Cusco and the Sacred Valley Restaurants

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Pacha Papa

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Pacha Papa Review

If you've been putting off trying the famous Andean dishes of guinea pig or alpaca, then wait no longer. This fabulous restaurant is hands-down the best place in town for Peruvian food. Modeled after a typical Peruvian open-air quinta, wooden tables are scattered around a large patio. The menu takes influences from all over Peru, and the waiters are happy to explain what makes each dish special. Try the delicious anticuchas de alpaca, skewers of tender alpaca meat with local spices, and don't miss the sensational adobo de chancho, a tangy pork stew with meat that melts in your mouth. For a special treat, go for the underground-oven baked pachamanca, a stew where different types of meats are slow roasted together with potatoes and aromatic herbs (pacha is Quechua for ground, manca means pot). This dish, as well as the cuy, has to be ordered 24 hours in advance, so plan ahead. This is a great place to go for breakfast as well, with fabulous fruit juices.

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    Pacha Papa Review

    I followed the rules to avoid getting sick. Drank only bottled water and ate only in highly established restaurants. I utilized the Fodor's travel guide during my 9 day travel in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. I ate at the restaurants Fodor's recommended, and chose the dishes that were recommended.
    Pachapapa's was one of the "Fodor's Choice" restaurants, and the adobo de chancho, a tangy pork stew, was highly recommended. The meal was delicious...however 3 hours later, I was hovering over the toilet in my hotel room vomiting my insides out. The diarrhea soon followed, and the chills and shivering came later. I couldn't even drink water to hydrate myself without vomiting. I remained bed bound that evening and the following day. I was so weak, I could barely stand. I had gotten food poisoning from the stew that unfortunately ruined the last 2 days of my trip.
    I'm sure that if I had ordered something else from the menu, I would have a different story. However, a restaurant as reputable as this should ensure proper food handling for all of it's menu items. The stew may have been sitting out all day, or left over from the previous day. Whatever the case, safe food handling practices were not followed, and for this reason, I give the restaurant a low rating.

    by yma01blue, 6/17/11

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