Authentic Peruvian fare at Feliz

It’s been years since I’ve stepped into Avenue K in Kuala Lumpur and I had no idea the top floor was such an attractive haunt for exotic food. Feliz, probably the only Peruvian restaurant around town, is headed by chef Franco Aldana who’s bent on showing off his country’s rich food heritage.

Occupying a large area with colourful tapestry and a green glass tiled wall grabbing attention right as you enter, the interior already gives off a vibrant vibe, giving a taste of what Peru could be like. There’s also al-fresco dining and drinks outside, the rooftop floor where you can ejoy a spectacular view of the city skyline.

To start, we had chicha morada, a non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn boiled with pineapple peel with spices. Really refreshing though for me, much too sweet. 

Ceviche Limeno, Franco’s fav, uses leche de tigre (tiger’s milk which is a blend of fish trimmings, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks and chili) to marinate the barramundi. Slightly sour with a touch of sweet, plus sea grapes for a savoury edge, definite different from other ceviche that I’ve had – top marks for flavour and texture. 

Tiradito De Tuna was raw tuna cut sashimi-style with a whole ballroom of flavours lent by the mango salsa, spices and a host of other condiments. 

Pollo A La Brasa – roasted chicken accompanied by egg chaufa with Peruvian-style salad was chicken that had been marinated for 24 hours and usually eaten with either fries or chaufa – which is essentially Chinese Fried Rice given a Peruvian twist (bean sprouts). Felt some chilli padi would have sealed the deal! The chicken was tasty but somewhat uninspiring as it’s, well, roasted chicken.

We also tried Anticuchos De Lomo Fino, skewers of marinated and grilled tenderloin accompanied by white corn, sliced fried potatoes and chimichurri. This was tender and nicely different way to enjoy beef.

Even more interesting was Feliz’s signature rice dish, Arroz Con Mariscos which reminded me of a blend between risotto and paella. Not quite as mushy as risotto, it uses longer grains unlike bomba rice in paella. This seemed a carb I could get used to.

Our sweet Peruvian end to lunch were Alfajores, Tres Leches and Petit Foie Selection. 

For now, Franco is keeping it to a pretty authentic selection of dishes so that Malaysians have a clear idea of what to expect if they ever go to Peru. In time, he hopes to up the ante and intro more new dishes.

What was interesting in our conversation with chef Franco was how Peru is huge on potatoes – seems that are more than 350 species there (while Malaysia has 5, and half of them imported), and that he loves durian!

As we get more global in our taste buds, you should put Peruvian down on the list too.

Add: L4-05, LEVEL 4, Avenue K, 156, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. HP: 01-1771 7742