We were visiting from Philadelphia and on business and we wanted avoid the typical big city steak-house/ formula restaurant and what-not dining experiences. Along comes CHALAN on the Beach. Recommended by the hotel staff, Peruvian food is not a cuisine we're familiar with but boy does this place deliver! So much so that we ate here twice in three days. The ceviche de pescado is really outstanding only a to be challenged by the ceviche mixto (fish, shrimp and calamari). It is fresh, citrusy and just spicy enough to make you want to have another piece of ceviche just to cool your tongue. Grilled mixed seafood is another winner as well as the spicy shrimp dish. Don't forget the aji spicy green sauce mixture of lime juice, habanero and jalopeno (where are my Spanish alphabet diacritical letters?) This is a place where mostly the locals eat (i.e the Peruvians living in Miami, which apparently are plentiful). Anyway, the ambiance is only a little more than diner meets cafe but the staff are friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. Here's the best part; it's so reasonable it borders on cheap. We can't say enough about the place except that the next time we're in Miami Beach we're here for at least two more dinners. Wow!
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