This summer, Chef Manuel Ruiz is bringing traditional Peruvian flavors to South Philadelphia breweries with his pop-up, Manny’s Peruvian, writes Ali Mohsen for Billy Penn at WHYY.

Ruiz worked as an onboard cook and pastry chef on a cruise ship for seven years. After he felt he had seen most of the world and learned what he could, he decided to settle in Philadelphia in 2018.

He joined Philly’s Four Seasons Hotel before deciding to launch his first pop-up last September.

Since then, Ruiz said, “it’s been flowing.”

Today, he runs Manny’s Peruvian that serves the meals he has known since childhood.

The menu includes ceviche, aji de gallina, and arroz con pollo or camarones, as well as several local dishes and sandwiches such as the butifarra.

“Traditional Peruvian flavors; that’s what I want to bring to everyone in the city,” he said. “It’s one of the top cuisines right now around the world, [though in Philly] there aren’t that many options.”

This summer, he will have ongoing pop-ups at South Philly’s Brewery ARS along with making an appearance at Cartesian Brewing next month.

Read more about Manny’s Peruvian in Billy Penn at WHYY.

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