El Chalan on the Beach

El Chalan is one of the oldest Peruvian restaurants in Miami, and both of its locations - Bird Road and Miami Beach - are still popular among Peruvians to this day. The Miami Beach location, just off Washington Ave, used to be quite a dive but has polished up its interiors to keep up with the ever-increasing roster of fancy Peruvian restaurants in town. Fortunately, however, it’s maintained its classic criollo-style menu. This is one of the best places to get hearty dishes like seco de res - chunks of beef braised in a beer and cilantro sauce - and tallarines verdes with bistec apanado, a favorite Italian-Peruvian pasta tossed in a creamy spinach and basil sauce with a breaded steak cutlet.