit down, your entire table is covered in small appetizers. All of which we had no idea what they were but decided to be adventurous and try them. DELICIOUS! Especially this cold-like potato salad thing.. Next, all of the meat was delivered to the table raw, which you cook to your liking on the charcoal grill in front of you. The meat was amazingly tender. Whatever it had been marinating in was heaven and I need to learn to make it at home ASAP.
All in all, I definitely recommend this restaurant/type of cuisine. There was plenty of food for 4 people, and you didn’t leave overwhelmingly full.
Tip: Make a reservation. This place gets crazy busy on the weekends.
Stamp of Approval-
People of the NJ area: PJ’s Pancake House in Princeton
I have been going to this eatery for years, and they never disappoint. While I do love their potato pancakes served with sour cream AND applesauce, my favorite breakfast item they serve is the Eggs Benedict. If you’ve never had Eggs Benedict before, what are you waiting for! Go to PJ’s right now and order them. (yes they are open until midnight)
English Muffin
Canadian Bacon
Poached Egg
Hollandaise Sauce
I’m hungry just thinking about it!
They also serve them with this wonderful potato hash, which has green chilies in it.
Also pictured (something I recently tried and cannot believe I’ve lived 23 years without it) – Corned beef hash – TO. DIE. FOR.
GO TO PJ’S!
Indulgence 