Peruvian cuisine :: All Things Andy Gavin

Archive for Peruvian cuisine

Causita just ’cause

Apr16

Restaurant: Causita [ CLOSED ]

Location: 3709 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026.

Date: September 8, 2022

Cuisine: Peruvian

Rating: Tasty, but issues — and out of biz

I’ve really enjoyed a long string of Ricardo Zarate restaurants, all the way back to Picca and Paiche etc. Others followed like a stint at SOS, Rosaline and Pikoh. Sadly, while the food is always really good, they do not last long. Not exactly sure why. But the Foodie Club and I were excited to try Causita, his latest in Silverlake. The past proved true of the present and it closed not too long after we went (despite very tasty food).

Located in that busy stretch of Sunset in Silverlake — hate that area because it’s just so far from my house and a real pain to park in. Maybe I’m also jealous that trendy new places open here where they are super inconvenient.

Interior is modern.

Initial champagne. We had to negotiate with them to allow any kind of corkage at all. They did yield fortunately.

The menu.

kanpachi & uni tiradito. yellow tail, coconut leche de tigre, rocoto pitaya dressing. The white sauce was basically coconut milk with lime juice and chili. Incredibly zingy almost pucker inducing, but good.

chocolatas clams. chalaca style, charapita, leche de tigre, apple criolla. The chocolate bit is just because of the color of the clam shell (milk chocolate brown). The cerviche style mix inside was also super acid forward. Pucker up baby!

Mostly we brought Spanish wine.

summer gazpacho. heirloom tomato, peach, aji limo. Almost like a salsa. Very good though with a touch of sweetness. Super refreshing.

bluefin otoro. tamari, fresh wasabi, leche de tigre, black truffle. I didn’t like this as much as I expected to. It was good, but maybe a bit too much truffle flavor. At least it was decent truffle though, not rancid.

charred snap pea. charred jalapeno oil, labneh, mint, garlic chip. Very nice with a bit of creaminess and a great snap (bite) to the peas.

lobster dumpling. charred jalapeno oil, ceviche aioli. Strong flavor from the squid ink actually. Inside was a tiny bit dry.

Always a great Spanish red.

Pan con Chicharron. Crispy Pork, sweet potato, salsa criollo. Like a pork belly slider. Bread was nice for mopping up sauce on other dishes. I enjoyed this “burger.”

lamb ragu. fromage blanc dumpling, szechuan peppercorn. Soft with a nice meaty and creamy texture. Quite nice.

octopus. octopus, goat cheese-chorizo mousse, gotija olive, ceviche aioli. The peppers had great flavors and the octopus was very crispy.

Grilled Artichoke Hearts. avocado mousse, jalapeno, popped quinoa, charapita glaze. The texture and flavor of the artichoke was great.

udon noodles. shiitake, peruvian pesto, wasabi tobiko, roasted onion jus. Pesto flavor was awesome. Noodles were thick, and maybe a touch soft, and there was a very “leafy” basil quality offset nicely by the cheese. Overall a fabulous dish.

Oh, and a Bordeaux slipped in.

crispy rice. seared steak tartare, egg, parmesan sauce. Interesting and I liked it.

The egg and soy and beef tartare was mixed in. The parmesan sauce (which was a bit punchy) was left on the side.

Mixed up.

Lomo Saltado. Steak Filet. Onion Confit. Potato Petals. Fine, but less interesting.

The dessert menu.

Churros Bomboncito. Caramel, berry sauce. These were great with caramel centers. And on the left, Tres Leches Sorbettto, which really tasted like Uni Leche Sorbetto.

The damage wasn’t so bad.

Food was actually great at Causita, some of Ricardo’s best since Paiche. It was very bright. Not every dish was perfect, and there were relatively few things that were incredibly memorable, but it was very tasty — and zesty. Corkage issues were a bit of a thing. Somehow his restaurants never last. There also seems to be a curse on this strip of Silverlake. New things open constantly, but they shuffle and close rapidly too.

