When this place first opened they were really great. I enjoyed the vegan ceviche and other dishes. At some point in the last year or so, though, they switched to doing only empanadas. I get that it probably makes it easier to staff since you're just reheating something but it just isn't as good IMO. S&W is great, though, so it may still be worth a visit if you want something on the cheaper end of things.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Kristie Young
My friend and I doordashed from Mikasa Criolla. I got the aji de gallina empanada. It was sooo good and the prices are hard to beat! Even with delivery, our food was warm and fresh when it arrived. This was my first time trying Peruvian food, but Mikasa will definitely be a go-to for me, from now on!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aji De Gallina
Sam Sara Dawson
Oh my god. Oh my god. Yes yessss yesssss.No this is not a shampoo commercial. This is what you shove in your face reactions.Eat here. Find beauty in food.If you don’t…no one will like you. Trust me. Siri told me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle James
AMAZING empanadas… the owners hand make them every day and you can absolutely tell with the flavor. Every bite has the perfect amount of filling and tastes as fresh as they are. HIGHLY recommend for anyone interested in incredible Peruvian cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charles V.
A wonderful little empanada joint inside the S&W Market. I ordered one to sample. The Chicken Fried Rice. I was hooked! Very tasty and small enough where it leaves you wanting more. So ... I did just that ... ordered a few more. The Lomo Saltado and a Pig In A Poncho. Yummy! I highly recommend. Especially with a cold beer from Highland Brewing, which is conveniently located upstairs.
SakellariosV
A wonderful little empanada joint inside the S&W Market. I ordered one to sample. The Chicken Fried Rice. I was hooked! Very tasty and small enough where it leaves you wanting more. So ... I did just that ... ordered a few more. The Lomo Saltado and a Pig In A Poncho. Yummy! I highly recommend. Especially with a cold beer from Highland Brewing, which is conveniently located upstairs.
Patty J.
A handheld empanada. So good. Do simple. I got a vegetarian queso con choclo, cheese and corn. Ate it ordered one to go! Yum! Fast and easy!
Indy Cole
So good went back for seconds! Inexpensive and amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lomo Saltado Empanada
Bjorn Hansen
I had the aji de gallina empanada and it was AMAZING! Jason was awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Naomi Ruth
I love this place! They have the best empanadas you can find downtown and the people that work here are hard workers and just lovely to chat with(shoutout to Jason!). I would 1000% recommend this place for anyone.
While visiting Asheville we came to see what the buzz was about and so glad we did! Everything was AMAZING! Great service with even better flavors! We tried 4 different empanadas and they were all spectacular! The Asado Empanada was my favorite but the lomo and ahí de gallina were also very tasty and their dipping sauces are to die for! For dessert the empanada de majar blanco which was the perfect ending to our visit. The flavors are true to Peruvian cuisine! Can’t wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aji De Gallina
Scott D
I wanted to love this place. Empanadas, how could it go wrong? First, the workers disappear for long periods so you either wait or find something else. I was surprise the empanadas are baked and not fried so that was disappointing. They were also super doughy, it seemed there was very little filling and what there was wasn't very hot. This is due to the empanadas being cooked ahead of time and getting set under a heat lamp. The sauces they provided, soy and a cilantro creme were both awful and didn't add anything to the food. Could not figure it out. We were hoping for more so that we could eat at S&W but looks like this still is only a place to grab a beer.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Queso Fresco
Bob Capelli
We love Peruvian food and we were very excited to eat here, but my wife wasn't happy because the menu was only empanadas and salads. We asked for one of each salad, but they were out of one of them and the papa ala huancaina was really bad. We couldn't finish it. The empanadas were pretty good, and then the young lady who works here who is very nice came over and said she found a little bit left of the other salad and gave it to us for free. And that salad was pretty good. One thing I really don't like is when you mostly serve yourself, going up to the counter to order and then bussing your own table, and then they flip the screen around and the tip levels were 20% lowest, 22% for the middle tip, and 25% for the largest tip. Frankly, when the service is minimal like this, I think a 10% tip is more than enough. Ultimately, it's not very good food and the prices are high (for the salad especially, and average for the empanadas). My recommendation: Stick with empanadas if you come here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Alexis R.
Empanadas with a southern twist? Yes please! We tried the shrimp and grits and I could've ate a dozen!
