Our Story

Todo comenzó con un sueño

It all began with a dream

We came to this country with suitcases full of dreams — and one thing we never put down: our roots, our family, and our love for Perú.

From the beginning we dreamed of a place where we could share a little piece of home through its flavors, its traditions, and the passion we feel for our cooking.

That is how Llama Sam was born. Llama is one of the noblest animals of the Andes — it stands for our Peruvian roots. Sam carries the initials of our parents, who taught us that every dream is built with work, humility, respect and perseverance.

In Hackensack, New Jersey, that dream became real. We opened the doors of our first Llama Sam and found something we will never forget: a community that welcomed us, supported us, and let us grow. Every plate served, every family that sat at our table, every person who believed in us — all of it became part of our story.

The Plates That Raised Us

four dishes, four chapters of the story

Chaufa de Mariscos

$29.00

Sautéed seafood mix, scrambled eggs, soy sauce, chopped scallions, a dash of ginger, and a touch of sesame oil

Lomo Saltado

$22.00

Filet Mignon sautéed with soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, red onion, cilantro, tomato, and potato, served with rice and Peruvian corn

Pargo Frito

$34.00

Golden crispy whole red snapper. Served with rice and fried yuca

Tallarín Saltado

$26.00

Filet mignon and linguine stir–fried with red onion, tomato, celery, cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil

Moises, chef & owner — Llama Sam

The Chef · In His Words

“I cook what my parents taught me — and I don't hide it behind anything.”

I learned to cook standing next to my mother, before I was tall enough to see into the pot. She never measured anything. She tasted, and then she taught us to taste. That is still how this kitchen works: the ají goes in until it is right, not until the recipe says stop.

When we came to New Jersey, the hardest thing was not the language — it was the fish. I spent the first year finding people who could bring me what I needed, fresh, every morning. Ceviche does not forgive. If the fish is not right, nothing is right. That is the one thing I will never change.

What I am most proud of is not a dish. It is watching a family from Hackensack sit down and order the same way they would in Lima — a ceviche to start, a chaufa to share, a chicha morada for the kids. That is when I know we did what we came here to do. Now we get to do it again, on the Boulevard.

— Moises

Thank you for being part of our dream.
Bienvenidos a Llama Sam.

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