Last lunch in Lima is mighty good at MATRIA(12-26-21)

 Our flight home was slated for 140AM and we knew we had to eat a decent meal before heading to the airport at 930pm, and we wanted it to be special. Sadly it was Sunday and a holiday weekend, so most places were closed. MATRIA was a 5minute ride from our hotel in San Isidro and the menu looked great, especially with tons of vegan and veggie options. WRONG! Apparently, the team doing our restaurant research in Lima screwed up and there were only two items on the menu and Sam did not want either. He left in a puff and headed back to the hotel on foot and we tried to make the best of it. We had a 330pm reservation as our ground team said the kitchen closed at 5pm, but on arrival we were told we had 25 minutes to order anything and everything as the kitchen would close at 4pm!! Another error making me very unhappy with a ground operator I have used for years!

I have to say their Pisco Sour was nice and we chose quickly enough, but the food came well spaced, so it was not a disaster. I was in love with the Estratido Palteado which was a filet of sole tiradito(raw marinated fish slices) with leche di tigre and toasted quinoa that gave it a great pop. A glass of house white was delish, but I never did find out what it was.

Will started with the Thai Coconut Milk Soup with Shrimp which he liked as well and then went on to the Sopa Criolla(yes, two soups) made with tenderloin, pasta, poached egg, toasted oregano and panrattato cheese...it looked and sounded great. My Cazuel de Lechon was a huge rack of confit pork tibs that feel off the bone sitting on a pot of black beans, panuela, chroizo, Peruvian corn and spices with a side of rice. It was divine and truly filled me up for the overnight flight. The house red(again not sure what it was) paired perfectly. 

It was a nice meal, but I felt horrible for Sam and was even madder at my vendor, who four days later still has not responded to my complaint. It was a gorgeous day and we decided to walk back to the hotel which was not even 30 minutes away and settle in for the rest of the afternoon waiting to head home.