Emelina’s Peruvian Restaurant

We came here on a late Sunday afternoon for early dinner. There were a few other parties there, but there was no wait. Our server was very nice and friendly and great about giving us more info or recommendations! We ended up sharing the piqueos with the 2 fish and 1 shrimp ceviche, a lomo saltado, and some drinks. The piqueos was really good! The portions were surprisingly generous. Loved the balance of citrus and heat. The seafood itself tasted fresh. The Lomo Saltado was great. Loved that there was a good ratio with rice and fries. The sauce was amazing and the beef was cooked well. So glad a Peruvian place opened up nearby and will definitely be back again!

Food: 4.25 out 5Ordered the squid ink paella and the papas rellena. Both were flavorful and delicious. The paella portion was large and you could definitely share this order.Environment: 5 out 5Casual to business casual environment. Full bar and plenty of seating. They even do a flight of pisco if you're down!! Great place for a date night. Service: N/A Ordered to go. Overall: 4.5 out 5You'll be pleasantly surprised and will not leave with an empty stomach!

Overall I enjoyed the food and experience, it just wasn't amazing for me. I would give it 3, as I don't think I would come back again soon. Food: Fish with quinoa risotto: quinoa risotto was nice and tasted like an Italian American fusion dish. I have never had anything like it so that was unique but it was a little bland. Fish was a little undercooked for my liking but was flaky just not super white flaky. I think the spice on the fish was supposed to add more flavor to the risotto but the cheese in the risotto kind of overwhelmed the spice. Lomo saltado: this is a standard Peruvian dish that we've enjoyed many times at other places. Here it was decently executed, however we found the beef a little chewy. Service: it was a little slow, as the drinks and food took a little longer than other places but we enjoyed sitting outside. Ambiance: all the restaurants with outdoor dining on Murphy have great vibes and this one is no exception. We loved sitting outside and enjoying our meal. The plates were also excellently styled and garnished and that added some extra flair to the experience.

I haven't had Peruvian food in a while and have never seen a vegetarian paella offered with tofu before. I was excited to try it with some extra protein but unfortunately the dish was quite bland except for the occasional breath of smokiness in the roasted vegetables :/Logistics:- walking distance from Sunnyvale Caltrain station, also many paid public garages nearby but parking is tight at peak times - indoor seating only

Pisco drinks and ceviche were excellent. We also especially liked the salmon on creamy quinoa, and the crispy fried chicken was delicious. Avoid the empanadas, as they are dry and seem like they're reheated from frozen -- ours wasn't even warm in the center.

We were excited that a Peruvian restaurant pop up in Downtown Sunnyvale. We love Peruvian food. We also tried Emelina's #2 in Santa Clara, and we had a great experience. We popped in on a Friday night. We were seated immediately and decided to sit outside. Our server was friendly. Although the restaurant was notbusy, service was a little slow. However, the server was pleasant. We ordered a piqueos with the fish and shrimp. It was good and had nice heat. In comparison with Emelina's #2, the fish did not seem as fresh. The fish was a little chewy, but the flavor was great and serving was plentiful.The grilled octopus was also good!We also ordered the lomo saltado. We appreciated that the appropriate cut of meat was specified on the menu. The meat was tender and cooked as requested. However, there was not much flavor, and we felt it was too saucy. The sauce was almost like a gravy. Way different from the flavor and consistency of the one at #2.I also got the seafood paella which I enjoyed. I definitely got more seafood at their #2 location. Also, they topped the paella with cheese, which I do not remember having at the other place.Overall, service was good. The food and their flavors just did not do it for us. Maybe if we did not have the comparison of Emelina's #2, the rating may have been different. However, I specifically asked the server if they are sister companies and if the recipes are the same. He confirmed that the recipes are the same, but the food just did not taste the same or had the same caliber. We are open to trying their main restaurant in San Carlos.

This was our first time at this location, we have been to the other Emelina's at Santa Clara and San Carlos. And this one in Sunnyvale is absolutely amazing! The food was so delicious, and rich in flavor and my man and I loved the ceviche clasico, tallarin verde con pollo a la plancha and aji de gallina. We also had the chicha morrada which pairs really well with the food when you drink it, and it's so refreshing. The lucuma ice cream was my favorite dessert, it was super sweet and creamy & I loved everything about this place and they play good music. The service is amazing and they're very sweet and attentive. I would definitely recommend to go here if you're looking for great Peruvian food for dinner or any time of the day or a nice date night spot like tonight. Thank you so much! :)

We enjoyed the food we ordered though the service is a bit on the slow side.We will come back and try different dishes next time.

I've been three times now and I really like Emelina's! It has a real family restaurant vibe and the menu is varied and full of really tasty choices.I can't speak highly enough of the ceviches, especially Ceviche Borracha - I've never had ceviche so characterful and flavorsome. Pescado a la Macho was also very popular at our table.I can't claim to 'know' Peruvian food, but this restaurant opened my eyes. All the dishes we had a very distinctive style, like excellent home-cooking. I felt we were getting a fantastic introduction to a cuisine I look forward to trying again soon.

We found this AMAZING hidden gem in downtown Sunnyvale Service was A+ , Sheila was a wonderful host, she explained to us the food options, it was our first time ever trying Peruvian food, AND WE LOVED IT!! Very family oriented place and and ambiance just simple and beautiful little restaurant I don't remember the name of each plate, but I put the description under each picture We will return 100%