Because we were right next door we decided to try out Pine and Crane for second dinner as I have been wanting to for years.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Causita, Double Dinner, Foodie Club, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo M. Zarate, Ricardo Zarate, Silverlake, Wine

Chifa Rulez

Sep18

Restaurant: Chifa LA

Location: 4374 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041. (323) 561-3084

Date: January 9 & October 21, 2022

Cuisine: Peruvian Chinese (Chifa)

Rating: Amazing

Jeffrey had the hookup here at this awesome Peruvian Chinese fusion place in Eagle Rock. Yeah it’s far, but it seems to be one of the only Chifa (Peruvian Chinese) places in LA that’s middle/high end. Most just serve on styrofoam. This is a composite of two visits but in both cases we ordered 80% of the menu, so between them I’ve covered almost all the dishes.

The jazzy interior.

A huge patio.

Our table.

The grill.

The menu 1/22.

The menu 10/22.

Brûlée Char Siu . Wood fired pork toro marinated in house made Chinese BBQ sauce. Insanely good (and sweet). The meat itself was super tender with that porky goodness. The sauce is incredibly sweet, almost dessert sweet, but does pair very nicely with the pork.

The caramelization is gotten via blow torch.

See it in action.

Tiradito. Fresh Japanese sea bream chilled in a peppery orange and lime sauce. Hint of garlic and yellow chili topped with salsa criolla, sweet potato, and toasted Peruvian corn. The actual contents of this dish were irrelevant (in a good way) to the zesty Leche con Tigre sauce. It was so limey spicy and so delicious it would have made fabulous “pickles” out of just about anything. I could have soaked a big pile of the onions and carrots with it and devoured them no problem.

Anticucho (GF). Peruvian street style skewered beef heart with cilantro & serrano chili sauce. Beefy! Chewy, because it was heart, but full of deep beefy flavor.

Traditional Zongzi. With lap cheung, pork belly, shiitake mushroom, duck egg yolk, wrapped in bamboo leaf. Sticky rice texture with a very interesting herbal and deep flavor much like the stuffing for Beggar’s Chicken. Quite nice.

Si Yao Chicken. 1/2 free-ranged chicken poached in Popo’s fragrant aged soy sauce with garlic steamed rice. Soy sauce chicken but the sauce was a very lovely aged soy with notes of star anise and cooked down rock sugar. This is known as “aromatic” or “seasoned” soy sauce in Chinese cooking.

Mapo Tofu (VG). Wok cooked tofu and OmniPork Ground in fermented bean sauce with Szechuan peppercorn, garlic, scallion. This has a bit of numbing flavor, but not much, and isn’t nearly as hot as a real Sichuan Mapo but it was also quite pleasant with great texture.

Braised Spare Ribs. Caramelized in soy sauce, shaoxing wine, golden sugar, ginger, garlic. Very soft and yummy spare ribs, although not as spectacular as the pork belly.

Dan Dan Mian (VG). Fresh noodles with spicy Szechaun sesame sauce tossed with pickled radish. This isn’t a classic Sichuan dan dan as it’s not very spicy and has no chili oil or the layers of fermented flavors, but it was delicious. The sesame flavors dominate making it a great version of “sesame noodles.”

Lomo Saltado. Filet Mignon, wood grilled and sautéed with cherry tomatoes and onions.

Green sauce.

Special order Cowboy Lomo Saltado. Cowboy Tomahawk Ribeye steak, wood grilled and sautéed with cherry tomatoes and onions. This was an incredible steak with great smoky flavor that was really amped up by the veggies. The beef fat soaked fries were incredible too. A real meat and potato feast.

Black Pepper Lobster. Lobster wok tossed with sweet and spicy black pepper sauce. This was perhaps the best stir fried lobster I have ever had, like a lobster version of black pepper crab. This is a great “Chinese” lobster dish. The lobster was perfectly cooked and easy to extract from the shell and the flavor of the sauce was incredible. It’s related to the Singapore style black pepper crab dishes.

