7
eats
There’s a new Peruvian spot in town, and it’s the kind of opening that feels personal in the best way. Terra Modern Cuisine, now open at 300 Bloomfield Avenue in downtown Montclair, is a family-run restaurant led by Chef Evelyn Cordoba, serving a menu rooted in traditional Peruvian cooking, with nods to Italian technique and a modern, fusion-minded point of view.
When we stopped by to speak with Chef Evelyn, we were greeted right away by her partner, Adrián, and two of their young sons, who were posted up at the counter like tiny regulars. It was the kind of welcome that makes a restaurant feel like a place where everybody knows your name. Of course, we made a mental note to come back for the ceviche. But after our first full meal there, we can confirm: ceviche is only the beginning. Read on for what to know about Terra Modern Cuisine, Chef Evelyn’s story, and what we ate (and are still thinking about).
A Chef Rooted in Peruvian Tradition, Raised in an Ecuadorian Home
Chef Evelyn, who originally hails from Ecuador, grew up in a home where both her parents worked as chefs, cooking traditional Peruvian food. “I’m Ecuadorian,” she told us in Spanish. “Both of my parents are Ecuadorian, but my mother is deeply in the Peruvian culinary world. So from around age 12, I started helping my parents and getting involved in every creation, little by little. You grow into it. You develop love and passion for it…That’s why it’s Peruvian cuisine: I grew up inside a kitchen with parents who created and explored Peruvian food — and Italian food, too. My dad, when he lived here in the U.S., worked in an Italian place. So you end up using many techniques.”
Read More: Cat Cafe Open in Montclair: Meet Catfe Montclair
That blend of heritage and hands-on learning is the foundation of Terra’s menu. Terra is not Peruvian-inspired. It’s Peruvian by way of lived experience, repetition, muscle memory, and a childhood that likely involved more prep and tasting than most of us can imagine.
What stood out most in our conversation was not just Chef Evelyn’s technical background, but how personal the cooking still feels to her. She talks about food like someone who still gets excited by flavor, still wants to surprise you, and still sees the plate as an open canvas.
“I love being able to create, to experiment, to give you a flavor that becomes an explosion in your mouth,” she grins. “So I give you a flavor that still has its essence, but it takes you beyond.”
Why Montclair, and Why This Location
For Chef Evelyn, opening a restaurant that brought the flavors of Peru and Latin American cuisine to North Jersey felt like home. When her first restaurant partnership ended, she knew she wanted to build something of her own, a place where she could fully shape the menu, the concept, and the experience. “I taste, I experiment, I create, I keep learning,” she said. “Cooking is like any career – you educate yourself day by day. You can’t get stuck because there are techniques, variety, flavors, fusion — everything.”
She also knew she wanted it to be in Montclair. “I really like Montclair,” she confided. “I live nearby – about six minutes from here. I like the neighborhood. I like the people. I like the community. Montclair is really lovely. It welcomes you.”
And then, she found the space. “One day I drove by, and I said, ‘That space is going to be mine.’”
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know there are certain storefronts that carry a lot of local memory. DLV Lounge, a long-standing venue with over 50 years in the city, once occupied the space. Chef Evelyn was aware of that, too, and made a conscious effort to preserve the history while still making Terra feel like a new chapter. “This place is history — it’s been here for 50 years. There are things we didn’t change because they have deep value for me.”
That decision matters. It’s easy for a new restaurant to wipe everything clean and start fresh. Terra keeps a sense of continuity while shifting the energy toward something brighter, more modern, and more personal to the people now running it, almost like a physical manifestation behind her vision for the menu.
A Family-Run Restaurant, in the Most Literal Sense
Let’s be clear: this is not “family-run” as a branding phrase. This is family-run in real time.
