Nuna Kitchen's menu is built on Peruvian flavours with a focus on fresh seafood dishes, like tuna tartare and octopus. 

Sergio Nazario and Jasmin Sansur had been planning for the opening of their restaurant since they came to Canada from Peru five years ago. 

Nazirio has been a chef for the last eight years cooking around the U.S., Peru, and a few times in Canada prior to the opening of Nuna. 

Once the couple scored their permanent residency here, they started making their dream come true, turning the old location of Bar Vegandale into a bright and airy space for elevated seafood. 

Peruvian spices and traditional ingredients are incorporated into a lot of the food here, including yellow and red pepper seasoning and crispy corn used on the ceviche. 

Whether you're coming here for a date night or wanting to try something outside of your go-to places to eat, the menu here is concise and approachable for any occasion. 

We started off the evening with one of their starter sharing plates - the Panko Shrimp Bites ($16.00). Five pieces of jumbo tiger shrimp are generously covered in breadcrumbs, then deep fried for a nice crunch. 

Rather than use a typical sweet and sour sauce that may accompany a dish like this, Nazirio elevated it using a passion fruit reduction sauce instead, with bits of black sesame. 

Get yourself a cocktail here, you won't regret it. Like I said, the menu may be on the smaller side, but you'll have peace of mind knowing Nuna crafts up quality drinks over quantity. 

Nuna Spritz ($16.00) is the restaurant's take on the classic Aperol version, but their recipe calls for an addition of tequila, giving this drink a stronger spike than normal in each sip.

The regular ingredients you would expect follow along - Aperol, orange syrup, and a touch of sparkling wine. 

Tuna Tartare with Crostinis ($25.00) is where Nuna shines. Fresh tuna is assembled beside pieces of crusted baguette, layered between slices of avocado. 

The rest of the tuna is drenched in a ponzu dressing while rice vinegar, with droplets of avocado-basil mayo and a balsamic reduction complete the rest of the plate. 

Another side order, Yuca Fries ($10.00) are a delicious alternative to what we're used to with regular potatoes. These are made from Cassava, making them super light and less oily in taste. 

Huancaina sauce is served on the side: a mixture of yellow pepper seasoning, cheese, blended crackers, milk and salt. 

If you're a real seafood lover, I'd suggest ordering the main dish of Octopus ($27.00). The meat is cooked for an hour and a half, but still remains super tender when you bite into it. 

A soft, creamy portion of cauliflower puree is spread across the bottom of this dish with a blend of red onion, tomato, cilantro and lime for extra flavour.

There's a display of front bay windows outside of Nuna allowing sunshine to sprawl into the front seats of the restaurant that sits near Dufferin and Queen Street West in Parkdale.