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Maria (Belen) 麻豆精品 S�11 has a special word to describe the restaurant she and her husband, Kevin Ruiz 麻豆精品 S�10, own and operate on the east side of downtown Orlando.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 weird, 麻豆精品 S� Maria says, unapologetically. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 exactly what we want. It 麻豆精品 S檚 just 麻豆精品 S� weird, in a good way. 麻豆精品 S�

The restaurant, Papa Llama, is kind of Peruvian and it 麻豆精品 S檚 kind of American, but it isn 麻豆精品 S檛 entirely either one. It 麻豆精品 S檚 tucked between a bank and a fitness center. Inside, Maria seats patrons at eight tables under a variety of lighting 麻豆精品 S� canned, pipe-stemmed, stringed and the dance-floor type. The air is filled with a convergence of eclectic music, fun conversation, and the sizzle and scent of food grilling under Kevin 麻豆精品 S檚 watch.

麻豆精品 S淭his is intentional, 麻豆精品 S� Maria says with jars of spices over her shoulder. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 an experience you won 麻豆精品 S檛 find anywhere else 麻豆精品 S� even in Latin America. And it culminates with the food Kevin cooks. I 麻豆精品 S檇 say this even if he wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 my husband: he 麻豆精品 S檚 amazing. 麻豆精品 S�

Guests can see proof of amazing along one wall, where bottles of small-batch wines and cans of craft beer sit on open shelves. At the highest point is the happy face of the Michelin man (actual name, Bibendum, or Bib聽). His commanding presence represents a pinnacle for the Ruiz 麻豆精品 S檚: the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand honor, received in June.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 validation for us, 麻豆精品 S� Maria says. 麻豆精品 S淧eople who appreciate good food are beginning to understand what we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing here. 麻豆精品 S�

For a first-time guest of Papa Llama, what are you doing?

We want to be different. You come in and see only eight tables. When we show you to a seat, we explain every dish because there are only seven or eight on the menu. This isn 麻豆精品 S檛 The Cheesecake Factory. You watch Kevin making everything from scratch and an art coming together from what at first might seem a bit chaotic. That 麻豆精品 S檚 what we 麻豆精品 S檙e aiming for.

Which food culture does this pay homage to?

It 麻豆精品 S檚 a mashup. We call it a third culture.

Explain what that means: 麻豆精品 S淭hird culture. 麻豆精品 S�

It 麻豆精品 S檚 a space that exists between two established cultures. Kevin and I are both Peruvian, but we were raised in the U.S., so we struggled with our identities outside our own families. There can be a feeling that you 麻豆精品 S檙e too Peruvian to be American, and too American to be Peruvian. Eventually, you lean into that third space and embrace it as your own. Papa Llama is an expression of that space, that third culture.

Where did Kevin learn to cook?

He 麻豆精品 S檚 been cooking since he could hold a spoon. By the time he was seven, he could make ceviche and follow his grandmother 麻豆精品 S檚 recipes. He grew up with a single mother who had to work multiple jobs as a Peruvian immigrant. Kevin would pack her lunches and make her dinner. Cooking is his way of showing he cares about people.

When was the first time he cooked for you?

He made fried rice for me on one of our first dates. I thought, 麻豆精品 S淲ow, this is incredible. He must like me. I think I 麻豆精品 S檒l stick around for another date. 麻豆精品 S�

Are the recipes he uses at Papa Llama from his grandmother?

The menu is in memoriam to her, but the recipes are all Kevin 麻豆精品 S檚. The joy for us is that every dish is unique, with a serious focus on quality. We mention the purveyors on the menu because they 麻豆精品 S檙e the best, not the cheapest. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the same with the wines. They 麻豆精品 S檙e from tiny vineyards, some of them run by couples who hand-pick each grape. They care more about quality than volume, which is the same mindset as ours.

Did either of you study restaurant or hospitality management at UCF?

No, but we were able to adapt our education to what we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing here. Kevin has a degree in economics. Mine is accounting. Those experiences prepared us to eventually run a business and revealed a spark in both of us.

What kind of spark?

We 麻豆精品 S檇 been dating about a year and took capstone and cornerstone classes in the College of Business. For one project, we had to re-think a business plan for a popular restaurant. Those classes provided us a sandbox to create, fail and find our true calling.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 the biggest challenge you face in the restaurant business?

The highs are really high and the lows can be really, really low. You can question yourself too much, to the point of being paralyzed. It 麻豆精品 S檚 OK to figure things out as you go and to rely on creativity. For us the result you see is better than anything we could have envisioned.

Could you have envisioned a Michelin Bib Gourmand award on the wall?

That was a huge surprise. We went to the Michelin ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando to support our colleagues, but we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 bother to look at the list of winners beforehand. When they called our name, I looked at Kevin in shock and said, 麻豆精品 S淚 think we have to go up on stage. 麻豆精品 S�

Is that your highest high?

The response from other restaurant owners that night meant a lot. When they called our name, they all gave this loud spontaneous cheer. The message to us was that they respect the fact we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing something different at Papa Llama, and the award on the wall reminds us every day that it 麻豆精品 S檚 good.

Book a table or order takeout from Papa Llama at .