If you're at Jorge Chavez International Airport, or near Las Begonias 463 in downtown San Isidro, then stop by La Gran Fruta for some of the best juices, fruit salads, and sandwiches anywhere in Lima.
La Gran Fruta began as nothing more than a humble street cart where one could purchase juices in all sorts of funky combos. Later a small juice café was opened in Callao. Now there are locations at the airport and in San Isidro, and business is booming. La Gran Fruta has been featured in El Comercio and in several other Peruvian dailies. Gaston Acurio stopped in and filmed one of his TV shows there. Every time that we've gone there, it has been filled with customers.
And for good reason.
Peru has been divinely blessed with a seemingly endless variety of fantastic fruit, and the kitchen geniuses at La Gran Fruta know how to mix them into exotic, palate-pleasing combos. Among our favorite juices at La Gran Fruita are: Camu-Camu with Granadilla (over-the-top in Vitamin C); Chirimoya with Strawberry (sweet and creamy); Maracuya with Platano (just like being in Iquitos); Orange and Pineapple (you'll never go back to store-bought again); Palta (Avocado) and Strawberry and Milk (creamy and a lot tastier than you might think); and Surtido (a mix of several different fruits, and also available with honey). There also are a variety of special blends and energy drinks featuring soy milk, honey, maca, yogurt, and quiwicha.
As for the fruit salads, they would only be fresher if you took a machete, climbed up a tree, cut down the fruit, and prepared it yourself.
Perhaps surprisingly, the sandwiches are also worthy of 5 stars at La Gran Fruta. Big, overstuffed sandwiches on hot, homemade ciabata bread, loaded with juicy chunks of roast turkey or baked ham or other meats.
La Gran Fruta is located at Jorge Chavez International Airport and also at Las Begonias 463 in San Isidro. Shortly they will be opening another locale in Miraflores. The San Isidro locale is open from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. from Monday to Saturday, and from 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Sunday. They have a website at www.lagranfruta.com. They also feature delivery, which is available by calling 422-0606 or 422-8558.
(Steve Guschov is Campus Pastor of Flamingo Road Church in Lima. You may e-mail him atsteve.guschov@flamingoroad.org.)
