MIAMI LAKES. When standard Chinese, Mexican or Italian doesn't fit the bill, try this elegant restaurant, which serves unique and flavorful Nicaraguan cuisine. Exotic, distinctive dishes fill the menu, though classic South American churrasco is the clear favorite. Tender, delicious cuts of meat include the butterflied tenderloin, served right off the grill with your choice of sweet, sour and spicy sauces. Seafood is also done to perfection, fried crisp in a cornmeal batter. Plantain chips are an interesting side, and feel free to dig in ­ they'll bring you more. The decor is as distinctive and pleasurable as the cuisine, with exotic prints on the walls and a peaceful fountain in the center of the dining room. Reservations suggested for weekends or larger groups.

CORAL GABLES. Lima's award-winning restaurant now has an outpost in Miami, and it's every bit as good. Expect some wizardry from the kitchen because the chef-owner is Peruvian-Italian, and his native, seafood-based cuisine borrows heavily from Peru's Japanese population. Showcased are dishes like octopus stew with white-bean risotto, and red snapper with sea scallops and oyster sauce. Also tempting are tiraditos (a Peruvian version of sashimi), a selection of traditional ceviches, fresh seafood pastas and an unbeatable parihuela ­ a classic Peruvian bouillabaisse.

CORAL GABLES. Dramatic decor accents this Peruvian dining room, and the cuisine is every bit as inspiring. Their appetizers are especiallly inventive, making the first course a must. Choices include the causa roll -- crab, shrimp and avocado in yellow chili with cold mashed potatoes -- and baby octopus in Tuscan ragout. Mains, like grilled lamb chops with porcini mushroom risotto in cabernet-port wine sauce, are also fantastic. The wine list numbers over 190 varieties, with over 30 available by the glass.

WEST MIAMI. While the atmosphere may not be anything to write home about, a visit to this Peruvian hole-in-the-wall won't disappoint. Imbued with the flavors of cilantro, onion, lime, garlic and perhaps a kick of chili or curry, the kitchen's bounty, not surprisingly, consists primarily of seafood. The ceviche, composed of Octopus, shrimp, squid, and corvine, is a popular appetizer pick, and if you want to steal the show, order the whole fried snapper for your main course.

SOUTH BEACH. Cool, color-drenched SushiSamba dromo has shed its NYC roots and made the transition to sunny South Beach quite well. A hit with the stylish set, the undeniably chic eatery gets a rhythmic kick with high-energy Brazilian tunes. The food is a seductive mix of Peruvian, Japanese and Brazilian dishes: sushi, churrasco, seviches, tiraditos and anticuchos. A successful fusion is evident in creations like the Green Envy Roll, which joins a wasabi pea crust with tuna, salmon, asparagus and aji amarillo-key lime mayo. Wash it all down with a well-made caipirinha. Or perhaps some sake.