Peruvian Restaurants – Page 5

Saturday Stuffs

July 18, 2009 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Peruvian Restaurants, yoso-silly

Just a few items for a pretty warm Saturday.

Nazca Grill:

Signs have gone up in the old Aji Seco/Nieto's Taco Shop location on Genesee. Looks like this will be a Peruvian restaurant called Nazca Grill.

Sounds good to me!!!

Costco Stuff:

I try not to spend very much, if any time in Costco, because of the crowds. My mission is to time things right, and get in and out ASAP. But on a recent visit, I took some time to look around and was rather surprised at finding a few interesting items.

As I navigated my way into the produce section….one does not stroll in Costco, what one does is push a cart the size of an aircraft carrier, dodging other massive shopping carts or six wheelers, and hope for the best. I've always hoped that traffic lights and turn signals will become standard equipment in Costco, but I don't think that'll be happening in my lifetime. To be honest, Costco is invaluable for stocking up on those necessities, I can always get a pack of toilet tissue that would make my late, TP hording Mom proud. The one thing with Costco is not just buying stuff you'll never use, or don't need, but buying said items in bulk! Luckily, my phobia of ravenous crowds trying to sample stuff in little cups, and crazy folks at the helm of shopping carts (it's a "Long's" story) keeps me away unless we need something. So of course, browsing at Costco cost me a few bucks more, but I was satisfied with what I purchased.

I was surprised to find Donut/Saturn Peaches.

The Missus grew up eating these in China, and She really loves these fragrant, and sweet peaches. I was shocked to see them in Costco, as until a few years ago they were usually only found in Asian Markets. These were huge, and fragrant, though not as sweet. Pretty cheap too, 2 pounds for $3.49.

I was also lured into buying a package of cedar smoking planks. Because of the amount of grilling we've been doing in the last few weeks, I thought I'd try these out. There were 6 thin planks in the package.

I wanted to take these for a test run, so decided to use some shrimp I had in the freezer.

I soaked the boards for about an hour, marinaded the shrimp in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, and Salt, for about 15 minutes, lines up on the board, and placed it on the grill at the end of my grilling session (like I said, I want to milk every single bit of heat from my charcoal), and placed the lid on my Weber.

I think twelve minutes was a bit too long for the shrimp, but the flavor was excellent. The Missus loved the smokiness. So maybe this was worth it.

Costco always finds new ways to separate me from my money……

Some interesting links:

I remember reading this a couple of weeks ago, and for some reason I couldn't help but laugh.

This one is not about food, but I found it funny as well!

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

Aji Seco

March 5, 2008 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Peruvian Restaurants

*** Aji Seco has closed and is now Nazca Grill

When I first heard about Aji Seco, I was over-joyed! More Peruvian in San Diego…wonderful! Problem was, I couldn't find the darn place. When FOY(Friend of Yoso) Candice finally gave me some instructions on the location, I was dumbfounded……the restaurant was located practically under my nose:

So of course I headed up to check out Aji Seco…..than headed back up, again, and again, and again, with no luck. It seemed like the place was never open! After having such a great time in Peru, we decided that there would be no better way to spend V-Day, than at a Peruvian Restaurant. So we thought we'd try and see if the place was open…and hit paydirt!

The tiny restaurant was pretty full, and all the clientele looked Peruvian. The first thing I noticed was that Aji Seco, and the neighboring Taco Shop, Nieto's was connected by this large gaping entranceway:

For some reason, the phrase, "like brothers from different Mothers" was silently uttered…. Nieto's and Aji Seco, though not affiliated(at least that is what I was told), and with separate kitchens, was connected by this umbilical doorway, and 2 other things; the Taco Shop's salsa bar is located on the Aji Seco side, while the restrooms are on the Taco Shop side. It was quite interesting to see, Guys in flip-flops and shorts strolling past the tables of the more well attired customers on his way to the salsa bar.

The menu "Del Dia", I was guessing that the menu will differ from day to day, featured a good array of standard Peruvian specialties, ranging from Aji de Gallina to Cebiche de Pescado. The Missus was in heaven…..She saw one of Her favorite dishes, Pescado a lo Macho($11):

When the plate arrived the sauce was cold, so we flagged down the Server, who was very apologetic, the plate was returned a short time later, the problem corrected. The Missus enjoyed the moist, and well seasoned fish. There wasn't much seafood in the cream based sauce, which had less tomato and was less spicy than what I was used to, but the Missus enjoyed it, and thought it well flavored.

