MATRIA RESTAURANTE — Restaurant in Lima Metropolitan Area

Matria, where have you been all my life? Or for the last 10 years since I have been visiting Lima ? Not the first chef serving seafood with nikkei influences, but certainly to me the most successful, encompassing and to my budget, affordable. Move over pretentious, overpriced Nobu.

The menu on my first visit was SUMMER (the concept being a seasonal menus with corresponding available ingredients) which on March 19th was scalding, so I ordered a non alcoholic cocktail (Antídoto) as an antidote to the outdoor heat: root beer, mango and curcuma’s extract. It worked but sadly arrived after I had finished my appetizer (Scallops grilled on their shells with yuzu sauce- which one could order by the unit (S/.11 each) -how smart is that?-and pumpkin bread which had a nice yellow color but became too soft and doughy to support the olive butter. Scallops were superb, served with their coral intact as they should be, grilled just right to help them retain their juices and yield their ocean flavor.

Encouraged by the starter I ordered the battered fried Pejerreyes (smaller smelts) for S/.36. Never a fan of fried fish, but devoted to pejerreyes since childhood, I had to have them. Superb presentation, light as puffed air, served with dabs of salsa, aioli and fresh lime. I promised I would eat just five pieces at the most but failed and inhaled about a dozen of them.

Why stop there? After seeing their grilled octopus walked by on its way to another table I had no choice. Octopus is always a risky choice (see my review on Cosme) most of the time improperly cooked and tasteless. But having seen the way it looked as it was served to a nearby I knew the chef was a pro. Pulpo anticuchero- seaoned in their own aji amarillo paste and miso for good measure, it is then grilled and served over yuca with maiz morado, avocado sauce and two strips of grilled corn: genius! Greek octopus cooked in red wine always my favorite has been demoted by this irresistible beauty. S/.60! All currency in N/S at the exchange of 3.77 to a dollar.

The following week after eating at Segundo Muelle and Tanta I realized Matria’s was in a league of its own, so rushed back to try more of their superb cuisine. This time the menu was AUTUMN so I lucked out. I also have to point out my server Luis whose friendly professionalism made me feel at home and better yet in good hands. I also became aware of the beauty of their dinnerware, which complements and enhances the food servings. Never had Peruvian sauvage raw oysters before, which were from Casma in Ancash. Oversized and plump, with plenty of refreshing brine I wish I had ordered half a dozen, but was saving room for their Estiradito palteado, raw fish in an avocado liquid sauce, with corn, aji slices and popped toasted quinua. I needed a spoon to lift the perfect sauce to the fish slices. What a winner of a combination. I did not miss the lime juice which is used liberally in traditional tiraditos- with its consequent stomach acidity. To finish I ordered another appetizer: yucas crocantes, stuffed with cheese and served with a tuna/rocoto sauce of a striking purple hue. It was to my taste not the right dip for the yucas, neither spicy nor sweet enough it did nothing to bring the flavor of the yucas. I would have added some honey and more aji to give it the...

We had great expectations for our dinner at Matria but left feeling a bit underwhelmed. The chicken with chilli curry is indeed a very good dish. We also ordered the tonkatsu expecting it to be a revelation or at least a reinterpretation but it's just, well... tonkatsu, not necessarily a bad dish, but also nothing in it to remember. That unmet expectation is kind of on us and there are probably better options, but this one is just an okay one in a not very extensive menu. Having said that, what really rounded the experience as underwhelming was the ambiance and service. The music is very loud, as some mentioned before, and with a rather invasive (not ambient) song selection, I would add. They sat us down right next to a speaker and when I asked our waiter to change tables (the place was nearly empty), he instead offered to lower the volume, which they did, a bit, but it was still pretty loud for conversation and it felt pointless and honestly a bit annoying to ask again after that. Throughout the meal our server was very eager to take our dishes away while we were visibly still eating, this happened more than once. When I had finished, he asked me if I was done with my food and when I said yes, he immediately proceeded to clear all the plates from the table, including my partner's, who had her cuttlery clearly signaling that she was still eating and was never asked. He was so fast in doing so that she couldn't say much either and this made for a very awkward moment. We felt it was rude and quite dismissive towards her. To management: I believe that service flaws like these and others read here warrant at least a very basic retraining. Although, in all fairness, a table close to ours seemed to be getting better and more attentive service from a different waiter. Please also consider that the unnecessarily loud music can truly spoil the experience for some tables and it's something that's coming...

One of our finest dining experiences, & a warm, friendly, helpful staff, chef & owner. Great service & food. As vegetarians who did not eat eggs, the restaurant assured us that they would accommodate us & their menu lists vegetarian & vegan items. The chef Arlette Eulert came out to meet us to confirm our dietary needs, recommended items & portions, & only later did we find out that she was also the owner. The dining service was very good as well. On top of that, as we came in between flights in & out of Lima with our luggage, they allowed us to store the luggage with them while we ate dinner. The restaurant atmosphere was nice - not to quiet but not loud. Seating was comfortable. Decorations were nice but not overdone. The food was creative. They have non-alcoholic & alcoholic drinks, so I had the camomile mocktail which was very good. We loved all the food including the chestnuts salad, the Spaguettini Nero “Bombay” vegetarian which was a very tasty eggless noodle-vegetable-spice combination, the Lomo Saltado vegetarian which was potatoes-corn-vegetables in a soy based sauce, & for desert Las Frutas De La Estacion which was really nice done - not just fruits but many items in a wonderful presentation. I hope to dine...