We’re Rodrigo from Mexico and Jonathan from Peru — two friends who found a new home in Adelaide after more than five years in hospitality. What we missed most were the flavours that shaped our childhood: the warmth of Peruvian kitchens, the bold spices of Mexican food, the dishes our families made with love.

Carlos Andre — Head Chef

Carlos was born in Trujillo, on Peru’s northern coast, where the Pacific on one side and fertile valleys on the other mean eating well was never a luxury — just the way of life. Fresh ceviche from the morning’s catch. Lomo saltado hissing in the pan.

That dish is really his family’s whole story on a plate. In the 1800s, Chinese labourers came to work Peru’s coast, and they stayed — bringing their woks, their soy, their fire. What grew from that meeting became chifa: Peruvian ingredients cooked with Chinese hands. The name comes from the Cantonese for “eat rice.”

Carlos grew up inside that fusion. His family carries Chinese heritage, so the table was Peru itself — his mum cooking traditional criollo dishes one night, authentic Chinese the next, and chifa when the two became one. He didn’t know how rare that was. He thought everyone ate like this.

Food was how his family showed love. That’s the lesson that stuck: when you cook for someone, you hand them a piece of yourself.

He trained in Trujillo, then cooked his way across the world — new techniques, new kitchens, same roots.

At The Hungry Llama, Carlos isn’t just serving Peruvian food. He’s sharing a piece of home. We’re proud to share those memories with you. Every plate carries a piece of where we come from — the stories, the traditions, and the comfort of home — brought to the community we’ve grown to love.