Fusion & Flavors Shows Off Peru's Eclectic Influences

Photos by Eric Barton

Skip the marsala and go for the chicken saltado.

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Peruvian food isn't the standard beans-and-rice fare so common in South America. It has influences from the country's Asian, Italian, and Spanish immigrants, and that shows on the menu of the new Fusion & Flavors. The tiny storefront sits next to a Subway and between a couple strip clubs on Federal Highway in Oakland Park and boasts a menu of Italian and Peruvian staples, from chicken picatta to chaufa chicken fried rice.

The place was just about packed yesterday for lunch, but I didn't spot anyone
ordering the Italian dishes. After all, South Florida has plenty of Italian joints and few Peruvian ones (luckily, we've got a great Peruvian sandwich spot with Bravo). Likewise, I ordered a Peruvian staple, chicken saltado, which comes in a light and salty brown gravy with tomatoes and onions.

Aji de gallina, with Parmesan and walnuts on top.

​We also got the aji de gallina, a dish that shows off those wide-ranging influences on Peruvian food. The sauce is rich and creamy and reminiscent of Indian or Thai curries. The shredded chicken feels very South American, but then, oddly, it's topped with shaved Parmesan and walnuts. Definitely a lot of influences there.

Fusion & Flavors might be trying to do many things, but what it's not is expensive -- there's a lunch menu that's $5.99 during the week and $7.99 on the weekends. No doubt it has a couple hurdles to overcome, though, like whether a Peruvian joint also should serve penne bolognese. But it's good just to have one more place to try that Peruvian melting pot.