Opening a serious Amazonian restaurant is not a simple task. It takes years to build up a network of producers, and even then getting fresh products to the coast is another challenge. Somehow chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, whose more formal restaurant Malabar is one of the city’s best, managed to pull it off. Stepping inside trendy Ámaz beside the Miraflores Hilton, is like stepping into the rainforest. Fiber lampshades made from bejuco and tamish (Amazonian plants) look like leaves, hanging wooden pegs resemble a jungle canopy, and there’s a mural of gold, glimmering snakes with glowing eyes. Ámaz is what the Rainforest Cafe should look like. As exotic as some of the ingredients are—macambo seeds, giant Amazonian snails, cocona fruit—many are presented in such familiar ways that even picky eaters will be pleased. As many dishes use indigenous names and preparations unfamiliar to most diners, including Limeños, waiters are well-versed in describing what is what. Usually they’ll suggest a few dishes to share family-style, with Amazonian fried rice and fried finger foods as a safety net. Note: The bar makes some of the best cocktails in town.