Andina
July 22, 2007 by Food Dude
Filed under Other Reviews
Refreshed 1/10
Andina Bar
With the myriad of restaurants opening in Portland every year, it is easy to forget some of the older ones, which often are better than the latest gastronomic trend-setters. In my opinion, Andina is one of these, a restaurant that rarely disappoints, always intrigues, and provides a great introduction to one of the world’s great cuisines. After years of accolades, it would be easy for them to coast on their reputation, but it is obvious that they are always trying to reinvent themselves, changing menus with the season and offering challenging new fusion versions of traditional Peruvian dishes with their NovoAndina cuisine. Dishes are a dazzling parade of colors; from deep purple potatoes to the brilliant yellows of passion fruit, all dancing across the plates like an artists palette.
Dining Room
You may have wandered through the restaurant space, during its previous incarnation as a dusty old antique store. You’d never recognize it now, the interior has been transformed into a stunning warm environment of comfortable colors, that seem to have been chosen to compliment that food. The building is beautifully finished, with huge old wood beams, original Peruvian artwork, and theatrical spots that wash the walls with golden light. As you enter, a balcony overlooks the downstairs, where there are a few small galleries and an excellent wine shop that doubles as a terrific dining room for private parties. There is a constant flow of Pearlites, making reservations a must. Many nights it is even difficult to find a table in the bar.
Eating here is an adventure, with terrific flavors and combinations you might not expect. This could make ordering a bit confusing the first few times, but the staff is very knowledgeable and will help you through the process. They are quick to pick up on special needs of anyone at the table, offering to bring vegetarian or gluten-free menus without prompting. The kitchen can be a bit slow at peak times, but drink orders arrive quickly, and you’ll have bread to munch on and great people watching while you wait for your food.
Pisco Sour
While you are perusing the menu, try one of the native drinks, such as a pisco sour with its perfect egg white and bitters island over Don Cesar pisco ($8), or a darkly sweet caipirinha loaded with an intriguing combination of flavors from cahaca sugar cane liquor. Pisco is the national drink of Peru, and will make you feel like you are being taken somewhere exotic; a few of those and you really will be in another country ($8). For the less adventurous, you may find their version of the mojito – white rum shaken with fresh lime, mint, water, and cane sugar served on the rocks more appealing ($8). The wine list is extensive, with a large selection to choose from. Chilean, Argentinean, and Spanish wines make up with bulk of the list with a standard restaurant markup. There are twenty by-the-glass pours, a selection of ports and sherries, and three beers from South America. Full-time sommelier Ken Collura, very well known in the wine industry, is ready to make in-depth recommendations. In addition, there are interesting non-alcoholic regional drinks such as chica morada, a cooling no-alcohol drink of purple corn with lime, pineapple, and sugar.
Piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese, quinoa and Serrano ham
Meals start with a good basket of house-made quinoa bread, bread accompanied by three ajíes (chili) dipping sauces. The selection changes from time to time, but usually includes ají de maracuya, a yellow sauce made from a purée of passion fruit that dances a fine line between sweet and hot, a habanero, or ají de huacatay, which combines toasted peanuts with an aromatic herb of the marigold family, or a green jalapeño cilantro blend that brings a bit more heat to the choices. They are all so different from each other, I can never make up my mind which one I like best.Both the restaurant and bar menus offer a large selection of small plates and salads with three sizes to choose from, running from $6.50 to $22.00 depending on what size you order. As an accompaniment to an entrée, the small is quite adequate. On occasion I’ve sat in the bar and made a good dinner out of a couple of them.
