Before Pisac Peruvian Bistro set up shop, Oakville boasted only two locations of this underappreciated cuisine.
Peruvian cuisine is the ultimate fusion of gastronomic delights, as evidenced by four restaurants recognized on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list of 2023 as some of the best food in the world, including Lima’s Central Restaurante; ranked #1.
It combines the flavours of four continents. The culinary history of Peruvian food dates back to the Incas and was later influenced by the colonization during the Spanish Conquest of Peru, as well as Arab, African, Chinese, and Japanese immigration throughout the 19th century, giving traditional dishes from Peru some of the most unique flavours in the world.
Oakville resident Renzo Galleno, originally from Lima, Peru, came to Canada in 1983 to work for his sister in Toronto at The Boulevard Cafe, one of Canada’s first Peruvian restaurants.
Galleno started as a dishwasher and worked there until he learned all aspects of the restaurant business. He left in 1992 to gain further experience in various hotels and restaurants in the GTA. In 2000, Galleno had the opportunity to partner with his sister at The Boulevard Cafe, where he stayed until 2009.
In his pursuit to gain more diverse restaurant experience as a chef, Renzo took a job at Il Fornello in Oakville, where he has lived since ‘96.
Recently deciding to start something for himself, Galleno opened Pisac Peruvian Bistro in February 2020 in Toronto. Ready for expansion, when the ideal spot on Upper Middle Road in his hometown opened up, Renzo jumped at the opportunity to launch a second location in February 2023.
The restaurant is a family business for the Galleno’s. Renzo’s wife and children each execute pivotal roles in the operation.
Signature dishes enjoyed at Pisac Peruvian Bistro include ceviche, lomo saltado, and seco de cordero.
In Peru, ceviche is considered a flagship dish and part of its cultural heritage - typically a dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Pisac has four varieties to choose from; made of tuna or mahi-mahi and combined with sweet potato. Why not try the Ceviche Mixto that combines a seafood medley of mahi-mahi, octopus, calamari, and shrimp for $28?
Lomo saltado; sirloin beef strips marinated in a soy sauce with various spices, is a combination of Peruvian and Chinese ingredients.
Early nineteenth century, Chinese chefs on Lima’s streets in Chinco, a region in the province of Lima, began to sauté the beef using a wok. Thus, was then the beginning of what is referred to as Chifa cuisine, based on Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. Pisac offers a six-ounce flank steak in a well-balanced soy glaze reduction with fries for $29.
Arab-influenced Seco de Cordero is a Peruvian lamb stew slow-cooked in cilantro sauce. At Pisac, the braised lamb shank is prepared in cilantro, brown ale, spices and ingredients like aji sauce, which are imported from Peru. The lamb then simmers for three hours.
Renzo’s wife, Josephine, creates the pastries for the bistro. You won’t find them listed on the menu as they change weekly.
Crowd favourites are alfajor - typically made of flour, honey, and nuts. Suspiros, which are melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies. Tres leches sponge cake - soaked in three kinds of sweet milk. Or there is a variety of chocolate-crusted cheesecakes with fruit like lucuma, to name just one. The dessert servings range in price from $12 to $15.
Though Galleno has decades of experience behind him, he confesses that he learned to cook from his father.
“I would like people to experience the whole package that we offer of food, service, and cocktails, to know that it's very traditional and authentic here at Pisac,” said Galleno.
Don’t be fooled by the elevated plating. This eatery is casual dining, offering a well-curated food and beverage list, friendly service, and Peruvian music completes the experience.
Pisac Peruvian Bistro
1011 Upper Middle Rd E Unit #A11
PHONE
(905) 338-1800
HOURS
Open Wednesdays to Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6:00 p.m.