Nazca 21 – When in Panama Eat Peruvian

The first night of each trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge starts with a stopover in Panama City and a dinner organized by Half Past First Cast. Since many of us haven’t met face to face until we step foot on Panamanian soil, a get-to-know-you dinner helps break the ice. Food and spirits bring people together.

On our first trip in April 2021 we ate at Bucaneros in Isla Flamenco, where we enjoyed Panamanian cuisine and had a little birthday celebration for one of our guests. Bucaneros is one of the oldest restaurants in Amador off the Mendoza Causeway. It has great views of the canal, the marina and of Panama City but we will have to go back during the day on one of our visits as our reservation was well after dark.

In November 2021 we dined in the Casco Viejo part of Panama City and right away I pictured us in New Orleans. This portion of town is known for its LIVELY dining and nightlife scene. Upon entry into Restaurante Diablicos there were crazy devilish masks everywhere, vibrant colors, loud music and we were greeted by the staff and immediately taken to our reserved table. We were surprised to learn that the restaurant puts on a show on Saturday night -- it features the devil's dance (hence the décor of the restaurant) and gets the patrons involved as well.

The atmosphere is very lively, the workers are friendly and the food was typical Panamanian dishes but with all of the clamor we found it hard to get to know each other.

For this past week’s trip, I researched best restaurants in Panama City and Nazca 21 came up first in many searches. Capt. Shane also recommended it. He said “we could thank him later for the recommendation.” I made sure there was no singing and dancing so we were able to eat in peace and talk amongst ourselves. A little walk down one of the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo and we entered the friendly confines of this well-regarded Peruvian restaurant.

When it was time to order drinks, Panama Light was the drink of choice until Pete ordered a Pisco Sour. He’d done his homework and learned that the Pisco Sour is the national cocktail of Peru and Chile. Everyone perked up and several of our new friends changed their orders. The drink consists of Pisco (colorless brandy), egg white, lemon juice, simple syrup and several drops of aromatic bitters. Sounds yucky, tastes terrific.

Then came the food, which as promised was excellent. We even shared some appetizers, one way to get to know each other. The World Series game was on the big screen which made us feel right at home in the midst of this cross-cultural experience.

Flaming octopus was one of the Chef specials. From across the table, our new friend Roger looked intrigued. I like octopus so I asked if he wanted to split it with me. We became instant friends and it proved to be outstanding.

The menu offered lots of seafood, including sea bass, ceviche and prawns prepared many different ways. Pete got prawns in a spicy sauce, while others tried prawns over steak, steak and mushrooms (I heard the end of the table talking about how good the sauce was), stuffed prawns. They even accommodated my low-carb diet -- I ordered the sea bass grilled with the sauce on the side. There were hefty portion sizes, great presentation and the food was delicious.

Several Pisco Sours and cleaned plates later the very reasonable check was paid and off we went to take a quick ride around the Casco Viejo area before tucking it in for the night. We had to be ready to head to the airport by 5am so there’d be no late-night carousing.

Nazca 21 was a winner. You can experience it for yourself when you accompany us when we go back to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge as I will reserve “our table.”