Mango Verde Y Langostinos - green mango, passionfruit, and prawns
Several items make multiple appearances: ají amarillo, a Peruvian hot chili pepper with a heat level of 8, and yuca which is a type of yam, a staple of the jungle region. Most of the dishes are a fusion between native cooking ingredients, and more haute cuisine. Peruvian cuisine has been strongly influenced by both Spanish and Chinese cooking. This can make for an interesting array of choices to pick from, with something for everyone. Some standouts: the tortilla de patata y alioli de ají amarillo, a Spanish-style potato fritatta or tortillia, with ají amarillo aioli. I’ve been complaining lately that I haven’t found a good version of this dish around town; even at the generally stellar Toro Bravo it falls flat. Here the tortilla features wonderful, light fluffy layers of potato with a slight spicy depth, it’s just terrific. Most green salads are rather boring but their ensalada verde Peruana made up of fresh greens topped with hearts of palm and whatever vegetables are in season is just terrific – large for the price, perfectly dressed in a balanced vinaigrette, the little seeds, palm, and vegetables all giving an interesting interplay of textures. The small is easily enough for two to share. During the Spring – early Summer, try the esparragos Peruanos, fresh grilled asparagus brushed with olive oil and grilled for a nice smoky flavor. It is simple and unfussy, making any asparagus lover happy.
Back in late 2005 when I first reviewed Andina, the yuca rellena a la huancaina – cheese stuffed yuca with an ají amarillo, and cheese sauce was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it has declined a bit over the years, and though the accompanying sauce is wonderful, the rellena is a bit doughy now. Still, if you haven’t had Peruvian food, you should try it for an introduction to the ever present yuca. The cheese sauce isn’t as spicy as you might think, merely a hint of the pepper to give it depth. Come to think of it, the spice level on most of the food seems to have been toned down a bit over the past few years.
Lime-flavored potato cake with spicy tuna, crab salad and crispy shrimp, served with avocado
Causa is a traditional preparation of potato from Lima. The secret is using really good papa amarillia, or Peruvian potatoes. They are mixed with fresh key lime, pressed into a cake, stuffed with a savory filling and served cold with avocado. Andina has it with three different fillings. I tried it with mixta nikkei: spicy tuna, crab salad and crispy shrimp. I could order a large order of this for dinner!
This part of the world is known for cebiches, a traditional Peruvian dish, where raw foods are “cooked” in key lime juice with onions, cilantro, hot peppers and salt. As is traditional in Peru, they are served with cusco corn kernels, slices of camote (yam), and pieces of cancha (crispy corn nuggets) They have six seafood versions and another four vegetarian versions. I’ve tried the pescado 5 elementos which changes depending on the catch of the day ($14), and the mixto chorrillano mixed seafood and fish with celery, ginger, and garlic ($12). Both are very good, the very fresh fish leaving a firm texture and an almost Thai-like interplay among the flavors.
Many Portland restaurants have been serving good oysters, and Andina is no exception. The ostras – west coast/east coast oysters come with three house-made salasas: pisco rocoto, chalaquita, salsa criolla, mango radish and nikkei. I found them to be really fresh, the accompanying salsa is very different from the norm around town ($12 1/2 dozen, $23 dozen).
The entrées are universally large; I always end up taking some home. Food from Peru is heavy on beef and seafood, so you’ll find a large selection of both on the menu. Every meat dish I’ve tried at Andina this year has been great. Lomo saltado con yuca y arroz is tender strips of beef, wok-fried with onions, tomatoes, soy, garlic, and ají , served with rice and fried yuca. It was flavorful and shows the strong influence of Asian cuisine on Peru ($19). Though it’s not on the current menu, I still have to mention one of my favorite beef dishes: entrecôte a la pimienta molle, a tender sirloin paired with purple potatoes, black quinoa, green beans, wild mushrooms and a molle pepper sauce. This is one of my favorite beef dishes in Portland. Really tender, loads of beef flavor, cooked exactly as ordered ($29). However, I won’t complain, because the current replacement, bistec a la Peruana con humita verde, a marinated Cascade Natural ribeye steak with huacatay butter is equally mind blowing. The meat is accompanied by a steamed corn husk “humita” a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, and a traditional food in Peru. It consists of masa harina and corn, slowly cooked in oil. Andina’s chef stuffs it with a fresh corn puree, asparagus, wild mushrooms, and cipollini onions ($29).
