Restaurant Review

All You Need Is Love: Exploring Cuisines Through Family-Owned Restaurants

Ever since I’ve known about different cuisines around the world, the idea of trying each and every one of them has been on my bucket list. I’m always curious to try new things, especially if it will expand my knowledge of the world. I’ve been able to do this specifically in Norwalk, as there’s a culmination of different cuisines on offer, concentrated in one neighborhood. One of these restaurants, Mochica, a family-owned Peruvian restaurant, was always a restaurant that I had passed by in that neighborhood. It caught my eye because of how bustling it was with locals, but I had never eaten there.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I was immediately able to tell how this was a family-owned restaurant - everyone was working together in the kitchen and front of house to prepare for that evening’s service, while also ensuring their many delivery orders were out on time. We were immediately greeted by a friendly server and invited to pick any table of our choosing. I could quickly tell that this restaurant was simple and straightforward, not trying to be anything it wasn’t.As soon as we sat down, we were served a mysterious green sauce, along with some menus and fresh bread. (It was later explained to me that the sauce was Aji Verde, a sauce made out of various peppers and herbs.)

The service was prompt and welcoming - it was clear that the staff treats everyone as their own family. We were asked if we were ready to order very quickly- it definitely seemed as if most customers at the restaurant didn’t need a menu, considering the main demographic seems to be locals and delivery orders. That being said, the menu was intuitively designed, organized by type of protein. We decided to both go with steak dishes - mine was called Bisteck a lo Pobre, and my girlfriend’s was Bisteck a la Plancha. They both featured a huge, thin steak, and I had a house salad, fries, plantains, rice, and two fried eggs with mine. Most importantly, all the dishes were very well balanced, which I love. I think more restaurants should do this, where there’s a little taste of everything on the dish, showing off the best parts of a cuisine - rather than having a la carte sides.

The food only took 6 minutes to arrive, and we were served at the same time. The steak was sizzling hot, which was great - hot food is something I really value as a diner. We hadn’t been asked how we wanted the steak cooked, however slicing into it, we found the meat was cooked to perfection.

Everything on the plate just seemed so fresh and well thought-out - for example, the flavors on the plate were incredibly balanced. The sweet, soft plantains contrasted with the juicy steak in a way that I wasn’t expecting. The rice balanced out and soaked up the runny egg yolk that invaded across the entire plate. It appeared that every dish in that restaurant was methodically designed with love, while using recipes that had been passed down generation to generation. My only issue was with the house salad - while the lettuce, onions, and dressing were tangy and fresh, the thick slice of tomato was definitely past its prime. Overall, my dish was extremely fresh and flavorful, hitting the spot for a great price - $20. 

Wrapping up the evening, we had a slice of tres leches - the sweet and soft aspect of the cake balanced the salty steak for a unexpectedly near-perfect meal on a random Tuesday night in May.

In a world where there are so many upscale, yet impersonal restaurant choices, it was refreshing to experience this cuisine, one I had not yet tried, in a way that was with love and care put into the dish, yet not trying to be anything upscale that it wasn’t. The service was friendly and attentive, and it was clear that they treat everyone like family. If you need an affordable, yet freshly cooked meal with lots of love, Mochica is the place. There’s a reason why locals visit so often - and while I’ll be returning very soon.