Rodney Rouse's 4 Star Review For Gabby's Peruvian Restaurant in Wichita, KS

Peruvian in Wichita??? Here's your chance, and you don't have to travel to NYC or LA. Certainly had my interest, as did the very high online ratings. Check it out: Couple blocks south of Kellogg, off Seneca. Quaint and clean. For dinner, we started with an appetizer, Yuca Frita, which had the look, feel, and texture of steak fries, but with a slightly different flavor. FYI... yuca, a root, is known in other parts of the world as cassava. It came with 2 dipping sauces, green (fire) and yellow (mild). I'm partial to potatoes, but it was something different. Wife's entree, was Lomo a lo Macho, which was basically beef tenderloin with mixed seafood served on top (in a sauce), along with plantains, yuca, and rice. Huge serving. Personally, I'm not crazy about a seafood assortment on top my steak, but my wife absolutely loved this dish!! She's Asian, so there's that. Our guest ordered a Garden Salad and Lomo Saltado (beef tenderloin w/onions & tomato), fries and rice. He devoured it - described as terrific. I had the - get this - Aruz con Pollo y Papa a la Huancaino (the choice was slightly incented by reviews). Marinated chicken served with a sauce, atop this Peruvian rice. The chicken was great, but what impressed me most was that rice! Truly excellent! Moist, not sticky, mushy, or crunchy... smack in the middle, where rice ought to be. There were a few peas and diced carrots in there, plus some magic seasoning. If, for no other reason, go to Gabby's and try that rice. Killer! Hate to go on about it, but seriously, I could eat that rice as a main course. We had a native Peruvian ice cream dessert, which was subtlely flavored with a native fruit, lucuma. Good-different, is the way I would describe it. In sum, all portions were appropriate, service was good, prices were moderate, and there's plenty of parking space. Ambiance is casual/relaxed. Very clean. So there you have it. I would recommend trying Gabby's - step outside the norm.