Chef Evelyn told us, “I started all of this alone, but sometimes the mental and emotional pressure is real. You need guidance and support.” She shared how Adrián has been part of that support system, both personally and professionally: “Adrián is basically the person who helped me through the process. He’s the father of my children. We have a very good relationship, and we’re currently working through everything with Adrián — our kids — and growing little by little.”
That dynamic is visible when you’re there. Adrián greeted us both times we stopped by, and on our dining visit, he was the calm, friendly pulse of the front of house, checking in on tables, keeping things moving, and helping their son with schoolwork behind the counter in between. In the kitchen, Chef Evelyn was doing what she does, building plates with focus, pride, and a clear standard for what leaves the pass.
Chef Evelyn also spoke about motherhood with a tenderness that was hard not to feel. “My kids are my motivation. Everything I’ve achieved has been because of them.” She added, “I won’t lie — it can be overwhelming and exhausting. But you keep going.”
There is something genuinely moving about seeing that kind of drive translated into a restaurant. Terra feels like the result of someone betting on themselves and then their whole family shows up alongside them in the daily work of making it happen.
The Menu: Peruvian Classics, Italian Technique, and a Modern Edge
So what does “modern Peruvian” actually mean here?
Chef Evelyn described it as taking the essence of traditional flavors and pushing them forward, without losing their identity: “The idea is to modernize a traditional experience — the flavors keep their essence, but they take you further.”
There is variety on the menu, and it’s intentional. Chef Evelyn explained that they use reservations to help plan for freshness: “We use OpenTable. It helps us plan for fresh products and give people the best.” Walk-ins are welcome, but she noted it can get chaotic when people arrive without reservations, especially on Saturdays, so reserving ahead is smart if you can.
As for her own taste, Chef Evelyn’s favorite dish is a classic: “My favorite dish is Lomo Saltado. I use tenderloin. It’s so soft, tender, and delicious.” She also shouted out a few other standouts: “The grilled octopus is a delight. And ceviche is a classic.”
One question we had to ask, given her Ecuadorian background, was whether any Ecuadorian dishes appear on the menu. Chef Evelyn told us she mostly cooks that food at home: Ecuadorian flavors are deeply personal for her, and more likely to show up as specials rather than staples.
And she’s clear-eyed about the scrutiny that can come with cooking Peruvian food when you’re not Peruvian by birth. She told us: “I’m not Peruvian by birth, but Peruvians come in and say, ‘Wow — it feels like being in Peru.’”
What We Ordered (and What We’re Still Thinking About)
Now for the part you came for: yes, we got the ceviche. And yes, it absolutely delivered.
We ordered the ceviche because…Peru. Hello. It was fresh fish marinated in a mouth-watering leche de tigre, which gave the dish a covetable crisp and tangy flavor with a splash of spice, served with plantain chips and sweet potato. It was divine. I could eat just that as one meal and drink the liquid at the end.
We also ordered the burrata because we weren’t quite sure how Italian and Peruvian fusion would be, but we’re here to tell you: burrata works in every setting. (Burrata skeptics, consider this your permission slip.)
But the real show-stopper was the salmon a la maracuya, a recently added item to the menu. The sweetness of the passion fruit glaze over the salmon was heavenly. If only we had left enough room for dessert.
The dining room that night had exactly the vibe you want in a neighborhood restaurant: groups laughing, couples sharing plates, that warm hum of people having a genuinely good time. It was an incredibly fun evening, made even more enjoyable by the food.
Chef Evelyn put it simply: “What matters to me is good product, great food, and great service.” And honestly, that’s what it felt like: a place run by people who care about the details, and care about how you feel while you’re there.
If it isn’t already, Terra Modern Cuisine should be on your list to visit. In the words of Chef Evelyn, “Everyone’s invited to come try the best of what we do here.”
Honestly, we can’t wait to see what she cooks up next.
See More: One Lev Opens in Bogota: A New Kosher Street Food Spot
Follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram + TikTok for the latest Montclair updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter here that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our events calendar, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.
Dining and Cooking