It’s easy to miss — a brown banner and a few tables nestled within a brick Thames Street alleyway promising the “Best Peruvian Artisan Empanadas.” But the smiles on the curious few wandering into Empa511 Saturday showed that wouldn’t be the case for long.

Restaurateur Jose Victorio Alarcon, who also owns the acclaimed fixed-course Peruvian eatery Puerto 511 downtown, debuted his new shop within Brown’s Wharf on May 27. He spent the weekend introducing Fells Point pedestrians to his carefully curated range of empanadas, from succulent fillings of ham and mozzarella cheese to cubes of chicken marinated in anticuhero, a tangy sauce often made with cumin, chili paste and red wine vinegar.

Alarcon, known behind the register as “Chef Victorio,” said the business had a successful first week and educated a number of new customers on the world of Peruvian street food. Empa511’s menu infuses Chinese, Italian and various African flavors, playing on the cultural complexity of Peruvian cuisine.

“It’s the best because it’s a union,” he said.

That melding of flavors is also what gives Alarcon’s food its dimension. The Oriental empanada is filled with a sweet and sour sauce, which coats zucchini, pineapple, bell peppers, fried rice and cubed chicken sautéed in a wok. Then there’s the jamon y queso, which manages to stay balanced and tightly wound in its blanket of dough despite a heavy filling. It’s smoky and not excessively filled with ham or mozzarella. A bechamel sauce tucked inside aims to create another depth of flavor without weighing the empanada down.

The more classic “tradicional” empanada filling captures popular Latin American flavors, which blend savory and sweet. Alarcon describes it to customers as a dynamic pocket of hearty pieces of meat, green olives and parsley with caramelized onions and raisins. Powdered sugar sprinkled on top, while surprising, is what Alarcon believes offers a needed touch of lightness. Sides of freshly made chimichurri, tangy and smooth carretillera or rich rocotito sauce provide an extra kick.

Early patrons told Alarcon, who splits his time between baking fresh dough daily and manning the register, that the fresh, hearty fillings came as a surprise.

“They know other empanada places, they use just ground meat and a seasoning,” he said.

There’s also an array of Peruvian drinks on the menu, from sodas and smoothies to the worthwhile Chicha Morada, a refreshing mix of Peruvian purple corn, cinnamon, pineapple, sugar and lime.

But for Alarcon, nothing beats the huachana, a pork sausage-filled pocket with yellow chili, caramelized onions and scrambled eggs. “It’s what I remember my mom cooking for breakfast,” he said. “Very popular for Sundays and meeting family.”

The dough is slightly sweet — a defining asset of his mother’s and grandmother’s empanada recipes, which he used to build Empa511’s menu. It’s what makes this venture different from his previous empanada spot, Andina, which opened five years ago downtown and has since closed.

Alarcon said co-managing Andina became difficult and this shop is his opportunity to run a small eatery his way. He believes making the dough and the rest of the menu in-house, which they didn’t do at Andina, is what will set this business apart.

“The flavor, the experience, it’s all different.”