Foodcrawling: Mancora, Peru

In Peru’s far north, just a couple of hours from the border with Ecuador, is laid back Mancora. Situated on the Pacific, Mancora is one of South America’s premier beach and surfing destinations, drawing a diverse set of visitors every year, coming to enjoy the southern hemisphere’s summer. And amid the swarm of pizza places, mediocre cevicherias, and backpacker haunts is one of the most interesting collections of dining options anywhere in North Peru. Here’s your primer on where and what to eat in Peru’s favorite beach town:

La Sirena d'Juan. Avenida Piura 316, Mancora, 073-258-173.

Mancora born Juan Seminario, a graduate of the Lima cooking school that is now Cordon Bleu, is the premier chef in town. Sourcing some of the finest tuna you’ll ever see directly from artisanal fishermen at El Ñuro, La Sirena (above photo) might be the only kitchen in Panamericana that knows exactly how to use it. He serves it as a Nikkei style tiradito (as a tartar or ceviche). House made pastas and a well-curate wine list also appear on the menu, which has touches of Asia and the Mediterranean. 

Hotel DCO. 3 kms south of Mancora; 073-258-171.

At the very end of Las Pocitas beach, you can find this sleek boutique hotel, arguably the most elegant in the region. The hotel's poolside small yet adventurous restaurant offers a contemporary menu featuring maki rolls, seafood appetizers like octopus skewers, and standard coastal Peruvian plates like arroz con mariscos or tacu tacu stuffed with mero (grouper). Their cocktail list is superb, with a pisco sour flavored with maca root, a spicy rocoto and pisco martini, and various tipples utilizing tropical fruits macerated in pisco.
 

Atelier. Avenida Piura 360, 968-474-750.

This cozy French wine bar on the main drag is easily overlooked, but inside the narrow space there’s an attractive atmosphere. Their small but interesting menu features small plates like bacon wrapped scallops, smoked tuna with guacamole, coconut ceviche, and octopus tequeños (crispy cheese sticks). There's live music and happy hour specials most nights. 

Sirena Cafe Bar.  Avenida Panamericano Norte 336, 073-411-625.

Juan Seminario recently inaugurated a second, lighter restaurant and bar just up the street from the often full La Sirena d’Juan. The larger, more cosmopolitan space serves up mostly small plates such as tamalitos verdes, shrimp skewers with curry ginger honey, causas (a savory, potato-based dish), and mini triples, a sort of Peruvian version of sliders. More of a lounge than a restaurant, the cocktail list features mojitos and tropical pisco based drinks. 

Green Eggs & Ham.  At the Bird House complex, 975-445-828.

For surfers, carb heavy breakfasts and American comfort foods are a godsend. And this expat favorite delivers,  serving  huge towers of pancakes, bacon, coffee and milkshakes, all day. Their ocean view terrace, right in the center of the busiest section of the Municipal beach, is a prime people and surf watching spot.
 

Donde Teresa? 1 km south of Mancora; 073-258-702.

The 9-room hotel south of town, before the start of Las Pocitas beach, is owned by Javier Ocampo, the son of retired television chef Teresa Ocampo, and he uses many of her recipes in their restaurant. The menu highlights local ingredients, like locro, a type of squash used on the north coast, and algarobbina, a thick syrup made from the algarobbo tree from the region’s dry forests. At least once a week, usually on the weekends, Javier is in the kitchen, cooking pig in a metal barrel, a style of cooking called chancho al cilindro. The pork is seasoned with a rub made from pureed aguaymanto (Cape Gooseberry), lime and pink salt from the Sacred Valley village of Maras, and then slow cooked for half a day.