Suyo
Dear Diary,
My mom is from Peru, so I have grown up in the Peruvian culture my whole life. I was lucky enough to visit every year, so I am quite familiar with Peruvian food. However, I was a picky brat kid who couldn’t stand the food. That’s so embarassing but I was just a silly kid ok don’t blame me. Now that my taste has matured, I can appreciate many more cuisines. I’ve been wanting to try Peruvian food again to give it another shot, but I’ve realized that Vancouver is very deprived of this cuisine. Whenever I go places I’m always shocked to see Peruvian restaurants, since it is not a thing in Vancouver.
To my surprise, Suyo is a new Peruvian restaurant in Vancouver. It embodies the flavours of Peru with a modern approach. While this is very exciting, it is a higher-end restaurant, so it is more of a once-in-a-while experience.
My once-in-a-while experience is here and I am finally going to try Suyo and embody my Peruvian roots 🦙
Location: It’s a bit hard to recognize since it is very simple and small. However, the street has a lot of restaurants nearby, making the area strong. Parking is a struggle.
Service: The service was great! The host who brought us to our table was so friendly and it felt very genuine. This was a breath of fresh air. She was so welcoming and made me feel excited for the experience. All the staff are very informed about every dish, providing large explanations for everything! Every time they dropped off a food item, they would explain it in large detail and it was nice to hear everything that’s going on in it, rather than just the name of it. Especially since Peruvian culture isn’t common here, it was very beneficial for having a better understanding. Our server was very nice, and the table maintenance was very on point. Our waters were ALWAYS refilled.
Food: The first thing that comes to my mind is quality. You could taste the quality from start to finish. I loved all the food I ate and was pleasantly surprised with the Beef Tartare. I loved everything I had. We got a bunch of the small plates including the Octopus Antichucero, which was very out of my comfort zone. We also got Yucas which you can never go wrong with. They are the most yum potatoes and the huancaina sauce is unreal with it. The Pork Chicharron Sliders were my favourite out of everything! The steamed bun with tamal… 10/10. It comes with three, and it felt the most worth it. Of course we got Ceviche and it was delicious. We got the mixed one and it had some odd things in it for my liking.. but I pushed through. I WISH I GOT TO TRY LARGE PLATES BUT FATHER SAID NO 🤧
Drinks: WE GOT NO FUN COCKTAILS BC THEY WERE $20 EACH. However, they told us about their special “Cusco” drink, and my mom said there was nothing Peruvian in there at all. She didn’t tell the server that though THANK GOD. Saved me from that Karen moment.
Prices: Around $30 for small sharing plates, and around $50 for a large plate. $$$$
Atmosphere: I really liked it. It was very earthy and embodied a modern approach to Peruvian culture. However, I do think they could have represented Peru more in their decor. Their focus was on plants, as they surrounded the restaurant. The plants embodied the mountains or the tropical rainforest of Peru for me. It was very small in there with not many tables, which makes sense why it was so hard to get a reservation. Once I stepped foot in here, it felt like I was transported into another world.
Experience: Amazing experience at Suyo!! I do think their menu needs a larger variety, but they are a new restaurant so they are on the way to amazingness. They are now a Michelin-recommended restaurant and you sure can tell. While it is on the high-end side, the quality of the food is impeccable and the vibe is unmatched bliss.
