Studio City is becoming the epicenter for cutting edge restaurants in the San Fernando Valley. It appears that the majority of valley restaurant news is about restaurants opening in Studio City. Los Balcones is one of them. It isn’t new, but what is exciting about it is the recent collaboration between chefs Jorge Rodriguez and Ricardo Zarate.
Los Balcones is located on Moorpark Street one block west of Woodbridge Park in Studio City. They lack a parking lot, but street parking and valet parking is available. The interior is classy and inviting. Seating is available in an L-shaped dining room.
Ricardo Zarate (Mo-chica, Picca, Paiche, and Rosaliné) teamed with Jorge Rodriguez to create a menu featuring Peruvian Mestizo cuisine. This type of food reflects the strong influences from Africa, the Middle East, China and Japan.
Fresh salmon was cured in Peruvian leche de tigre (tiger’s milk) which gave it a pronounced citrus taste. The salmon was sliced sashimi-style and wrapped around roasted beets. The salmon melted in my mouth and the orange miso that surrounded this dish paired nicely with the acidity from the glass of Vie Vite Cotes de Provence Extraordinaire Rose.
The octopus was grilled and I enjoyed that it was tender and not gummy in texture. It was comprised in a salad made with asparagus, cauliflower and pickled fennel. The Peruvian
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish and Los Balcones’ version was made with quinoa and named quinotto. What nicely elevated this dish was the addition of maitake, trumpet royale, pecorino, and shimeji shiitake. This mushroom medley gave the dish a pleasant umami boost. Parsley oil surrounded the quinotto. If you enjoy mushrooms, this dish is a must-order.
For my last dish, I selected their Costilla Short Ribs. The beef short ribs are braised for 6 hours in a beer tomato chile panca sauce which resulted in very tender beef. It was served in a tray with tacu tacu, salsa criolla and topped with a sunny side up egg. The tacu tacu was a baked mixture of lima beans and rice.
Other dishes that caught my attention included the Seco de Pato “duck two ways” and the El Dorado made with pan seared sea bream with
As you could imagine, I was too stuffed for dessert. They have apple pie made with pink lady and granny smith apples, a crème brûlée, quinoa con leche, and pudding with chantilly cream on the dessert menu.
They have a nicely curated beverage list. While the wine list was a single page, it included selections from Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Argentina, and Chile. US selections were from Napa Valley, Oregon and Washington.
Fire of Peru 
Pisco Sour
Their cocktail list contains the obligatory classic Pisco Sour. I was fortunate to experience a cocktail that is available to insiders. Named, the “Fire of Peru”, it was a made with mezcal, passion fruit and amarillo pepper puree served with an orange slice. The ice cube was made with blood orange. Because of the prep involved, only 15 are served each evening.
My suggestion is to visit them on “Wine Wednesdays”. They discount their wines 20% to celebrate Hump Day. It is an affordable way to taste international wines by the glass and to find either the ideal food and wine pairing or your next favorite wine.
Los Balcones, 11334 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602
losbalconesperu.com