Meat on the grill.

Cowboy Steak. Delicious with an incredible smokey flavor.

Marinated Jalepenos for the steak.

Garlic and Scallion whole Crab.

Dessert menu.
Black Sesame Cheesecake Tart. Smooth black sesame cream cheese Chinese almond cookie crust. Also a little on the dry side, but kind of addictive.

Alfajores. peruvian shortbread cookie with dulce de leche filling dusted with powdered sugar. A touch dry, as these South American treasts always are, but very pleasant.

Lavender and Truffles Mint Strawberry Ice Cream. This vegan ice cream was coconut milk based and had a very lovely mint punch (stronger than the stawberry) and good texture for being vegan. It wasn’t nearly as rich though as a “proper” (dairy) ice cream would be.

Lavender and Truffles Salgona Coffee Ice Cream. This vegan ice cream was a touch grainy and while the coffee flavor was nice it was certainly missing that rich milk coffee combination.

I love this flavor — Peppermint Bark Gelato — Base is pure peppermint milk (subbed the sugar with crushed peppermint candies) and it’s laced with house-made double-sided peppermint bark, Valrhona Dark Chocolate and Ivoire White! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — The Peppermint Bark recipe was developed by a famous pastry chef and author, the mum of a Naughty Dog Alum @nancy_baggett — this year I added the two layer thing which is awesome — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peppermint #bark #Valrhona #chocolate

Le tab in 10/22.

Chevy with the owner.

Wines in 1/22.

Wines in 10/22.

Chifa was really awesome. Basically super zest latin flavored Chinese food, so what’s not to love?

Service was great and the outside patio was nice and huge. Did end up surprisingly pricey though, particularly the lobster. We were treated like royalty. The family that owns it know Jeffrey and his wife and are incredibly nice with a real sense of hospitality. Highly recommended as this is the only “serious” Chifa I know of in Los Angeles.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

We weren’t really hungry, but there was a “famous” taco place across the street…

Al pastor. Aka Mexican gyros/shawarma. Looking it up, I read that it’s ACTUALLY based on shawarma which Lebanese ingredients brought to Mexico! But it uses the “other white meat” instead of lamb.

They fry the tortillas with cheese.

Sauces. Street tacos are not a neat food.

Taco al pastor. Tasty.

A beef taco of some sort.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: al pastor, BYOG, Chifa, Chifa LA, Chinese Peruvian, Gelato, Lobster, Peruvian cuisine, pork, Tacos, Wine

Quick Eats – Lola’s

Aug30

Restaurant: Lola’s Peruvian Restaurant

Location: 2610, 230 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203. (818) 956-5888

Date: July 18, 2019

Cuisine: Peruvian

Rating: Excellent Old School Peruvian

Seb and I and another friend were wandering around Glendale for lunch and ended up at Lola’s Peruvian after I rejected a couple unappealing chain-type restaurants.

This is an old school, classic Peruvian place.

Baggette-like bread.

Zesty sauces.

Delicias Del Mar. Ceviche, tiradito, yellow and red chili peppers, mussels, fried calamari, fried yucca, peruvian corn (choclo), toasted corn (cancha).

Saltado de Vegetales. Vegetables stir fries, onion, tomatoes, soy sauce over French fries. Served with rice.

Pescado Sudado – PeruvianSteam Fish. Juicy sole steamed fish, sauce of onion and tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. Served with side of rice.

Roast pork. Very tender and great with the sauces — needs them though to give it some more complex flavor.

Arroz con Mariscos – Seafood Rice. Considered to be an adaptation of spanish paella with shrimp, octopus, squid and mussels.

