Foodies rave about Peru’s unique concoctions and innovative cuisine fusions that redefine how we use ingredients – to boldly conceive what no chef has conceived before. Lima‘s star chef, Gastón Acurio, does just that with his chic restaurant, Madam Tusan. This restaurant is inspired by the Peruvian chifa, a variation of Asian cuisine prepared with Peruvian ingredients. Like a culinary chemist, Acurio creates exotic and enticing seafood and meat specialties with Peruvian and Oriental flavor blends of soy, ginger, ají and rocoto; garnished with mint, orange, and the fruit of bamboo shoots. I recently ate at Madam Tusan for a first-hand taste of these delicious flavors, an experience that left me looking forward to my next visit!
Exploring Peruvian Asian cuisine
The birth of the chifa in Peru
Madam Tusan: Chifa served with style
Peruvian gastronomical adventures
Helpful online resources
The birth of the chifa in Peru
After slavery was abolished in 1854, Chinese and Japanese immigrants came to Peru primarily to replace African slaves as indentured servants and field laborers. They integrated themselves into Peruvian society, and soon discovered that many of the ingredients they normally used for authentic Asian dishes were expensive and hard to come by. Many of the scarce ingredients from the Orient were replaced by ingredients commonly found in Peru, and thus the culinary fusion of chifa was born.
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The term chifa refers not only to the hybrid of popular Asian cuisine in Peru, but also is the name of the restaurants that serve it. Chifa became popular in Lima in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and fostered some of the most delicious dishes in Peru today. In fact, one of the most famous Peruvian dishes, Lomo Saltado, was first created in a chifa kitchen.
Madam Tusan: Chifa served with style
The view from the second floor of Madam Tusan
Photo by Kathleen McAfee / Peru For Less
The intriguing and delicious combination of Asian and Peruvian flavors inspired fellow blog contributor, Britt F., and I to check out this popular cuisine firsthand. After gathering a bit of intel, we decided to visit Gastón Acurio’s restaurant Madam Tusan located in the upscale Miraflores district.
Upon entry, we immediately noticed the use of intricate Asian design and decoration. The large red dragon swooping down from the second level of the two-story restaurant is remarkably captivating, although it’s not the center piece of the room. The overall ambience is relaxed and intimate, but the second floor offers more seating for larger groups and parties. There is even a private dining room for exclusive reservations that seats up to 14 people.
Enjoy the intimacy of Madam Tusan’s exclusive dining room.
Photo by Kathleen McAfee / Peru For Less
After being seated at our quiet table for four, we began to explore the menu, which describes every starter, specialty, soup, rice, drink, and dessert in full detail. They even have a menu in English! After careful deliberation with our knowledgeable waitress, we settled on the Fiesta de Bocaditos – dim sum party sampler (stuffed dumplings)- for the appetizer, and the Pulpo de la Plancha and Lomito Saltado Tusan for the main dish. The food was brought to the table on sizzling hot plates and placed in the middle to share.
A lovely sampler of desserts to compliment the delicious meal: vanilla and orange cheesecake, chocolate-hazelnut wantoncitos, and decadent alfajor.
Photo by Kathleen McAfee/ Peru For Less
Our food was phenomenal, and we absolutely could not pass up dessert. We couldn’t decide on just one, so the manager kindly let us sample some of his favorites. Presented to us were decadent wantancitos (fried wontons filled with warm chocolate-hazelnut cream drizzled with orange and cinnamon honey sauce); zesty orange and vanilla cheesecake; and a slice of alfajor (a popular Peruvian dessert) infused with lúcuma (an exotic jungle fruit and manjar blanco (a caramel-like cream).
Overall, our classy chifa experience cost us about S/. 70 (US$25) per person, which isn’t bad for dining at one of the finest restaurants in Lima. Experience this chifa gem for yourself on your next visit to Lima!
At a glance
Address: Avenida Santa Cruz 859, Miraflores, Lima (near Ovalo Gutierrez)
Phone number: (01) 5055090
Price: $$
Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
Reservations: Yes, especially for dinner and weekends
Ambiance: Intimate, but upstairs dining for larger groups
Attire: Dressy Casual
Best for: Lunch and Dinner
Peruvian gastronomical adventures
Tease your tastebuds with the tantalizing flavors of Peru on one of our fully customizable tour packages.
Helpful online resources
Learn more about Asian-Peruvian heritage here.
Check out the Madam Tusan website
Here is a great recipe for chifa style fish anticuchos.
Katy is no stranger to the life of an international traveler. After graduate school, Kathleen worked in California in the legal field, but later realized that life was calling her in a different direction. After a short time in Peru, she fell in love with the culture, the people, the food, and the way of life. Now Kathleen calls Lima her “home away from home,” although she frequently visits the warm, sunny northern Peru to see friends and surf.
