Emelina’s Peruvian Restaurant

This was my first time visiting this spot in downtown Sunnyvale for lunch. This one is larger than San Carlos location if my memory is right. I have visited the ine in San Carlos couplecyears a go.The interior is simple and features a full bar. We were the only customers in the restaurant when we arrived, which initially made us wonder if we had made the right choice. ​The menu offers plenty of variety. For appetizers, we tried the yucca, as well as the chicken and veggie empanadas. These were definitely the highlight--very tasty and well-prepared. ​Unfortunately, the main courses didn't quite live up to our expectation. While the presentation was nice, the flavor was just "so-so" and didn't leave a lasting impression. Because the entrees were hit-or-miss, I'm not sure I'll be returning.

The black paella was outstanding—rich, briny, and full of depth from the squid ink. The seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked, and the rice had excellent texture with flavor in every bite. On top of that, the service was wonderful. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. Definitely a place I’d return to.

Increíble!! Highly recommend everything here! High quality peruvian food and soemthing for everyone. The pisco sour flight was perfect for sharing! The anticuados and fried plantsins were exceptional! Geat portion size for the price great for sharing or to fill you up! Service was very welcoming, prompt, friendly and attentive!

We ordered mini empanadas with our drinks - pretty good and baked fresh! Main dish was Aji de Gallina - a large portion of chicken curry served with steam rice. It was mildly spiced but very satisfying meal, feels like home cooked comfort food.

Decent but unremarkable Peruvian food. The mini empanadas were dry and tasteless, til we used the yummy dipping sauce. Copa boracho was plentiful, flavorful and tart, topped with crispy calamari (which would've been better served on the side, with dipping sauce)...easily my favorite dish of the night. Peruvian paella, was a sloppy mess, with a couple of nice size shrimp, a couple of clams,one mussel and some chewy calamari. Oh, and several scallops the size of pencil erasers. Pescado a lo macho was very flavorful, but also a bit heavy with the cream sauce. A good portion of seafood, as opposed to the paella.