Abra Bistro de Altura
This is a fun little restaurant that would be cozy if they didn’t have all of the doors and windows permanently open during the pandemic. I was there on a rainy day and the only hot drink they could serve me was coffee, since they were out of tea. (Out of tea? Really?)
I ordered the trout, which was a generous portion, served atop three slabs of pan fried sweet potato. The fish was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were also just right: crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It was served with a cast iron pot of rice, which was also a very generous portion. I appreciated the cast iron since everything got cold quickly with all of the doors and windows open. The plate was also very hot and kept the fish and potatoes warm until I finished.
My companion ordered the spaghetti which was completely buried under sauce and the arugula and parmesan garnish. The pasta was al dente and seemed freshly made. The sauce and garnish were delicious.
On a subsequent visit to Abra, I ordered the Thai Curry as a vegetarian dish. It can also come with chicken or prawns. My companion ordered the Chicharrón de Cerdo (fried pork) con Kapuchi de Habas y Queso (spicy sauce with fava beans and cheese). I also ordered a chicha morada (purple corn beverage).
The curry had good flavors but the veggies were undercooked. I actually like undercooked red peppers and zucchini but the eggplant was inedible. I did mention this to the server, who said that he would speak with the chef. Also, the balance of garbanzo beans and veggies was off. There were too many veggies and too few garbanzo beans. The accompanying rice was a good amount and I appreciate that it’s served in a little cast iron dish with a top, so it stays hot.
One of my favorite things about the presentation at Abra is that the plates are hot. This would be a small detail in most places, but in Cusco it’s always cold and if food isn’t served piping hot, on hot dishes, it gets cold before you can finish.
The fried pork had good flavors and crunchy texture. The bean and cheese sauce was just a little spicy and had a good creamy texture.
The chicha morada wasn’t too sweet, which I really appreciate. I’ve had so many overly sweet chicha moradas in Cusco, that this was refreshing. It also came with a paper straw, which I was happy to see in place of plastic.
The timeline
This was my most recent visit when I was there for lunch. There were already three tables occupied but the place was by no means full. We seated ourselves and were brought menus in less than a minute. I appreciate that they asked if Spanish was okay rather than automatically bringing English menus, as my companion that day didn’t speak English. We could probably have made it in and out in an hour if we had been more insistent about asking for the bill as soon as we finished eating. As far as service in Cusco goes, this was quite good.
6 minutes: The server took our order
14 minutes: The server brought place mats and silverware
15 minutes: The drinks were served
31 minutes: The veggie curry was served
33 minutes: The pork dish was served
55 minutes: We finished eating
1 hour: We asked for the bill
1:02: The server brought the bill
1:05: We paid cash and left
Chicha Morada
Peruvians are very inventive with their hundreds of varieties of corn. Purple corn isn’t very edible but it does have great color and flavor, which makes for good drinks and desserts. Chicha morada is usually made by soaking dried purple corn overnight, then boiling it with cinnamon sticks, halved limes, pineapple rind and cloves. The kernels are still hard and chalky at the end of the process, so they’re discarded but the color and flavor remains.
(Note the paper straw).
How to get there
Conveniently located across from the Marriott, the entrance is actually on Calle Ruinas. The sign for the restaurant is above the entry way into a courtyard. Go into the courtyard and up the stairs on the right.