Corderito De Los Andes - Lamb, Peruvian yellow potato and two cheese timbale, roasted pepper demi-glace
Another stellar choice is the lamb, currently corderito del los Andes. Andina always does a terrific job with lamb, and the current version is no exception. They use local grass-fed lamb arranged against Peruvian yellow potatoes, surrounded with a three cheese timbale. The meat is perfectly cooked, tender and juicy with just the slightest hint of gaminess, under a pepper demi-glace ($26). Even the organic free-range chicken breast turned heads around our table. Pollito al pisco con toques chorrillanos, or chicken brined in pisco and roasted with Peruvian peppers, tomatoes and chickpeas, a perfect synergy of unusual flavors. On the side are crispy quinoa coated potato croquettes and an acorn puree. As a very health conscious friend put it “I even took off the skin and it is still one of the best, most flavorful chicken dishes I’ve ever had” ($19).
Quinoa salad served with cotija cheese, avocado, and olives
I recently tried atun con tacu tacu y aguaymanto, a seared yellowfin tuna crusted with black pepper and orange zest, served with lentil tacu-tacu, orange-endive “salsa criolla” and a cape gooseberry-aji-amarillo sauce. It was like a master class in harmony. Though the fish was cooked slightly more than I specified, I loved the presentation of a large piece of tuna, surrounded by four mounds of lentils, and a star shaped array of little endive boats that were filled with flavorful orange segments. The gooseberries provided unexpected blasts of flavor. Truly wonderful ($27). Another fine choice that shows its Asian roots is halibut al rocoto y kion, a good sized piece of roasted halibut over a shitake mushroom, smoked bacon, and bok choy broth, topped with slivers of ginger, rocoto, and scallion basted with smoking hot sesame oil, served with more of that perfect asparagus and quinoa fried rice ($25). Finally, conchas del Senor de Sipan, large bay scallops perfectly cooked, perched on top of wilted spinach and potato parsnip puree, with golden beet and crab meat “cannelloni”, and a duet of red beet and passion fruit reductions ($24). Though some of these dishes sound like they have an overwhelming number of ingredients, they don’t feel that way when you eat them; everything just works.
Alafojores - scented with key lime and filled with manjar blanco
Desserts have improved over the past few years, and again reflect the native flavors of Peru. The signature mango mousse is light and airy ($6). A trio of crème Brûlée was very good, with a passion fruit, a mango, and a caramel flavors ($7). The ubiquitous quinoa appears again in canutos de quinoa y maracuya, crisp quinoa studded cannolis stuffed with passion fruit mousse, served with mango-lemongrass sorbet and caramel ($7). My problem is I never have room for dessert!
I think it is appropriate to talk a little bit more about the bar area. First of all, it is completely separate from the restaurant. It was remodeled in 2006, making it even more inviting and comfortable. Almost every night after 7pm (8pm Fri-Sat) , you’ll find a small group playing, everything from The Gypsy Jazz Trio, to Sambafeat, to a flamenco guitarist. The nice thing is they are there to compliment the scene without overwhelming it by being unnecessarily loud. Recently I had such a good time with friends in the dining room, after our meal was over we spent the rest of the evening sitting in bar, listening to music and people watching, as we had a few drinks. It is a terrific space. Happy hour is from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, Monday – Saturday, with $5.50 cocktails and some reduced tapas prices.
Canutos De Quinoa Y Maracuya
The food at Andina rarely fails to impress, even catching the attention of Gourmet Magazine, Gastronomica, NPR, The James Beard House, etc. The scene is warm and trendy, the food beautiful to look at and overall quite good. They want to inspire passion for the food and an interest in the country. I’d say they have succeeded. This restaurant is definitely on my recommended list, and a must-visit for guests from out of town.
- Grade: A
- Phone: (503) 228-9535
- Address: 1314 NW Glisan, Portland, OR 97209 Google Map
- Hours: Open 7 days: Lunch: 11:30-2:30pm. Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5:00pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 4:00pm-10:30pm.
- Bar/tapas: Mon-Thurs 4pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-midnight, Sun 4pm-11pm. Happy-hour, 4:00-6:00pm.
- Website: AndinaRestaurant.com
Comments
27 Responses to “Andina”
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I find it to be inconsistent on entrees, but good overall. And it’s gotten much better than when it began. The bar food is the most consistent and luckily there’s a huge selection. The ceviches, imo, are the best in town with Taqueria Nueve second.