Of course, I ordered the Lomo Saltado($10):

This was a solid rendition of what many consider to be Peru's National Dish. The beef was fairly tender, and the ratio of ingredients was excellent. The flavoring was less tangy than some versions I've had, but the flavor was still good. What I didn't care for was the rice, which was very hard.

Overall, not a bad meal…the Missus had considered getting the Cebiche, but thought the weather was just too cold to order it…which of course meant another visit. Before we left, we asked about the hours of operation, and was told, "maybe 5 or 6pm, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and today we're open."

So a few weeks later, we arrived to get the Missus her Cebiche de Pescado($8.50) fix:

The Leche de Tigre(Tiger's Milk – the cebiche marinade) was nice and "picante", lower in citrus, so not as sour. The fish was very fresh, and had a nice "chew". The Missus really enjoyed this, it may just be Her new favorite. The only thing that we weren't pleased with were the Cancha(toasted corn kernels) which were dry, crumbled like sawdust, and tasted like the cheap, mass produced packaged stuff we had in Lima. The camote (sweet potato) had been overcooked, thus making it mushy, and all the flavor had been leached out of it. Still, the Missus really enjoyed the Cebiche!

The Missus also ordered a "small" portion of Aji de Gallina($5.00):

The Missus didn't enjoy this very much. The chicken was stringy, the sauce pasty, the potatoes lacked flavor, and it was just very bland overall.

I ordered Seco de Carne(Beef Stew – $9):

This was excellent, and hit on all cylinders; the beef was stewed to a perfect texture, and the nice meaty flavor came through. The cilantro, and I'm guessing, vegetable based "gravy" was wonderful as well. The Missus kept attacking my plate… I also really enjoyed the Frijoles a la Nortena – the creamy and tasty Canary Beans. The only thing I didn't care for was the rice….again, really hard, and dry.

We finished off the meal with some Lucuma(Egg Fruit) Ice Cream:

We were given a huge bowl of Ice Cream! I thought the ice cream tasted kind of "old" and the Lucuma flavor was very faint. Still, it sure was a generous amount.

The service on both visits, while a bit disorganized, was very friendly and accommodating. It looks like they're still some "kinks" to work out, both food(the side dishes) and service wise, but both the Cebiche and Seco de Carne gave us reason to return. The prices are very reasonable for Peruvian food. I'm sure that things will improve as the restaurant opens with more regular hours. One of the Owners; Carlos Gonzalez, told us that Aji Seco's Grand Opening will be on March 15th! We may just check it out.

Aji Seco
4310 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

A bunch of revisits… A Chau, Latin Chef, and Kayaba

December 21, 2007 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Japanese Restaurants, Peruvian Restaurants, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

I'm pretty sure many are(ahem, yours truly included) feeling the "Christmas Crunch" right about now. Of course there are those you, the uber-organized, who have this Christmas shopping thing down pat…..you know who you are, smug and relaxed during the Holidays, your Christmas blitz starts on December 28th….no never the 26th or 27th, on those days, the mall is crawling with unhappy campers returning unwanted gifts. But on the 28th, when all us shoppers are lying in exhaustion…tongues lolling from our gasping, foaming mouths, you're ready to gear up for NEXT CHRISTMAS! And you're usually done by the end of February, except for a few items, cherry-picked during the year. I salute you, super-shopper, well, it's a double salute of sorts, my right hand held flat and brought to my brow in respect, the other hand is raised…well, better to not go there.

Because of the time crunch, I find myself revisiting a bunch of places this time of year…here are a few:

A Chau

I haven't been to A Chau in a bit, and though I'm fully aware of the spiraling price increases of Banh Mi, it was still a shock when I paid $3 for my sandwich. I had ordered a simple BBQ Pork Banh Mi, but got this:

It was a meatball (Xiu Mai) Banh Mi, which would have been fine, except this was the type that uses a weak tomato sauce, that when combined with pickled vegetables, and fish sauce, is not a flavor that I'm fond of. The bread at A Chau remains the same as always, more on the doughy-chewy side, than the crusty baguette.

Still, I was, and am always pleased with the Cha Gio at A Chau. Made with rice paper, always crisp, and quite filling. The egg rolls are still 3 for a buck.

