New Restaurant Brings the Flavors of Peru to Diamond Bar

Diamond Bar is known for having dozens of restaurants serving Asian fare, but there’s a new cuisine in town.

opened at 23545 Palomino Drive, Suite F about two months ago, and offers Peruvian dishes at reasonable prices.

“Many other restaurants are more expensive than us,” said chef Basilio Esteban. “We have lunch specials for $6.50, and a rotisserie chicken meal that feeds five people.”

Diners who haven’t yet tried Intiraymi will be surprised by how diverse the menu is.

“Peruvian food is influence by different cuisines,” said Esteban. “It’s totally different from Mexican. We don’t use tortillas; it’s rice and bread, European-style bread.”

The menu is chock full of beef, chicken, and seafood items, as well as traditional drinks like Maracuya, made from tropical fruit, and desserts - favorites include alfajores (Peruvian cookies) and picarones (donuts made from sweet potato and pumpkins). Their famous dish is lomo saltado, which can be made with chicken or beef, and comes with rice and onions.

“My favorite is our ceviche,” Esteban said. “It’s like sashimi.”

Esteban drives in from Los Angeles, where the original Intiraymi Restaurant is located. The owner, Apolinar Nahui, lives in Diamond Bar, and had toyed with the idea of opening a new location for awhile.

“I told him I’d help open another place, since I have experience,” Esteban, who was a chef in Peru before moving to California 10 years ago, said. “The customers have been coming in, and we’re receiving good compliments.” 

Tucked away in a quiet complex, many of the diners have come from the surrounding neighborhood.

“They’ve come in and said they never had Peruvian food before,” Esteban said. “They tasted it and recommended it, and that’s bringing more customers in.”

The key is that everything is prepared on site.

“Everything is fresh,” Esteban said. “We make everything from scratch. It might take a little bit longer, but it’s worth it.”

Intiraymi Restaurant is open Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Catering is available. For more information, call 909-861-1200.