They could do some work refining some items. eg, I recently had the duck three ways and the foie was overcooked. I didn’t mind the strong sear on the outside, but the inside was too cooked, to the point of being like soft butter. The duck was very good, but the side, some sort of pilaf with fava beans, had a bitter component to it that was unpleasant and should have been rectified by whoever was tasting.
I give them some points for really trying to do something that’s not done in Portland and also trying to create haute Peruvian, something very rare, but trending. (eg, Limon in SF.) They could definitely be better, but they’re getting better. I do miss the little rolls they used to serve, however. They were fantastic. Much better than the bread, though I like the sauces they serve with the breads.
I don’t know where your friends are from, but if they return, you may want to try: Antojitos Hondurenos (about 180th and Division) or Brazil Butikim (about 122nd and Powell), which may have some flavors they’ll like. Neither are white tablecloth spots, however.
I just had my second meal in 10 days at Andina. The first time was with a regular and we were treated like royalty. Last night, I was with some people I just met (and my friend) and while the service was above most places, it missed the sparkle I was hoping would be repeated for everyone. The food is fantastic, the drinks plentiful and fun. I ate with my son at Fresca in SF last summer so I’m glad we have someone taking a strong shot at authentic SA cuisine. I will be back.
I like the appetizers in the bar and they do serve Pisco which my Chilean friend likes.
My couple of issues are price seems expensive, but then again I am sure their rent is not cheap.
Some of the things like the duck stew with a bread crust (I think) sound better than they taste.
One last thing, do they have a semi full of Yucca in back? Everything seems to have this in ite.
I was so glad to see quinoa in the menu, it’s hard to find whole grain dishes in restaurants. This dish in particular is served with wild mushrooms, delicious! Also worth trying is the octopus.
The food the good. It was a lovely dance of unique, fresh flavors and different textures.
However, service was lacking. My wife was big pregnant at the time and needed to sit. The restaurant was full and so we were waiting for a table in the bar. The hostess was very rude. She asked my wife to stand because the waiting area was for the restatuant only, though no one was waiting.
The habanero-infused cocktail (wish I could remember their full name for it) is…. amazing.
Made it to Andina last night, and was really impressed. They brought in Amy Jermain as Executive Chef about four months ago, and she is clearly executing some next-level culinary artistry. The food tasted as good as it looked. And it looked beautiful. They were jamming on a Sunday night and yet the food flowed out just right.
MSG is right about the ceviches – they are vibrant and cooling.
We stuck to by-the-glass wines because they were very well chosen: Chinon Blanc (yes!), Cahors, Torrontes, etc.
A great experience.
I ate at this restaurant a couple of times and found it to be peruvian-esque california cuisine overkill. I also took a Peruvian native to eat there. She walked out without eating when she looked at the menu and didn’t recognize a single truly traditional dish. Peruvian food is so good without the haute added. Too bad Portland won’t get a chance to sample it.
This is my favorite restaurant in Portland! Everything – the food, service, cocktails and decor gets a 10!!!!
Well..I see that Andina is once again looking for an executive chef. What is it with this place?
in response to picky eater:
about half of the menu looks as though it could have come right out of a peruvian kitchen. traditional as can possibly be. maybe your friend was bolivian?
Response to Nick E:
The drink you’re talking about is the Sacsayhuaman (just ask for the “Sexy Woman” drink!). I agree with you, it’s probably the most delicious drink I’ve ever had, and I tell everyone to order it. Habanero-infused vodka, passion fruit puree, cilantro and a sugar rim. Mmm…
I will be eating at Andina soon; however, I have lived in Peru and I am from San Francisco. I just wanted to make a couple of comments. (1) La Fresca (now Fresca) in SF is NOT authentic Peruvian cuisine (comida criolla) so it is not a good idea to compare authentic peruvian cuisine to Fresca. If any restaurant serves tortillas and claims it is authentic Peruvian, they are LYING. The only place you will find a tortilla in Peru is in a Mexican restaurant. While Mexican food can be good, there is NO comparison between Mexican food and Peruvian food. The closest comparison would be Japanese food in terms of quality, depth of flavor, etc… Anyone who puts tortillas in Peruvian food is making a heinous error by causing the food to be less healthy and less tasteful.