A Chau
4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115

Latin Chef

Ed from Yuma rolled into town for a few days this week, and we managed to grab a few meals, one of which was at Latin Chef. It was nice to see Freddy, the Owner of Latin Chef, it was also nice to see that business has been good, and Latin Chef has been able to expand into the space next door. Still, even though the restaurant has doubled in size, it is still quite small.

Ed had the Cebiche, and I started with the Tiradito.

I found todays version to be really, really good, mildy tart and creamy, with some nice heat provided by the Aji Amarillo peppers. Freddy told me the spice was supplemented and raised with the help of ginger.

We also shared some Anticuchos:

And though this is a bit different from the grilled versions we got from street vendors in Cusco, it is still very good, with the flavor of cumin coming on strong. In fact, if you didn't know what it was……..you'd be hard pressed to guess.

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Kayaba

**** Kayaba has closed

During one of my shopping "blitzes", I was able to rest my weary butt at Kayaba. Desiring rice and something fried, I decided to order the Tonkatsu($7.50). In fact, I decided to retry the "Rosu" (pork loin) that I found to be very tough and dry on one of my previous visits.

And to my surprise it was nice and tender, if a bit on the dry side. And combined with a nice dose of tonaktsu sauce, the nice oniony potato salad, and rice, made for a rather nice meal.

Too bad the miso soup here is still terrible.

Kayaba
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119
San Diego, CA 92111

Okay…back to shopping!!!!

Road Trip: Inka Mama’s Peruvian Cuisine – Foothill Ranch (OC)

August 12, 2007 mmm-yoso Orange County, Peruvian Restaurants, Road Trip

Recently, we had to attend to some business in the Lake Forest/Foothill Ranch area, and went looking for some sustenance. The sign and the words "Peruvian Cuisine" stood out as a better alternative to the various chain restaurants in the area. And since the Missus is now addicted to Cebiche, we just had to stop here.

Inka Mama’s interior is very well adorned in rich browns, and the two Servers, who appeared to be the Owners were very warm and friendly…practically oozing warmth. They literally couldn’t help themselves but dance to the music.

Of course the Missus started with the Ceviche (Cebiche Pescado – $11.95):

We had kinda wondered about the prices, since they seemed a bit high for the location, but the the portion sizes were quite large, and the Cebiche was no exception. I found the fish to be overly tough and stringy, and the Leche de Tigre ("Tiger’s Milk" – the Cebiche Marinade) to be extremely sour. I prefer more balance between the sour-salty-spicy flavors. I’m glad the dish was studded with Cancha (fried corn kernels). After a bite, I needed a big sip of Inca Cola($2) to clear my palate. The Missus enjoyed this more than I, though when She tried to drink the Leche de Tigre, Her face turned into a sour pucker, not seen since I told Her that I couldn’t tell the difference between Her Chanel handbag, and a similar knockoff…….

I had ordered the Chicharon De Pollo ($8.95):

This was an immensely tasty and satisfying dish on many levels. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs had been marinated in a garlic-lime mixture, than deep fried until the exterior was a beautiful brown color. The chicken was topped with a mildly biting, but refreshing Salza Criolla (Salsa Criolla/Zarsa Criolla), a simple relish of thinly sliced red onion, lime, cilantro, and some chilies. The flavor of the moist dark meat chicken and the relish was excellent. The various textures complemented the flavors well. So good, it’s worth another look!

The Missus ordered the Cabrito Norteno ($14.45):

This stew was made with lamb instead of kid, and is also known as Seco De Cordero, and Cabrito(or Cordero) al a Nortena. The thickened sauce is flavored with cilantro and garlic, and in this case the flavors were balanced out with the Sarza Criolla.

Served with a large portion of beans and rice, the Missus wasn’t able to finish….so I took over, and wiped the plate clean.

What about my entree? Well, totally against character(and possibly in response to the, "sheesh you’re so boring and predictable" comments from the Missus), I ordered something a bit different from what I’ll usually try the first time(aka Lomo…). I went with the Ajiaco de Pescado($13.45):

Described as Cod Filet seasoned in a spicy garlic chili sauce, this was not very spicy, and though I could taste some onions and cilantro, there wasn’t much garlic flavor. It was a very thin tomato based sauce studded with diced potatoes. The Cod was very dry, and tasted very fishy…even for me. I guess I had expected more powerful flavors.

