It’s ‘all family’ at new locally-owned Peruvian restaurant in Centerville. Take a look

Jessy Paredes and her aunt, Gladys Cabrejo, both natives of Peru, started selling plates of authentic Peruvian food they made at home to friends, family and Peruvians who knew of them by word of mouth.

Thinking of opening a food truck, the women first wanted to find out how well their dishes would sell.

Then opportunity knocked unexpectedly when Paredes heard that Meechie’s D’Serts and Dinners in Centerville was for sale.

She and her boyfriend, Jonathan “Jay” Molina, jumped at the chance to open their own restaurant. The couple purchased Meechie’s restaurant equipment and took over its lease.

“We prayed a lot before even making an offer, and when she (Meechie’s owner) accepted it so quickly, we just took that as a sign from God,” Paredes said.

Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant quietly opened May 13 at 3510 Highway 41 North, Suite 2004, within a shopping center just north of the intersection of Highway 41 and Gunn Road in north Houston County. The restaurant has a Byron mailing address but is located within the city limits of Centerville.

Their vision is to bring a taste of Peru to Middle Georgia.

The restaurant is operated by Paredes and Cabrejo, who do all the cooking; Paredes’ niece, Alyssa Paredes, serves as the cashier; and family friend, Walter Martinez, washes dishes.

“It’s all family,” Jessy Paredes told The Telegraph.

Molina, a master barber at Rapunzel Salon & Barber Shop in the same shopping center, comes by and helps out when he doesn’t have appointments.

“It’s a blessing,” Molina said. “I think everything happens for a reason. I’m happy to have the first Peruvian restaurant in Middle Georgia.”

What to expect at Asu Mare Authentic Peruvian Restaurant

Geared mostly for takeout, the small restaurant serves nearly a dozen authentic Peruvian dishes and a handful of desserts. A few tables and chairs are available for dine-in.

On Fridays, dishes not on the regular menu are also offered.

“This is just how we cook in Peru,” said Jessy Paredes, who immigrated to the U.S. from Peru when she was age 3.

Paredes learned her cooking skills primarily from her late mom, Jessi Paredes.

“If she was here, she would be back there in the kitchen,” Jessy Paredes said. “She had so much good flavor when cooking.

“It’s called ‘tenía sazón’ in Spanish, meaning like she has good flavor.”

Paredes polished her culinary skills by cooking with Cabrejo, who is her mom’s sister. Cabrejo immigrated to Georgia from Peru about two to three years ago.

“Cooking has always called her,” Jessy Paredes said of Cabrejo, who’s a trained beautician. “Some of these dishes, I’ve definitely made at home, but my aunt just adds an extra kick to it. She’s been doing it for years.”

What to try at Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant

For those new to Peruvian food, Paredes suggested trying the Lomo Saltado. The dish consists of tender strips of beef that are stir-fried with onions, tomatoes and fries in the restaurant’s “special sauce” and served over rice. Chicken may be substituted for the steak.

Another recommendation is the Ceviche De Pescado, which is served only on Thursday and Fridays. This dish is described on the menu as fresh fish marinated in zesty lime juice with onions, cilantro and Peruvian spices served with sweet potato and toasted canchita (a crunchy toasted corn snack).

“It’s so good to eat fresh, so as soon as it’s done, people love to just open it up and eat it,” Paredes said.

A popular Peruvian street food, Salchipapa, also is on the menu. This dish consists of crispy fries topped with slices of juicy salchicha (hot dog) served with ketchup, salsa golf (a creamy condiment), mustard and the house green sauce.

For dessert, the restaurant offers Oreo Tres Leches Cake described on the menu as a moist vanilla cake soaked in three milks with pieces of Oreo and topped with whipped cream and crushed Oreos.

Another dessert is the Mazamorra Morada, a traditional Peruvian pudding made with purple corn, fruit and spices that’s served warm at the restaurant.

Among the drink options are INCA KOLA, a popular Peruvian carbonated soft drink made with lemon verbena. The soft drink has a golden color and a sweet, fruity flavor often compared to cream soda or bubble gum.

Chicha Morada, a sweet, and spiced purple drink made by boiling native Peruvian purple corn with fruits and spices, also is offered.

To find certain ingredients she needs for the authentic dishes, Paredes said she travels almost every weekend to Atlanta.

The one-page menu is in English on one side, and Spanish (Peru’s primary language) on the flip side.

What’s behind the name Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant?

The name of the restaurant comes from a Peruvian expression, “Asu Mare,” that people often say in surprise when something “tastes really good,” Paredes said.

“Asu Mare first came to thought when we were thinking of a name because it’s an expression of surprise,” she said. “But when we thought of it, it was more of a ‘this is fire’ which is why we added the flame to our logo.”

But “this is fire” doesn’t mean the food is spicy. It’s simply an expression like, “Wow!”

Thumbs up from a customer at Aus Mare Peruvian Restaurant

Jerry Romero, who lives at a nearby apartment complex, has stopped in four times since Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant opened May 13.

“I really love Peruvian food,” said Romero, who immigrated to New York from Ecuador when he was 17 and moved to Georgia about three years ago. “It definitely reminds me of home.”

Ordering a Lomo Saltado, Romero said the dish is similar to an Ecuadorian dish but with a different flavor.

A friend recommended Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant, and since he lives nearby, Romero said he decided to try it. Now, he’s a repeat customer.

Romero said he’d “absolutely” recommend the restaurant.

“It’s authentic,” Romero said. “It has a flavor that’s hard to get around here unless you go to Atlanta.”

Grand opening date, restaurant hours for Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant

The restaurant is expected to celebrate its grand opening July 17. Promotions for the event are expected to be announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Worth noting: a website with the restaurant’s name, menu and other information was not created by the owners and is not affiliated with the restaurant, Paredes said.

All of Asu Mare Peruvian Restaurant’s official information is posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page and Instagram account, she said.

The restaurant is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. The number is 478-333-1122.