Lola’s isn’t a fancy place, but it is tasty and if you want to experience that sort of classic, heavily Spanish influenced type of Peruvian, quite good. Now this is very different from the more modern Picca style of Peruvian with its strong Japanese and Chinese influences, and is more typical of South American food in general before the modern culinary revolution, but this is well made traditional food with plenty of flavor.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: cerviche, Glendale, Peruvian cuisine, pork, Rice

Quick Eats – Pikoh

Jun01

Restaurant: Pikoh

Location: 11940 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (310) 928-9344

Date: April 27, 2019

Cuisine: Peruvian Fusion

Rating: Seemed zesty given what I had

I’ve very much enjoyed chef Ricardo Zarate’s previous offerings, notably Picca and Paiche — unfortunately now closed and the still open Rosaline. So I was excited to good with the Foodie Club guys to his latest, Rosaline on Melrose.

His own website says of Ricardo:

Born in Lima, Peru, ‘the godfather of Peruvian cuisine’ Ricardo Zarate is synonymous with indigenous South American foods. Immaculately executed and fused with his underlying passion, drive and kitchen ingenuity, Zarate’s cuisine has earned him widespread critical acclaim and praise from media and consumers alike.

It’s located on Pico Blvd — get it?

The interior is nice, typical.

The menu.

Arugula salad. Dehydrated gochujang beets, ricotta beet spread, goat cheese, candied walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette.

Albacore tiradito. Seared tiradito, aji limon, crispy shallots. Zesty, salty, and a bit spicy.

Salmon miso. Gochujang miso, roasted carrots, pickled cucumber. My wife found this a bit too spicy for her.

Pork tonkatsu. Shredded cabbage, caramelized lemon, Japanese mustard. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but a fried pork cutlet wasn’t it. I should have known though, as it’s exactly as described, and the Japanese do call this tonkatsu. I’ve just come to associate it with pork bone ramen broth.

Shakshuka. Tomato bonito stew, prawns, eggs, ciabatta toast. Bright acidic tomato flavors.

We just had a quick little meal for two. Pikoh however is different than Ricardo’s previous places. It isn’t so “Peruvian” but more an American small plates place like the also recently opened Yours Truly except with strong Peruvian inflections. I actually prefer all his older places because to my taste, they are just more interesting. But this might be more mainstream. Who knows?

We were there for dinner and it was normal table service, but they apparently have counter/fast casual day time service. Sometimes I like this, sometimes I find this extremely annoying. Depends if it just saves time or they make me do half the work like bussing and getting my own silverware. I don’t go out to restaurants to bus my own table. I’m sorry. I don’t even like to do it at fast food (I do though — but I don’t eat much fast food).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Peruvian cuisine, Pikoh, Ricardo Zarate

Racy Rosaline

Jul15

Restaurant: Rosaline

Location: 8479 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 297-9500

Date: June 6, 2018

Cuisine: Modern Peruvian

Rating: Good, but I liked his punchier places better

I’ve very much enjoyed chef Ricardo Zarate’s previous offerings, notably Picca and Paiche — unfortunately now closed. So I was excited to good with the Foodie Club guys to his latest, Rosaline on Melrose.

His own website says of Ricardo:

The newest is in a hip section of the Melrose drag, in the space previously occupied by Comme Ca, Chef David Myer’s bistro concept.

The menu is MUCH shorter than at his old places.

The build out, however is the best yet. Really pretty space. Foodie member Larry is friends with the architect, you joined us for dinner — stunning makeover.

Lots of seating with a chic look.

And a cool “garden” space.

