As my travels have only taken me as far south as Costa Rica, I was not sure what to expect from Peruvian cuisine. I entered this unassuming restaurant looking forward to a new palate experience and was not disappointed. We were warmly greeted and led to our table by Jose Faro, the owner of Mancora.
We started our meal off with a Pisco Sour and a Chilcano, both traditional Pisco–based Peruvian cocktails. Pisco is a light colored Peruvian grape brandy. Both were tasty and refreshing. Curious to learn more about the spirit, we requested a taste of their three varieties. They were all smooth and strong with distinct fruity and aromatic flavors, a little reminiscent of Sake.
The menu was well balanced with a variety of meat, fish and vegetarian selections. We started off with a ceviche which arrived at our table quickly. It was beautifully presented, fresh and with just the right amount of spice. Ceviche is a perfect summer dish and would be ideal on a summer evening served al fresco on the front patio at Mancora.
Our meal continued with a sampling of dishes including Pescado a lo Macho, Lomo Saltado and Saltado de Vegetales. Each dish was colorful and appealingly presented. The Pescado was a fried fish filet topped with a variety of fresh seafood including muscles, shrimp and squid served in a creamy seafood sauce and accompanied by rice. The creamy and mildly spicy sauce complemented the seafood nicely and while rich, was well balanced and delicious.
Lomo Saltado is a traditional Peruvian dish made of sizzling, thinly sliced strips of marinated sirloin sautéed with tomatoes and onions served alongside a heaping mound of French fries. This was my favorite of the dishes we tried and goes in the ‘crave worthy’ category, the type of dish that keeps you coming back for more.
Our final selection was the Saltado de Vegetales, a vegetarian dish of sautéed seasonal vegetables accompanied by rice and French fries. The plate was piled high with flavor, color and variety including a large kernelled traditional Peruvian corn that was also feathered in the Ceviche we enjoyed earlier.
All three dishes had distinctly different flavors from one another and a well-balanced flavor profile with just the right amount of seasoning. This meal was definitely a welcomed addition to our regular rotation of go to spots.
We were also pleased to find out that Mancora has an extended happy hour Monday through Friday from 4:00pm-8:00pm featuring a wide variety of reasonable priced drinks and tasty snacks and small plates.
If you can’t make it in, I would recommend changing up the take–out routine and adding Mancora to your list of delivery options. Available on UberEats, GrubHub and PostMates, quick order and delivery could not be easier.
Mancora Restaurant
180 Valley Street
Sleepy Hollow, NY
914-882-3443
