Peruvian hospitality is among the best in the world, and the Valley has a chance to experience it with Mi Peru.

The year-old restaurant is a hidden gem in Henderson, tucked into a new plaza overlooking the valley. The hospitality and cuisine are so wonderful, you can have a "staycation" and be transported to Peru.

From the desert colors and bright artwork, to the big-screen documentary showing Peruvians in traditional dress, Mi Peru offers an authentic South American dining experience that's difficult to get in Las Vegas.

We recommend a long dinner to try several dishes, but for Cheap Eats, there are $8.95 lunch specials, Monday through Thursday. 

It's easy to linger over a meal in such a calm place with Peruvian flute instrumentals playing in the background.

We opted for ceviche de pescado to start, with mahi mahi marinated in lime juice, and served with a large yam, red onions, corn on the cob, and a sprinkling of canchita or deep-friend corn. The ceviche was also available with shrimp or a seafood mix.

Our appetizer was family-size -- the fish arrived in such generous chunks the ceviche could have been a meal in itself. It was a splendid mix of tart and sweet flavors. The heat was offset by homemade pickles and a cool spread of cilantro, mint and a Peruvian herb we didn't recognize, but definitely want to try again.

The main courses were equally generous, with enough food for a table of four instead of two. The pescado sudado teamed poached mahi mahi with tomatoes and onions in a red wine sauce.

Prepare for starch in most Peruvian dishes -- this one was accompanied by a large potato simmered in the stew-like sauce, and white rice on the side.

Our second choice was arroz con mariscos, a type of paella without saffron. The Peruvian seafood dish had a base of rice cooked in fish sauce, then combined with squid, oysters, mussels and octopus. Our seafood expert, sampling Peruvian paella for the first time, pronounced it the best paella he has had anywhere in the Valley.

Again, it was such a large dish that the waiter seemed astonished one diner could finish it. Cheap Eats recommends splitting the dish among two or three, so you can sample more from the menu.

Chicken is the other specialty here, with rice, potatoes, or spaghetti noodles, and stewed in various sauces, grilled, or served on skewers.

The pollo a la brasa, similar to rotisserie -- but better -- is $8.95 for a quarter, $10.95 for half, and $18.95 for a whole chicken. Take-out polla a la brassa is popular in this residential neighborhood, and is only $16.95. Specials are sometimes less than that.

There's a lot of beef on the menu too, including the bistec a lo pobre, a tenderloin topped with fried eggs and accompanied by grilled onions, fries, and plantain.

Service was excellent, and our waiter sweetly explained many Peruvian specialties on the menu, including the beef heart, which we declined.

He was quick to offer a take-out container for the fish, agreeing that there was enough in one serving for several people.

There was no Peruvian white wine available, so we tried the house red. It was light enough to accompany fish, and had a pleasing, earthy flavor.

On a return visit, Cheap Eats would try the piqueo criollo, or three different entrees in sample sizes; or piqueo Mi Peru, a sample of four entrees, for $17.95 to $22.95.

We would definitely bring reinforcements to help us finish the plates, and introduce more diners to Peruvian hospitality.

 For more info: Mi Peru, 1450 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy. (Foot Hills Plaza), Henderson; (702) 220-4652; www.miperugrill.com