Fernando's Peruvian Bistro

Blink and you might miss the Peruvian bistro that sits in a nondescript shopping center with great food and an amazing green salsa. The small restaurant is located in Downey, CA and you would never know by its appearance of the food that waits inside.

The restaurant sits close to 70 people and there is ample seating on weekends. There are lots of Peruvian paintings along the colored walls along with other forms of Peruvian art. There is live music on weekends that plays mostly old romantic Spanish love songs. Price for dinner ranges from $8-$14 per plate.

Instead of chips and salsa they serve french bread and green salsa. The bread is good and the salsa is excellent. What makes the salsa so great is that it’s not too spicy and has a great taste which makes it perfect for even the abstemious salsa eater.

The menu offers a variety of chicken, steak and seafood dishes.

The chicken empanadas ($3.95) come is sets of two and are very good with the accompanying salsa. The Calamari ($7.95) is excellent and is served with lime and tartar sauce.

The lomo saltado($9.95) is also excellent. Lomo saltado is stir fried strips of sirloin steak covered in a soy/vinegar sauce, with red onions, tomatoes, french fries, serves with a side of white rice. The steak is cooked medium well.  

Bistec a lo Pobre(11.95) is a fried egg served on top of a steak (cooked medium well) with sides of french fries, salad and white rice. The meal is generous in size and also very good.

The drinks are limited to beer and wine. There is one Peruvian beer sold, Cusqueña($3.95).

It’s definitely a diamond in the rough and the best Peruvian food in the city of Downey, CA.

I’ve visited this restaurant twice and my only complaint is that the second time I felt my service could have been much better.

The good: no or short wait to be seated, excellent food, romantic setting, good ambiance, live music on weekends, ample parking

The bad: average service, limited drink selection, located in a shopping mall

Price: $$
Food: $$$ 1/2
Drinks: $$
Ambiance: $$ 1/2
Service: $$

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1456280/restaurant/LA/Fernandos-Restaurant-Downey"><img