Still, based on the Chicharon de Pollo, I’d say this was a good meal. If we visit again, we’ll definitely order that, and I’d go with some basic dishes…and maybe some fried ones. As I mentioned before, the service was warm and friendly…oh yes, and the Lucuma(Egg Fruit) Ice Cream was nice and refreshing. Funny thing is…..Egg Fruit grows in Hawaii! I had never had it, and would never have known, until I did a bit of research. I’ve seen these trees before, but never thought the fruit was edible!

Inka Mama’s Peruvian Cuisine
26676 Portola Pkwy, Suite B
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610
(949) 951-6262

Hours – Mon-Thurs 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm
Fri 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Sat-Sun 1130am-9pm

Do you ever go back to restaurants? Latin Chef, Tsuruhashi, Asia Cafe, and Izakaya Sakura

June 23, 2007 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Lao Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Peruvian Restaurants

A question posed in a recent email (thanks CVChow!), and of course the answer is a resounding yes! It’s just that I’m perhaps a little slower on “the trigger” with places I’ve already posted on. But once in a while I still take photos. But questions like this made me realize that I need to update my “rotation”, and I will do so in the upcoming weeks.

So here are some revisits, mostly photos…kind of what Uber OC Food Blogger Elmomonster would call a “photo super shoot”…in my case, it’s just a bunch of photos….

Even More Latin Chef:

**** Latin Chef has changed ownership and moved to Liberty Station

One of 3 restaurants I need to add to our rotation list. The Cebiche Pescado is a current obsession of the Missus:

She craves this once or twice a week, always finishing by sipping the Leche De Tigre (Tiger’s Milk) with a spoon.

Here’s a photo of the Tiradito:

Tiradito is, from what I’ve been told a Japanese influenced Peruvian raw fish dish. This version was made using the Aji Amarillo. The fish had been sliced into strips and slightly flattened with the blade of a knife. Hmmm, sounds really similar to some of the dishes a fairly well known Chef and Restaurant Owner named “Nobu” does. Nice, though not a refreshing as the Cebiche. BTW, did you know that the Sushi Bar in Lima that Nobu co-founded is still in business? It’s called Matsuei, and on our list of possible restaurants to visit for our trip to Peru later this year.

You can find previous posts on Latin Chef here and here.

Tsuruhashi, Again:

We’ve been eating there every other week or so. In fact, I need to revise my statement about the manager. From our second visit on, he’s been so very nice, and always comes by to chat or to say hello. In fact, as I left the other day, he stopped me, shook my hand, and in the very formal Japanese way, handed me his business card.

So here’s some other stuff!

The Prime Beef Tongue:

Pork Belly:

A current favorite of the Missus, the Prime Tongue w/Onion.

You only cook this baby on one side…

One of my favorite “cuts” is the Prime Skirt, it is also one of the most inexpensive at $5.25.

Though a tad more chewy than other cuts, it is still quite tender. The payoff is the nice beefy flavor.

Another one for our rotation, the original post can be found here.

Even more Asia Cafe:

**** Asia Cafe has closed

That doesn’t mean we still don’t visit some of our favorites. Here’s a few photos from Asia Cafe during a recent really fun meal with Ed from Yuma.

The Yum Asia:

Nem Khao:

With the full complement of Greens and Herbs.

The See Nam Tok:

As good as I remembered. Previous posts on Asia Cafe can be found here and here.

The $12 Lunch Bento from Izakaya Sakura:

So many posts on this place. Here’s a photo I had lingering around, Clayfu has a nice post.

You can read the Chowhound post here. It is a lot of food, almost too much for a workday lunch, if you know what I mean. I’ve heard complaints about the lunch not being very hot….methinks that person does not know what a “bento” lunch is all about. It’s a box lunch, whose history goes back to the 11th or 12th century. While digging around, I found a nice little post here. Other posts on Sakura can be found here, here, and here.

Finally, a bit of Saturday silliness:

Earlier this week, I was standing in line at the grocery check-out, and you know how some couples talk really loud, and sometimes you learn or hear a bit more than you really wanted. This young couple was in the midst of a conversation….

