Moia – Festive Peruvian in Vegas

I went to Peru 15 years ago and its still fresh in my mind for the food and amazing sights. Even after 80+ countries I have visited since, I still think Peru is one of the best trips. For dinner last night, I decided to check out Moia in Vegas which is a Peruvian restaurant. When we arrived, there was a bit of a wait to be seated, not because there was a long line, but because there was no hostesses and all the staff were super busy. There was a lot of large groups. We were eventually seated and our server took out drink orders. I had a pisco sour (watermelon) and my wife had the passionfruit one. The presentation in lit up glasses was a nice touch:

My initial impression of the place was mixed. I liked the DJ and modern vibes. The crowd was mostly locals from what I could tell, and there was a mix of families with small kids which was nice to see, couples on dates and big groups of friends. As the evening went on, and the Latin music started, a few people started dancing which made me want to go on vacation in a Latin Country! Anyway, the food. We started with a Peruvian classic – ceviche. It had all the components of a good ceviche and all the ingredients were well balanced. The fish was fresh and meaty with the right amount of fat.

Next, my favorite Peruvian dish of all time – pescado a lo macho. I had this in Peru and it blew my mind. I’ve tried to find it ever since, but have only come across it once outside Peru, in Miami at CVI.CHE105. This version at Moia, was just ok. The sauce was not as thick and savory as I remember when having it at the other places. The portion of seafood was fresh and generous. The fish was perfectly cooked. Moist and tender. It was still good, but just not blown away good like I remember.

The next dish, lomo soltado, is another of my favorite Peruvian dishes. This one WAS mind blowing good. The meat was tender and well marinated. I wish there was more of the sauce that makes this dish so good. The fries were out of this world. I don’t know what they did, but the flavor of potato was screaming in my mouth. I tried finding the pieces soaked in the sauce, and it was a match made in heaven.

Overall, service was pretty good considering they were really busy. The atmosphere was really festive and the food was GOOD. I want to go back to try their other dishes like Peruvian fried rice (Peruvian Chinese food is delicious). I would recommend if you want a more local vibe in Vegas.