Rawan Kelly Wehbe explores the delights of Peruvian cuisine at home.

Peruvian cuisine’s history dates back to Inca and pre-Inca civilizations and is influenced by the arrival of Spanish conquers and many migrations mainly from China, Africa, Japan and Italy. With the largest number of dishes in the world, Lima is considered the culinary capital of the Americas and host of no less than a third of the top 15 best Latin American restaurants in the world.

Located in the grounds of the InterContinental Doha, La Mar Doha by Gastón Acurio, Doha has built its bread and butter on a variation of authentic Peruvian food based on traditional recipes with a twist. The restaurant is currently closed due to the recent Covid-19 restrictions, but you can order La Mar’s best dishes for takeaway now.

Erected proudly next to the Belgian Café, La Mar features elegant furniture, stylish décor and a spacious terrace for those who prefer to dine under the stars.

Doha is a city with certainly no shortage of five-star restaurants, but La Mar must be among the best – its concept, food and service are unparalleled. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to experience La Mar at its premises, but we got the best from the restaurant at home.

On a culinary level, La Mar exceeds expectations. An appetiser like the Tequenos, a crispy spring roll with chicken rocoto (pepper) stuffing, and huancaina cheese sauce is an absolute delight that can please the orneriest of palates. Another marvellous starter is the Empanada de Lomo, a crispy fried dough, ground beef stuffing, rocoto cream, and chalaquita (salsa). This treacherously addictive pastry is sensational, and a perfect pairing to the Cebichero Maki, with deep-fried shrimp and avocado, catch of the day, cebichera (ceviche) sauce, chalaquita, and fried calamari.

For the main course, we were treated to a fantastic anticuchera (spicy marinade) grilled chicken thigh, chimichurri potatoes, buttered corn, huancaina sauce and Choros A La Chalaca (steamed mussels). The perfect Anticucho de Pollo. We also had the pleasure of savouring the Chaufa Aeropuerto, succulent stir-fried rice, a mix of vegetables, deep-fried fish, shrimp omelette, ginger and sweet garlic sauce. The secret of this dish lies in the mix of so many fantastic elements combined on one plate. We also recommend trying the Causa Limena, King crab meat, avocado mousse, ikura (fish eggs), and huancaina sauce.

The other main course we enjoyed, because of its tenderness and flavours, was the Pollo a la Brasa. This half-grilled chicken with fries, mixed salad, and Peruvian sauces is one dish not to be missed.

The unofficial national dish of Peru would perhaps be ceviche, where bite-size pieces of raw fish are marinated in lime. The acidity of the citric juices cooks the fish, giving it a delicate flavour and slightly chewy texture. In our opinion, La Mar is the godfather of ceviche in Qatar, and we recommend that you add this gem to your order. To finish our meal, we opted for the classic Torta de Chocolate. This homemade Peruvian chocolate cake, 85-per-cent chocolate with Manjar Blanco (Dulce de Leche) nestled in the centre, is so fabulous that we could happily visit La Mar just to have a piece of this magnificent dessert.

The verdict on La Mar? Peruvian cuisine brilliance at its best. Opening from May 28 following Phase 1 of the gradual lifting of restrictions by the government, whilst still offering takeaway and delivery through Talabat. ✤

GO: CALL 4484 4098 FOR RESERVATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION.