If there were an English compound word to describe the feeling of being visually overstimulated in the best way possible, that word might be the right fit for Lucuma, the modern Peruvian restaurant in the heart of Downtown Oakland.

Upon entry, it becomes clear that Lucuma is a feast for all five senses. It’s teeming with life, as evidenced by the many patrons snacking on ceviches and crispy camarones throughout the restaurant. But the space itself could very well be mistaken for some kind of underwater dreamscape where the Pisco punch is free-flowing.

A large straw octopus, handmade in Cusco, peers quizzically from its perch above the blue kit-kat tiled bar. (It’s joined by several floating fish of the same material.) A quipu — a tool the Incas used to communicate through knotted strings

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