Young Lady: “I heard a joke that I really don’t understand….I think it’s really stupid, and not funny.”
Young Man: “What what is….”
YL: “Some of the guys were joking around, and said – Milk a bull, and make a friend for life…”
YM chokes and spits his gum out involuntarily: “Gasp…..”
YL: “What’s so funny…you can’t milk a bull!”
By now everyone in line is cracking up, the cashier is turning a nice red color.
YM: “Think about it, if you tried to milk a bull…..”
YL: “Hey, I’m not stupid, I know Bulls are male and you can’t milk them!”
YM: “Say, you tried to milk a bull?”
YL: “But you can’t milk a bull….”
YM, by now somewhat composed: “But if you really tried to, ahem, milk a bull…….”
YL: “That’s just dumb….”
YM, looking around at all the laughing people: “Must be a lot of dumb people in this line….”

Have a nice weekend…….

Latin Chef Part 2

April 19, 2007 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Peruvian Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

In my waaaay too wordy first part, I think I spent too much time on "stuff", and not enough on the food, so I’m hoping to rectify that with part 2. After my very enjoyable first visit, I knew I had to convince the Missus that Latin Chef was worth a visit…it really wasn’t very hard!

So a few evenings later we found ourselves having dinner at Latin Chef.

We started with the usual Canchita, and the Missus had a glass of the Chica Morada($1.50), the very sweet drink made from Purple Maize.(Sorry no photo) We started with a bowl of Sopa a la Criolla("Creole soup" – $8.50):

This very mildly spicy, tomato and cream based broth was rich, but not heavy. The soup contained angel hair pasta, and a few pieces of shredded beef. The Missus, as is Her M.O., took ownership of the fried egg…and declared it "delici-yoso!!!"

I ordered the Aji De Gallina("Chili chicken" – $8.50):

This is one of the "standard" Peruvian dishes. The sauce is made with Aji Amarillo(yellow chile). Aji Amarillo is the most common chile in Peru, when young the chile is green, and is used in sauces. At the "ripe" stage the pepper is yellow in color, and is used in Aji de Gallina. When fully mature the chile is a deep orange-red color, and is at it’s most pungent state. Cream, bread, cheese, and usually walnuts make up the rest of the sauce, which is served with strips of chicken. The sauce was thick, and on the mild side, which I livened up a bit with some "Aji", and not as "nutty", nor a spicy as another version I had several years back. The chicken was fine, if a tad on the "dry" side.

The Missus ordered the real "winner" of the evening, the Arroz con Mariscos (The daily special, Seafood Rice – $10.00):

Beyond the nicely flavored rice, and wonderful roasted vegetables, what really impressed us was the preparation of the seafood. The calamari was soft, and very tender, as was the octopus. This was quite good, there was one request that the Missus mentioned to Freddie for the next time she orders this…she asked if next time she could get some chopped Papas Fritas(french fries). To which the always obliging Freddie said; "no problem…we’ll make one up special for you!" You gotta love these mom and pop places!

One thing did bother us on this visit, the place was totally empty the entire time we ate. We started worrying about Latin Chef surviving. But all such thoughts evaporated when we visited on a recent Sunday. On this day, the place was packed to the rafters, with no seats available in the tiny restaurant, but we decided to sit outside and enjoy the sun.

I had designs of starting our meal with some Papa a la Huacaina(Potatoes with Huacaina Sauce), after all the potato was first cultivated in the Peruvian Incas. I was over-ruled by the Missus who loves Yuca, so we ended up with Yuca a la Huacaina($6.00):

The pieces of Yuca were fried to perfection, slightly crisp on the outside, and nice and starchy, without being too dense in the interior. The Huacaina sauce, basically a cheese sauce, with Aji Amarillo and cream, was a bit too cheesy for the Missus. This version was made with Parmesan cheese, which made slightly more salty than what I’m used too.

For my entree, I went with a classic "Chifa" (Chinese-style) dish, Arroz Chaufa a la Carne ($8.50):

If you think this looks a lot like fried rice, you’d be right, that is exactly what it is. This version was a bit more simple than the Arroz Chaufa Especial that I enjoyed from El Rocoto in Gardena. While the beef was on the dry and tough side, the scrambled egg had been mixed with soy sauce, and I believe there was a hint of chile as well, making it very tasty.

