I was born in Peru but have been living in NYC for 3 years now and I have to say Panca was a big disappointment. I am a tough critic since in Peru, I had a catering business and my sister and I cooked for many of the embassies and consulates in Lima. I cannot agree with the above posts that say the food was great because the dishes were almost average at best. I don't know if the chef is Peruvian or not, if he is, then maybe his palate has been tainted by being in the U.S. Granted, I understand that the owner is trying to be gourmet given the prices he's charging but that does not mean that you should abandon the root taste of the dish. Judging from my remarks, some may brand me a foodie or snob but some of the best Peruvian food I have enjoyed in the tri-state area are in small restaurants outside of Manhattan, The few Peruvian restaurants that do exist in the city are all trying to make money by taking advantage of customers that do not know what the true taste should be and therefore pass off dishes with a "nice" presentation and high prices but have nothing to do with what the authentic dish. In conclusion, apart from the food at Panca being almost average, my main problem with the restaurant is the hygiene with which the food and drinks are prepared. Whenever, I eat out I always try to take a glimpse of the kitchen and I was surprised to see the seafood in bucket of water on the floor, the fish/seafood from the ceviche bar was not covered! With the intense heat going around, seafood can go bad quickly. Next, the girl at the bar prepared me a tasty pisco sour but after seeing how she prepared it, I couldn't finish my cocktail. Her handling of the egg whites was totally unsanitary apart that she grabbed a customer's empty glass quickly washed it with some soap and a quick rinse and served my drink in it. The place wasn't even busy, so there is no excuse for her poor handling of the ingredients. Also, her shirt was all dirty and her prep area was all messy. Also, when she ran out of ice, they brought her new ice in the same bucket that the seafood was in! I love Peruvian food and sometimes I will eat at these Manhattan Peruvian restaurants simply because I don't want to travel far so I settle for second rate dishes but I will not tolerate poor hygiene no matter how much I crave my food. It's just too bad because I live in the west village. I will not go back to Panca and would not recommend it either.