MacKenzie Guynn Tanta, a hidden gem located on West Grand Avenue, has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. Its menu is full of shareable dishes all influenced by a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors. It may seem like an odd combination and a scary thought for picky eaters, but I truly don’t think you could go wrong when eating at Tanta. The restaurant itself is decorated with a Peruvian-inspired mural and is exposed to the kitchen along its back wall. It is “hip,” and the odds you will eat at a booth are very high, although it can also get a little noisy at times. Once seated, a waiter will bring some crispy plantain chips with a delicious, Sriracha mayo-esque, sauce. They may also offer an overview of the menu, which will definitely include how the top half consists of smaller plates, meant for appetizers, while the bottom half has the entrées. They will also likely explain how they fuse Japanese cuisine into a Peruvian menu with the cebiches, sashimi, and nikkei dishes. When it comes down to ordering food, I recommend sharing a bunch of different dishes. All of the empanadas are delicious, and the anticuchos are one of my staples for appetizers. My favorite dish, however, is the chaufa aeropuerto, fried rice that comes with a wide variety of vegetables, pork, and shrimp. The waiter will bring it to the table with a steaming fried egg on top and mix it up to perfection. Other options for the main course are the lomo saltado, the verdura nikei, and several fish dishes. All this is to say, Tanta is perfect for the restaurant-goer who feels like branching out and trying something a little edgier. ]]>