On this occasion the Missus again did a fine job ordering the Pescado a lo Macho (again the daily special, Fried Fish with Mixed Seafood – $10.00):

A breaded and fried white fish fillet was smothered with a very mildly spicy tomato based sauce and mixed seafood. Like our previous meal, the seafood was cooked well, the Octopus was especially good, with an almost melt in your mouth texture, without being mushy. Whatever means of marinading and tenderizing is done, it is done well.

After this experience, I’d recommend reservations if you’re planning to have lunch on a weekend. At this time Latin Chef does not have a liquor license, so sorry, no Pisco Sours, if you want a Cerveza, you’ll be directed to the liquor store down the street. The service is very friendly and accommodating, keep in mind that this is a one chef in the kitchen restaurant, so you may have a bit of a wait for your food, but chances are it would be worth it. There are at least 2 "specials" daily that add a nice variety to the menu.

On the bottom of the sign to right it says, "Warning, Peruvian food is addictive!" At the least, the food at Latin Chef does not lack flavor.

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858)-270-8810

Kudos to Ed from Yuma, another great find!

You can find part1, here.

Latin Chef Part 1

April 15, 2007 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Peruvian Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

During a recent dinner with Ed from Yuma, just before our panchan arrived, Ed brought out a nicely folded sheet of paper from his pocket. What he had was a menu from a new restaurant in Pacific Beach called Latin Chef. When I read the menu, I almost fell off my seat. The menu was predominantly Peruvian, with a few Brazilian dishes. One of the things I miss about living in Los Angeles are the Peruvian Restaurants. There must be over 2 dozen Peruvian Restaurants that I know about….I say at least, because if you have 5 Peruvian Newspapers, as LA does, you must have a rather large Peruvian population. Our luck with Peruvian food in San Diego had not been very positive, so needless to say I was excited.

So of course there I was the next afternoon, at about 4pm for a early dinner.

I managed to find parking on Garnet avenue, no easy task! I was greeted by a smile and hello by the very friendly young lady, and told to have a seat anywhere I wanted in this tiny restaurant.

A one page menu, similar to the one that Ed had shown me was handed to me. A though I did look over the menu, one of the dishes I had read the previous night stuck in my head. You see, one of the reasons I think we enjoy Peruvian food so much, are the almost Asian flavors and cooking techniques that are used. I had always wondered about the use of soy sauce in Peruvian food, until I saw one of the episodes of Cheuk Kwan’s wonderful documentary series, Chinese Restaurants that tells the story of the Chinese diaspora through the Chinese restaurant. During a screening of the episode called Latin Passions at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, I finally had a few answers, and also some motivation when I got home, to try and find some information for myself. If you have a chance, don’t miss screenings of this wonderful series. I’ve seen two episodes so far, and will probably purchase the whole set this year. Anyone who has read my post on Asian Noodles, and my fascination with Ma Mon Luk, or even my posts on Al Pastor and the "Trompo", understands my fascination with this subject. So, some interesting data….Chinese first arrived in Peru during the middle of the 1800’s til the mid-1870’s. These immigrants arrived to work on the sugar plantations, and to work on the guano mines. Another wave of immigrants arrived after the establishment of Communist rule in China in 1949. And though many Chinese fled Peru during the rule of Juan Velasco Alvarado, there is still an estimated 4 million Peruvians of Chinese Ancestry in Peru.

Each meal at Latin Chef starts with some Canchita.

The young lady was fairly surprised when I exclaimed "aaah canchita…" Canchita is a very popular appetizer/snack(beer food), that is corn kernals that are roasted or fried until just before popping. This version was nicely salted, crunchy and addictive.

With the influence of the Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Inca people, I find the eclectic cuisine of Peru to be full of fascinating flavors. Getting back to the Chinese influence in Peru. The word used for Chinese food in Peru is "Chifa", I’ve read that it is based on the Mandarin phrase to eat, "Chi Fan". Chinese restaurants in Peru are called "El Chifa", and one of the two oldest Chinatowns in Latin America is located in Lima, "Barrio Chino de Lima". I’ve read that there are over half a million Peruvians of Chinese Ancestry currently living in Lima. One of my favorite Peruvian creole dishes is Lomo Saltado, and without fail, it is usually the first item I’ll try at any Peruvian restaurant, Latin Chef was no different.

