Business & Tech
Find Authentic Peruvian Cuisine at Uchu Peru in Plymouth
With over a year under their belts, the Peruvian restaurant is staying busy and introducing local residents to traditional cuisine from Peru.
"Uchu" means chili peppers, said Jorge Sarmiento, who opened his dream restaurant in Plymouth.
With about 80 percent of the Peruvian dishes including peppers, naming his business Uchu Peru seems appropos.
Originally from Lima, Peru, Sarmiento has lived in Minnesota the last 14 years and opened Uchu Peru in Plymouth about 16 months ago.
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"This restaurant used to be a Pancheros and they left me a lot of what's here, we did some painting and got some cultural decorations and dishes and we were set," Sarmiento said.
While a majority of Sarmiento's customers are American, they seem to like his spicy chili pepper cooking.
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"All the food I make is the food I grew up with my mama making," he said.
Sarimento does all of the cooking while his wife and three children, ages 20, 18 and 15 help with other tasks like waiting tables.
"It's better when my wife helps customers up front because since she is American she can really explain the dishes and make comparisons to American dishes," he said, laughing. "She runs the front of the house and I run the back."
In addition to his wife and children, Sarimento has a handful of other staff members.
Uchu Peru is closed on Mondays, but is open for lunch and dinner on weekdays. The restaurant is closed between 2 and 4 p.m. daily because Sarmiento said he doesn't want to compete with other restaurants Happy Hour specials.
"I want to show my food, not compete on the alcohol side" he said.
The restaurant does have a small selection of beer and wine, but Sarmiento prides himself on his food. Menu items have included: fish dishes like Pescado a lo Macho and Pescado a la Chorrillana as well as Cordero Norteno or lamb Stew and a special shrimp dish called Camarones al Ajo.
"I've been cooking all my life and if I ever open another restaurant I hope to fuse together other nationalities and cuisines, another dream I guess," he said.
Uchu Peru is located in Plymouth near County Road 9 and Berkshire Lane. They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday and evenings Saturdays and Sundays. You can also find them on Facebook.
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