The restaurant
German de la Melena’s Cape Town hotspot Keenwä – the only Peruvian restaurant in the country – is also a stylish spot to sip pisco sours, snack on ceviche and practise your Español.
 
The food
Named for the phonetic spelling of the Peruvian grain, quinoa, Keenwä serves up tasty Peruvian fare. The dishes may seem unfamiliar, but be brave: this is some seriously good food.
 
Start with a ceviche – succulent angelfish cured in lime juice and red onion – or an anticucho platter for two, with perfectly tender meat skewers and deliciously tangy marinade. For mains, try the scrumptious lomo saltado, with tender and beautifully seasoned strips of stir-fried meat served on top of fries so that the sauce soaks through, or the traditional carapulca, which is your choice of chicken, beef or pork served on potato with chilli peanut sauce. For dessert, don’t miss the sublime suspiro with manjar blanco – a rich batter, a little like a cross between condensed milk and cookie dough – topped with Italian meringue. (Luckily for you, we also have the recipe.) If you’re after something ever so slightly lighter, try the creamy pisco sour ice cream, flavoured with the Peruvian brandy.
 
The x-factor
Funky, clean and quirky, Keenwä does ethnic without sliding into clichés. A palette of dark chocolate and baby blue makes for a distinctive and hip space, while wooden planks suspended from the ceiling and a box-shelf wall feature add a little personality. The walls are covered with owner German’s snapshots of his home country with ironic ‘your photo here’ cutouts, and disposable paper tablemats are printed with the same fun designs. We’re even a fan of the bathrooms, with a custom-made rough-hewn wooden sink and eclectic display of mirrors.
 
Don’t miss the Peruvian breakfasts on the last Saturday of every month, or wine pairing evenings on the last Thursday of the month.

Does Keenwä have what it takes to win the Boschendal Style Award at this year’s Eat Out Dstv Food Network Restaurant Awards?