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Robin Garr

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Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

by Robin Garr » Wed Dec 04, 2024 7:11 am

Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

Arroz chaufa – fried rice with a Peruvian accent – is a popular dish rooted in Peru's many Chinese immigrants. It's available with seafood, beef, chicken, or fresh veggies.
Image

Not that many years ago, we didn’t have many Hispanic neighbors around Louisville, and the puny quality of our Mexican restaurant scene reflected that deficit. But times have surely changed!

Nowadays, more than 30,000 Louisville Metro residents boast Hispanic ancestry, according to the U.S. Census and the Statistical Atlas of the United States. More than 40% of those list Mexican ancestry, and another 30% trace their birth or their roots to Cuba, making Louisville one of the nation’s top ten Cuban cities.

Where’s Peru? The ancient home of the Incas, tourist destination for Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and the Andes, Peru ranks well down the local list. But more than 500 of our neighbors list Peruvian birth or ancestry, and that’s enough to hold a heck of a party … and to support a few really good restaurants.

I’ve got a couple of new Peruvian eateries on my to-do list. This week, let’s celebrate Friend’s Fusion, a Peruvian dining room that opened just last month in a short strip center across Westport Road from the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant.

That location is no coincidence: For three years or more, owners Saul Terry and Yolanda Barahona have operated their business as a food truck, offering lunch-break Peruvian specialties along with Mexican-flavored tacos, burritos, and more to hungry Ford-plant workers.

The restaurant represents the culmination of their dream, and it’s a winner: bright and cheerful, with white walls and red accents evoking the colors of the Peruvian flag, and a colorful wall mural depicting Aztec rock carvings, farms and forests, and historic Spanish colonial cathedrals.

The potato may have originated in Peru, and corn too. With its long Pacific coastline providing a world of seafood and fish, Peru stakes its claim as the originator of ceviche, although that gets plenty of pushback from Ecuador, Chile, and Mexico.

What’s more, Peru is home to a large Chinese and Japanese community that dates back to 19th century immigration. Over the years, fried rice, stir-frying (“saltado”), and the flavors of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic have become integral to Peruvian cuisine.

Friend’s Fusion draws its name from this historic fusion, and its menu reflects all that. ...

Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/frie ... n-peruvian

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
https://www.leoweekly.com/food-drink/
Friend's Fusion
4111 Murphy Lane
384-3925
https://friendsfusionfood.com
Facebook: https://bit.ly/FriendsFusion
https://instagram.com/friend_fusion2022

Noise Level: Happy South-of-the-Border music on the sound system boosts the fun quotient without hampering conversation. Average sound level was 5dB.

Accessibility: The restaurant appears accessible to wheelchair users, but the front door is heavy, and we couldn't spot a curb ramp nearby.
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TP Lowe

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Re: Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

by TP Lowe » Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:41 am

Thanks for the heads up on a new name. (You had to dust off our outside-the-Snyder passport for this one!)
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Robin Garr

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Re: Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

by Robin Garr » Wed Dec 04, 2024 10:15 am

TP Lowe wrote:Thanks for the heads up on a new name. (You had to dust off our outside-the-Snyder passport for this one!)

:lol:

It was well worth it, though!
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Robin Garr

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Re: Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

by Robin Garr » Wed Dec 04, 2024 10:17 am

Robin Garr wrote:Friend's Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smile

Arroz chaufa – fried rice with a Peruvian accent – is a popular dish rooted in Peru's many Chinese immigrants. It's available with seafood, beef, chicken, or fresh veggies.
Image

Not that many years ago, we didn’t have many Hispanic neighbors around Louisville, and the puny quality of our Mexican restaurant scene reflected that deficit. But times have surely changed!

Nowadays, more than 30,000 Louisville Metro residents boast Hispanic ancestry, according to the U.S. Census and the Statistical Atlas of the United States. More than 40% of those list Mexican ancestry, and another 30% trace their birth or their roots to Cuba, making Louisville one of the nation’s top ten Cuban cities.

Where’s Peru? The ancient home of the Incas, tourist destination for Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and the Andes, Peru ranks well down the local list. But more than 500 of our neighbors list Peruvian birth or ancestry, and that’s enough to hold a heck of a party … and to support a few really good restaurants.

I’ve got a couple of new Peruvian eateries on my to-do list. This week, let’s celebrate Friend’s Fusion, a Peruvian dining room that opened just last month in a short strip center across Westport Road from the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant.

That location is no coincidence: For three years or more, owners Saul Terry and Yolanda Barahona have operated their business as a food truck, offering lunch-break Peruvian specialties along with Mexican-flavored tacos, burritos, and more to hungry Ford-plant workers.

The restaurant represents the culmination of their dream, and it’s a winner: bright and cheerful, with white walls and red accents evoking the colors of the Peruvian flag, and a colorful wall mural depicting ancient rock carvings, farms and forests, and historic Spanish colonial cathedrals.

The potato may have originated in Peru, and corn too. With its long Pacific coastline providing a world of seafood and fish, Peru stakes its claim as the originator of ceviche, although that gets plenty of pushback from Ecuador, Chile, and Mexico.

What’s more, Peru is home to a large Chinese and Japanese community that dates back to 19th century immigration. Over the years, fried rice, stir-frying (“saltado”), and the flavors of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic have become integral to Peruvian cuisine.

Friend’s Fusion draws its name from this historic fusion, and its menu reflects all that. ...

Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/frie ... n-peruvian

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
https://www.leoweekly.com/food-drink/
Friend's Fusion
4111 Murphy Lane
384-3925
https://friendsfusionfood.com
Facebook: https://bit.ly/FriendsFusion
https://instagram.com/friend_fusion2022

Noise Level: Happy South-of-the-Border music on the sound system boosts the fun quotient without hampering conversation. Average sound level was 5dB.

Accessibility: The restaurant appears accessible to wheelchair users, but the front door is heavy, and we couldn't spot a curb ramp nearby.

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