Paul brought: 2002 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2002 Dom Pérignon speaks to opulence and intensity. Rich, layered and voluptuous in the glass, the 2002 shows off its flamboyant personality with flair. Butter, cooked apple and tropically-leaning fruits mesh together effortlessly. Interestingly, with time in the glass the 2002 gains in freshness and energy without losing its essential opulence. The elevated ripeness of the year gives the 2002 Dom Pérignon distinctly Puligny-Montrachet leaning inflections. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August that year was hot and very dry. Rain towards the end of the month and into early September freshened the vines and accelerated the final phase of ripening. This is yet another fabulous showing from the 2002, which continues to cement its reputation as a truly epic Dom Pérignon.

agavin: 2002 champs rule, this was a sexy beast.

ensalada de beterraga. beets 3-ways, ricotta spread, burrata, candied pecans, blood orange vinaigrette. Richardo’s take on the classic beet salad.

pimentones. padron peppers, ciruela amarillo miso, bonito flakes.

ceviche crocante. halibut, crispy baby calamari, yuzu kosho marinated, aji amarillo leche de tigre. Fried calamari and super zesty sauce.

tiradito de concha con erizo. live scallops, sea urchin, uni leche de tigre, crispy garlic. Love me some uni!

kampachi ceviche. baja california amberjack, aji pesto, charcoal oven roasted sweet potato, aji limo lime dressing.

From my cellar: 2010 Raul Pérez Bierzo Ultreia La Claudina. VM 93. Light, bright gold. Assertive aromas of fresh pear, iodine, marzipan and chamomile, with a suggestion of dried fig. Big, palate-staining and densely packed but energetic too, showing intense orchard and citrus fruit flavors and notes of smoky minerals and anise. Displays outstanding intensity on the smoky finish, which leaves zesty mineral and bitter quinine notes behind.

agavin: great food wine

chicharron de paiche. popped kiwicha, fried amazonian paiche, yuzu aioli sauce. Not as exciting as the BBQ versions of this fish we used to get at Paiche.

causa jar. eggplant terrine, potato mousse, avocado, botija olive aioli.

corazon anticucho. beef heart skewers, rustic rocoto pepper, feta cheese, walnut sauce. Loved these. Chewy, but great flavor. Feed your inner Khaleesi.

Fred brought: 2004 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese. VM 92. Aromas of baked apple, cinnamon and vanilla. The creamy, rich papaya fruit is still covered in baby fat, with the result that the wine’s underlying acidity is still almost completely masked. A full-blown auslese that is not yet showing the elegant spiciness that Muller’s wines generally develop.

arroz con mariscos. sea urchin, diver scallops, tiger prawns, manila clams, seafood rice. I’m such a rice fiend — and an uni fiend.

Fred brought: 1993 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot. BH 92. In stark contrast to the Chambertin, this is wonderfully expressive and complex with abundant earth and spice notes followed by big, structured, still sappy if slightly austere flavors that offer excellent density and plenty of character. Impressively scaled and finishes with striking length. A clear step up from the Chambertin.

Larry brought: 2003 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot. VM 94+. Bright, deep red. Superripe yet vibrant and perfumed aromas of black raspberry, rose petal and minerals. Very ripe and highly concentrated; creamy yet firm, thanks to powerful underlying structure. A wine of great energy, density and soil character, and an infant today. Finishes with outstanding palate-staining persistence and a slightly saline quality. This should evolve spectacularly for at least 15 to 20 years. A great wine in the making.

arroz con pollo. mary’s organic chicken breast, cilantro beer rice, huancaina feta sauce.

chaufa paella. peruvian fried rice paella-style, pancetta, la chang sausage, bagoong, prawns.

Mixed up. This was probably my favorite dish — a bit like Peruvian Chinese fried rice.

juane de chancho. pork ossobuco, adobo, garbanzo soft tamale, hardboiled egg, wrapped in banana leaf.

costillas. slow-cooked barbecue short ribs, grilled figs, apple coleslaw.

anticucho bife ancho. 28 day dry-aged wood-grilled ribeye, sesame huacatay saucee.

The dessert menu.

From the owner, on the house! 1912 D’Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho.

My BYOG adventures continue. Made by me, some fresh Sweet Milk Gelato.