The version of Lomo Saltado at Latin Chef($8.50), was quite good. Don’t let the "papas fritas"(french fries) scare you as it did a few on Chowhound. Papas Fritas are an integral part of Lomo Saltado. Though these large crinkle cut fries are a bit distracting. I’m used to having the potatoes fried with the rest of the ingredients, and later on asked the proprietor, Freddie about them. He told me that they will do it either way, so I’ll make sure to ask for them to be fries with the Carne, and the rest of the ingredients next time. I found the beef to be pretty good, as with most versions of Lomo Saltado, I found the lean beef to be on the tough side, though in this case the slices of beef were very moist. Where this Lomo Saltado separated itself from very pedestrian versions is the very flavorful sauce, both a bit salty, slightly sweet, and tangy, this was a nice rendition.

The tomatoes were sweet and tangy, and the onions added a nice flavor to the dish. I enjoy a bit of heat, so without fail I’ll always request some "Aji"(red chili sauce) with anything I order. This version added some nice heat.

This was a very nice, and reasonably priced meal. And I knew that I’d be bringing the Missus along for the next one….

Now I realize I’ve been very wordy so I’ll stop here for now…..part 2 is coming up!

If you want to grab a meal in the meantime:

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858)-270-8810

Closed on Mondays…the hours are a bit strange. The menu says Tues-Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm. But they really don’t open until 1230pm. So I’m not quite sure.

Those that live in San Diego, and the PB area will get this joke….someone asked where this restaurant was located on Garnet, and I replied it’s right before the 7th sushi bar on Garnet after Ingraham…..sheesh! I guess there’s a local ordinance that says 1 coffee shop on every corner, and one purveyor of California Roll on every block!

Part 2 coming up!

El Dorado Mexican & Peruvian Restaurant

January 30, 2006 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Peruvian Restaurants

*** El Dorado has changed ownership and no longer serves Peruvian food

One day on a trip down to Hogetsu Bakery, I noticed El Dorado, sitting in a strip mall on the corner of Palomar Street and 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista:

The Missus and I had nice memories of Peruvian in Los Angeles, so we had to make a trip down to Chula Vista for a visit. We arrived during a week day for a lunch, and found the colorful restaurant completely empty. Looking around we started to realize that this visit may be a bit of a mistake.

The decor and signs screamed out "Sports Bar". But we forged ahead! The very friendly and helpful Waitress, took our order and brought over some chips and Salsa.

The chips were not oily and tasted fresh, with a nice corn taste. The salsa had a nice spicy and sweet flavor; for some reason it reminded me of Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Salsa, except fresher and more spicy. Things were looking up! While we were waiting for our order, we watched the Young Lady who served us cleaning with complete awe. I'm talking about really clean, really fast, and really thorough. If we could give her a "letter grade" Ala DOH, she'd get an 'A+'.

Finally our dishes arrived. I ordered the standard Lomo Saltado ($5.50):

Lomo Saltado, is a traditional Peruvian "stir-fry" dish, with strips of beef, onions, tomatoes, and most of all french-fries, yep french fries! A carb lovers dream! The dish usually has a touch of heat provided by some hot pepper. This version was a major disappointment. The steak was tough, dry, and tasteless; giving new meaning to the term "two-dollar steak". The onions and tomatoes were over-cooked and mush, as were the french fries. Though the taste of remnants of the onions, fries, and tomatoes(skin) was fairly tangy, there was a lack of any heat. The rice with frozen peas and carrots,was really dry. 'Nuff said.

The Missus really surprised me and ordered Anticuchos($5.50):

Anticuchos is a skewered meat; in this case beef heart, marinated in vinegar and chilies. This was served with a pretty weak "white" sauce, the thin slices of heart were decent; slightly gamey, but not too rubbery. The thick slices tasted too much like liver, which I don't care for, and was much too dry. Overall, the beef heart was really under seasoned and bland. The best part of the dish was the slice of deep-fried yucca. Crisp on the outside, with a dense and starchy interior.

We had pretty much written off this meal when the Deep Fried Plantains arrived($5.50):

We were a bit turned off at the almost black, charred appearance when the dish arrived. But the plantains were just darkly caramelized, and were sweet, tangy, and rich. The condense milk like "leche" helped to smooth out the flavor. Unfortunately, the plantains are not reason enough for us to return. The menu is quite extensive, with dishes like Cau Cau (tripe stew) and Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice), but we'll leave that for others to explore.

El Dorado Peruvian and Mexican Seafood & Grill
311 Palomar St
Chula Vista, CA 91911