Review: Tanta

It's been a crazy busy year and I have fallen off track with my "one post a week" promise to myself. The good news is, I have lots of backlogged restaurant visits, recipes, and travels to post about. With all of the great experiences I've had over the past couple of months, it's difficult to even know where to start. This overwhelmed feeling (in a good way) is often how I feel about Chicago - there is so much to do and see (and most importantly, eat) that I can't catch up. Isn't it the best though?! There is always a new experience to be had, or in this case at Tanta, a new type of cuisine to explore.

Tanta defines itself as Peruvian cuisine, but until my visit there I didn't realize how broad "Peruvian" was in terms of food. Apparently because of it's geographical location, Peruvian food has Asian and Spanish influences in additional to Latin. You realize this as soon as you look at the diverse (but not vast) menu and see dishes ranging from ceviche to sashimi to traditional Peruvian meals.

I definitely enjoyed our meal but I didn't LOVE the atmosphere. The bar area was cool, but small, and didn't have a real space of it's own. We sat in one of the small booths that lined one side of Tanta and for some reason the booth and bright lighting reminded me of a restaurant chain. I think I'm being a little too nit-picky, but giving my honest option. The food was great and I would go back if someone else wanted to give it a try, especially with a group so we could order more dishes.
 

I do love me a good bar.

One of the most traditional South American drinks - Pisco Sour

Of course I tried it

Now THIS was a good drink. I saw the bartender making it and knew I had to try it, I'm a sucker for cool presentation. That big orange ball you see is condensed and frozen hot peppers - so the drink gets spicier as it melts.

I think part of the reason I love Mexican food so much is for the chips and salsa they bring out (don't even get me started on the "fancy" places that make you order it off the menu and the salsa dish is the size of a thimble). Tanta brings out these crispy plantain chips and this AMAZING spicy ranch type dip (I apologize to the chef for my description, but sorry that's what it tasted like). Thank goodness they did not ask if we wanted a refill because I don't think I would have had the willpower to say "no".

Always with the red meat. Gotta have it. This is the Pobre Nigiris Nikkei with steak and quail egg on top of rice (like sashimi). On the menu it lists "chalaca" as part of the dish, which I learned is a traditional dish/term for food of the Lima coastal region.

Ahi Tuna Ceviche - can't go wrong with this order.

This picture isn't the most appetizing but it was very good. The Adobos de Res is listed under the "Peruvian Family Traditions" section of the menu. The slow cooked beef cheeks in adobo sauce was very rich and flavorful.

The desserts we ordered didn't photograph well either, but this chocolate concoction was delicious. 

I had high expectations for these pumpkin "donuts" and maple syrup sauce, but they were a little heavy/greasy and not as flavorful as I would had liked. With a pretty good dessert menu, I would take your calories elsewhere.

Let me know what you think of your visit to Tanta! It's definitely worth a try, especially with a group so you can taste the variety of regional cuisines on the menu.