Also, the Andina restaurant is missing several important classics, which are actually Peruvian staples, in their menu:
Bistek a la Pobre: A steak with a sunny side up egg cooked on top, cilantro, onions, and served with fried bananas, rice, and sometimes fried potatoes.
Pollo a la Brasa: Another favorite often ordered as a whole rotiserrie chicken with potatoes and a tasteful salad with tomatoes, lettuce, vinigerette dressing, and avacado
If anyone knows of another peruvian restaurant besides Andina in the Portland area, please post it or recommend a link to it. I am new to the area and having a tough time tracking down this unique food. Thank you.
PSS…..
Limon in SF is NOT authentic Peruvian cuisine; however I have eaten there many times and it is good. PORTLAND……..give real Peruvian food a chance. My girlfriend is a native from Peru and I have lived there for several months at a time. If Andina drops the “nuevo cuisine” (new peruvian cuisine) attitude, I’m sure the people of portland will find that, by itself, Peruvian food is near, if not, the best food in the world. I sure hope Andina has the aji amarillo (made from escaveche peppers) because it is in everything in Peru. If they do this, I hope Portlander’s taste buds can stand the heat….it is worth it.
andina does in fact use aji amarillo in many, many of its dishes, along with aji panca & aji mirasol. they’re also fairly fond of habanero.
they have never used a tortilla, to my knowledge. authenticity is kind of their thing… as is making really good food & having an outstanding wine program.
I’ve eaten at Andina a few times now. They are very good, but as I was worried from experiences of other restaurants in Portland, it’s missing its heat. When at the restaurant, I asked the waiter, a fellow named Jose, why the food wasn’t hot. He told me that the food used to be hot and people complained, so the chefs adjusted the recipe to make the taste more amiable to Portlanders’ taste buds. While yes, it obviously does have some aji in the food, it must be, at most, a tenth of what it should be. There are other spices, of which I am not sure about the identity since I am not a cook, that are missing nonetheless.
So Andina probably was authentic when it opened; but it is no longer authentic comida criolla. It’s now Nuevo Peruano, which is essentially Americanized Peruvian food.
While Andina is still an excellent restaurant, and the food is very good, the food is missing several key ingredients that bring out an even richer flavor. I enjoy eating there, but it is not what I was hoping for. If you really want authentic Peruvian food in the United States, there are may Peruvian restaurants in New York that are completely authentic. On the west coast Inkas and Fina Estampa are the most authentic restaurants that I have tried (both in San Francisco). Fresca in SF has some classic dishes that are authentic like cabrito and lomo saltado…..it is just bothersome that they serve chips and salsa (and the gut wrenching clencher: sopa de tortillas), further supporting nationally held false opinions that everyone south of the US is Mexican, and that all South American culture is igualmente (the same). There are diversities and a cultural depth there undiscovered by most US naturals separating each of the countries as much from Mexico, in these aspect, as the US from Mexico.
Overall, all foreign based ‘cuisine’ in Portland has been disappointing from Japanese to Indian to Peruvian food. People here don’t seem to like the food the way it was meant to be cooked and seem to want it to taste as bland as hamburgers and pizza………except maybe Portlander’s want it to look different from hamburgers and pizza. None of the food here fills your senses as it does in SF, NY or the countries where the cuisines were invented.
However if anyone knowns of any restaurants that I haven’t found yet that might belay or alter this perception, it would definately be appreciated.
I don’t understand why the vegetarian/vegan menu doesn’t get any visibility. Aside from the great food and atmosphere it completely sets itself apart from most other restaurant by offering such great options for us non-meat eaters!!
I particularly like the small plates at Andina. 4 or 5 to share are wonderful for two. Plus that incredible “Sexy Woman” cocktail.
Food is alway great! I hear they have new management.
Loton – you need to go visit Shelly at Lemongrass. just don’t order anything hotter than 6 or 7 the first time until you figure out her scale of heat because it can blow your tastebuds away.
