During Washington DC’s restaurant week I like to try new restaurants. In the U Street Corridor, a Peruvian restaurant that I was not familiar with was participating. After taking a peek at their menu online, I decided to go there. Having one of the best meals I’ve ever had, I immediately fell in love with El Secreto de Rosita.

El Secreto de Rosita (The Secret of Rosita) has only been existence for a few years, but the owner, Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld, has had a restaurant at that spot for 25 years. El Secreto replaced the previous restaurant, Chi-Cha Lounge, in 2021. It is named after Rosenfeld’s grandmother Rosita. It looks like they have had a couple of chefs. The current one is Cristian Granada and under his purview the restaurant received a Michelin star.

Regular Menu

While I ordered from the “Restaurant Week” menu, El Secreto de Rosita’s regular menu is worth talking about. The menu is divided into Starters and Main Courses. Starters is further divided into Vegetarian Starters, Cold Starters, and Hot Starters. The vegetarian starters include Maitake Steak (featuring Maitake mushrooms), Yucas & Fresh Truffle, and Sweet Plaintains. Cold starters include 4 different varieties of the Peruvian classic Cevice, Tuna Tiradito, and Crudo de Scallops. The hot starters also include a scallop dish, Ocopa Scallops. Other items include calamari, shrimp, mussels, and octopus. There is also a beef dish, Wagyu Anticuchero.

Main courses include Quinoto(a quinoa salad), Pescado Frito (fried fish), Aji de Gallina (chicken in Aji sauce), and Lomo Saltado (Rib Eye). All takes on classic Peruvian dishes. Some unusual items include a Short Rib dish called Seco Norteno and a Rib Eye steak dish called Churrasco a lo Pobre .

Restaurant Week Menu

The restaurant week menu consisted of thee courses: a starter, a main, and a dessert. The starter choices were Sweet Plantains, Ceviche Mixto, and a Burrata Salad. As I love Burrata, I almost ordered that. But after the waiter described the menu, I decided to try their Peruvian dishes. So I had the Ceviche for my starter. This Ceviche is made with Corvina fish and marinated in a classic Ceviche sauce called leche de tigre (tigers milk). Peruvian corn and sweet potatoes are mixed in and everything is topped with onions. The dish has a good mix of flavors and textures, but I found the citrus based leche de tiger a little too strong and overpowering. The fish itself has good flavor, and I did enjoy the dish..

The choices for the main course were Lomo Saltado (Ribeye), Pescado a lo Macho, and Risotto with Local Mushrooms. I had the Pescado. The dish centers on Bronzino fish, served over squid and covered in a roccoto pepper sauce. This dish is succulent! The Bronzino is as soft as butter. It practically melted on the tongue. The squid has a more solid texture and provides a nice contrast. The sauce is mild and delicious, complimenting the fish perfectly. Despite its reputation, I did not find the roccoto very spicy. I love this dish and heartily recommend it.

The final course was dessert. Faced with the choice of Panna Cotta, Chocolate Mousse, and Bunuelos (Peruvian donuts), I chose the Panna Cotta. The Panna Cotta is very smooth and creamy. I tasted a hint of caramel, reminding me a little bit of flan, but much more rich. tasting.  The dish is topped with a berry sauce. I don’t remember the type of berry, but the waiter said it was Peruvian. They were not very sweet. Instead, it provided a bit of a tang that contrasted well with the richness of the Panna Cotta. This dessert is divine!

Drinks

El Secreto de Rosita has a small cocktail menu. One section is devoted to Pisco based drinks; Pisco being the national liqueur of Peru. This section includes a Classic Pisco Sour, Chicha Morada, and a passion fruit based one called Atadecer. Chica Morada is a sweet corn juice common in Peru. The other section has Signature Cocktails and consists of Santo Pecado (tequila based), Li Desu (whisky based), Kawaii (coconut rum based), and La Buen Vida (vodka based).

I decided to go traditional and order a Pisco cocktail. The waiter said the Chicha and the Atadecer are sweet. Wanted something more sour, I ordered the Classic Pisco Sour. It is made with Pisco, lime juice, and whipped egg whites. Definitely on the sour side. Rosita’s is very smooth. It is also quite strong, although it does not taste like it. The alcohol snuck up on me and by the end of the meal I was quite tipsy.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere at Rosita’s is fantastic. The room is elegantly decorated with long, green plants which is accented by lush, jungle themed wall paper. Spanish music is playing softly in the background, setting a pleasant mood. I was there early in the evening and on a weeknight, so it was not very crowded. By the time I left, the restaurant had started to fill up. Perhaps because of the lack of crowds, I was able to talk to the waiter often. He was friendly and described the menu in great detail. And the food came out promptly. With great atmosphere and top quality food, El Secreto de Rosita is world class.