Ivan The Electrician
Best empanadas I’ve had, period! Wow, just wow! Great atmosphere, super friendly people, highly recommended! Will definitely be back for more!!!
When this place first opened they were really great. I enjoyed the vegan ceviche and other dishes. At some point in the last year or so, though, they switched to doing only empanadas. I get that it probably makes it easier to staff since you're just reheating something but it just isn't as good IMO. S&W is great, though, so it may still be worth a visit if you want something on the cheaper end of things.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
My friend and I doordashed from Mikasa Criolla. I got the aji de gallina empanada. It was sooo good and the prices are hard to beat! Even with delivery, our food was warm and fresh when it arrived. This was my first time trying Peruvian food, but Mikasa will definitely be a go-to for me, from now on!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aji De Gallina
Oh my god. Oh my god. Yes yessss yesssss.No this is not a shampoo commercial. This is what you shove in your face reactions.Eat here. Find beauty in food.If you don’t…no one will like you. Trust me. Siri told me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
AMAZING empanadas… the owners hand make them every day and you can absolutely tell with the flavor. Every bite has the perfect amount of filling and tastes as fresh as they are. HIGHLY recommend for anyone interested in incredible Peruvian cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A wonderful little empanada joint inside the S&W Market. I ordered one to sample. The Chicken Fried Rice. I was hooked! Very tasty and small enough where it leaves you wanting more. So ... I did just that ... ordered a few more. The Lomo Saltado and a Pig In A Poncho. Yummy! I highly recommend. Especially with a cold beer from Highland Brewing, which is conveniently located upstairs.
A wonderful little empanada joint inside the S&W Market. I ordered one to sample. The Chicken Fried Rice. I was hooked! Very tasty and small enough where it leaves you wanting more. So ... I did just that ... ordered a few more. The Lomo Saltado and a Pig In A Poncho. Yummy! I highly recommend. Especially with a cold beer from Highland Brewing, which is conveniently located upstairs.
A handheld empanada. So good. Do simple. I got a vegetarian queso con choclo, cheese and corn. Ate it ordered one to go! Yum! Fast and easy!
So good went back for seconds! Inexpensive and amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lomo Saltado Empanada
I had the aji de gallina empanada and it was AMAZING! Jason was awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place! They have the best empanadas you can find downtown and the people that work here are hard workers and just lovely to chat with(shoutout to Jason!). I would 1000% recommend this place for anyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
While visiting Asheville we came to see what the buzz was about and so glad we did! Everything was AMAZING! Great service with even better flavors! We tried 4 different empanadas and they were all spectacular! The Asado Empanada was my favorite but the lomo and ahí de gallina were also very tasty and their dipping sauces are to die for! For dessert the empanada de majar blanco which was the perfect ending to our visit. The flavors are true to Peruvian cuisine! Can’t wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aji De Gallina
I wanted to love this place. Empanadas, how could it go wrong? First, the workers disappear for long periods so you either wait or find something else. I was surprise the empanadas are baked and not fried so that was disappointing. They were also super doughy, it seemed there was very little filling and what there was wasn't very hot. This is due to the empanadas being cooked ahead of time and getting set under a heat lamp. The sauces they provided, soy and a cilantro creme were both awful and didn't add anything to the food. Could not figure it out. We were hoping for more so that we could eat at S&W but looks like this still is only a place to grab a beer.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Queso Fresco
We love Peruvian food and we were very excited to eat here, but my wife wasn't happy because the menu was only empanadas and salads. We asked for one of each salad, but they were out of one of them and the papa ala huancaina was really bad. We couldn't finish it. The empanadas were pretty good, and then the young lady who works here who is very nice came over and said she found a little bit left of the other salad and gave it to us for free. And that salad was pretty good. One thing I really don't like is when you mostly serve yourself, going up to the counter to order and then bussing your own table, and then they flip the screen around and the tip levels were 20% lowest, 22% for the middle tip, and 25% for the largest tip. Frankly, when the service is minimal like this, I think a 10% tip is more than enough. Ultimately, it's not very good food and the prices are high (for the salad especially, and average for the empanadas). My recommendation: Stick with empanadas if you come here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Empanadas with a southern twist? Yes please! We tried the shrimp and grits and I could've ate a dozen!
Best empanadas I’ve had, period! Wow, just wow! Great atmosphere, super friendly people, highly recommended! Will definitely be back for more!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5