Went to a wine tasting and dinner called “The Main Course” in Forest Grove on Saturday at which andina did the food. I had been to the restaurant many times before so I thought 2 things; that I already had tried everything they do and that they would never be able to maintain the quality offsite that they have in the restaurant. I was totally wrong. Although the evenings menu had the basic elements of the standouts on their restaurant menu, each dish was inspired and beautiful, not to mention near perfect. They were serving about 200 people and were able to keep all the temps perfect (even the buffalo tenderloin) and service was spot on. I have been to many events like this with big name restaurants and chefs preparing the meal, and most fall flat, but andina was great.
I know that dinner there can be expensive, but it is worth every penny. When I don’t want to spend a lot I go to the bar, eat a little and drink delicious cocktails.
I recently had an amazing dinner here, with some of the best service I’ve ever had in Portland. I’d have to be really picky to find anything wrong with a ton of appetizers and three entrees.
I had dinner there two months ago (birthday) and I had high hopes after reading reviews and hearing about the restaurant from friends.
The experience, alas, was not a happy one. After being told they could seat us at 5pm or 9:30pm (nothing available in between, although I called a week in advance) we opted for 5pm. Early, I know, but I don’t like eating after 8pm.
We dutifully showed up at exactly 5pm. The host, a young woman, gave us a baleful look, and informed us that we were “too early” to be seated as the staff was still in a meeting. She then oh-so-helpfully pointed out the gathering occurring in the back of the dining room. I wonder, why did they insist on having us showing up at 5pm, if they weren’t able to seat us at that time? What a delightful way to make your patrons feel welcome! She then told us we could “wait in the bar”. No nice suggestion of “would you like to wait in the bar?” No making us feel at home by leading the way, no sense that we were anything but a burden. The three of us skulked off to the bar, feeling as though we had somehow transgressed.
We sat down. And waited. No one greeted us. No one came to the table. It wasn’t crowded (one other table was occupied). After about 5-10 minutes, a very bored waiter came to the table. No hello, no greeting, no smile. We ordered cocktails, and were debating about ordering an appetizer, a discussion that was met by the server with a steely eyed expression. Sensing little enthusiasm from our waitstaff, we opted to go for just drinks. After all, we had already offended everyone by showing up on time; we didn’t want to aggravate them further. We waited some more. Finally, the drinks arrived after about 10 minutes. At that precise moment, the host bustled in and herded us to our table. We were able to snatch our beverages before being led away.
Once we were safely corralled at our table, things improved a bit. The service was friendly enough, if a bit distracted. The food was very good overall.
While I enjoyed the cuisine, the attitude we encountered bordered on snippy and disdainful. I don’t expect to be adopted by the staff of a restaurant; I just want to feel welcome. At Andina, I felt like an uninvited gate crasher, or some obnoxious relative they couldn’t wait to see the back of. I’m willing to try again; maybe they were having a bad night for some reason? I’m hoping the reputation of the restaurant hasn’t engendered the “we’re too good to serve your sort” pitfall that sometimes overtakes a successful eatery.
We just had dinner at Andina for the first time – we’ve been living out of town temporarily & I hadn’t even read about it before tonight. It was amazing – incredible cocktails, food that was delicious & inventive, while still true to its roots (not everything has to be an “authentic” Peruvian dish for this to be so), warm atmosphere. The service was lovely – we couldn’t have asked for better. The owner (?) actually came to our table to ask how everything was, and we ended up talking about the changes in Peru etc etc… anyway, the whole presentation seemed quite heartfelt. I can’t wait to go back.
Recently, an old executive chef of ours came into town, and had one night to go out to dinner. Without blinking an eye, we brought him to Andina. The winner was the grilled octopus dish – ridiculously tender, with a good amount of char, perrfectly balanced sesoning, and they were not stingy at all with the wonderful olive oil. It was perfect.
My SO and I are both cooks. We rarely go to a fine dining establishment more than once or twice (too many to choose from, and we don’t go out like this more than four or five times a year.) but we have gone here again and again over the years, more than any other restaurant in town actually, and it never dissapoints us.
I think the current chef is the best they have ever had.