On the left: Limoncello Zabaione Gelato, an eggy frozen zabaione made with Sorento Limoncello

On the right: Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cloud, Valrhona chocolate base, Valrhona cream cheese fudge, and gluten free oreo substitutes

Plated (by me).

coffee flan // custard. pisco, banana creme fraiche cream, chocolate sauce, candied hazelnuts, banana chips. Other than the banana chips — amazing.

chancay con leche // peruvian cake. goat’s milk manjar blanco, coconut milk, maracuya guava frozen yogurt, torched meringue, harry’s berries strawberries.

bon bon bons! // ice cream. lucuma ice cream, lucuma, waffle crunch, popped quinoa // all dipped in peruvian illanka chocolate.

Overall, it was a great evening with great company, amazing service, and really good food — but somehow I found things a bit less adventurous than at either Picca or Paiche, like he had cherry picked the most approachable dishes for a tamer hipster American audience. Now, given that he’s had a string of GOOD restaurants go under, that might be a good business move, but to a more out-there eater like myself it felt a little dialed back. Execution itself was spot on though and the whole thing did feel “easier”, slightly less Peruvian. I had really enjoyed Paiche, partially because it was fairly convenient and one of the only new style restaurants (briefly) in the Marina. But as there isn’t much of this style of food in LA, and it’s very tasty, it’s good to have him back on the scene doing great stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo Zarate, Rosaline, Wine

Paiche – Fusion Panache

May09

Restaurant: Paiche

Location: 13488 Maxella Ave, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. 310.893.6100

Date: April 19 & 26, 2013

Cuisine: Japanese Peruvian

Rating: Flavors that Pop!

Paiche is a new joint in the Marina del Rey mall complex (near the Theaters). It’s the third Peruvian brain child of Ricardo Zarate and Stephane Bombet who brought us Picca (review here and here) and Mo-Chica. For whatever reason, LA’s culinary zeitgeist is on fire with Peruvian fusion. And I admit it’s a nice cuisine with it’s bright sock you in the face flavors and savory Japanese ingredients.

The modern, vaguely nautical, and rather loud interior space. Paiche follows all the rules of the post 2008 trendy restaurant: loud, hard spaces, open kitchen, paper menu, busy bar, fancy cocktails, short wine list, no table cloths etc.

The de rigor open kitchen.

The obligatory paper menu. Which, given this is tapas style and you need to order lots of dishes, I like — because I write on it!

Spanish seemed like the thing to bring (given my Euro-centric collection and the food), so I brought a couple modern Iberian classics.

2009 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. IWC 91. Bright yellow-gold. Deeply pitched aromas of smoky lees, bergamot, apricot pit and salty minerals. Viscous, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity and complemented by honeysuckle and a hint of spun sugar. Wild, complex and singular wine with strong finishing cut and sappy persistence. This is far removed from your classic albarino.

Tuna Tartar | Caviar // Soy Ceviche Dressing // Wonton Chips.

The classic Nobu dish (see here both at Matsuhisa and Takao). This version was punched up with the extremely zesty dressing.

Eggplant Tartar | Grilled eggplant Mousse // Japanese cucumber // wonton chips.

Similar was the eggplant, but it had a nice smokey flavor too it.

Yuquitas | Stuffed yuca beignets // manchego cheese // grated parmesan.

These were great, as who doesn’t love fried cheese?

Eggplant. AJI PANCA AKA MISO SAUCE // SHAVED PARMESAN.

Tamalito Verde. NORTHERN PERUVIAN TAMALES // SHIMENJI MUSHROOMS // SECO SAUCE.

Very tasty sauce.

Paiche Wrap Lettuce | Grilled Amazonian Fish // Anticucho Miso Marinated.

The restaurant is named after the world’s largest fresh water fish (Paiche – pictured below). It’s one hell of a swimmer, and tasty to boot. These tacos were delicious with a nice texture and a smoky bbq vibe.

This is one big fish!

Shrimp Dumplings | Soy Lime Dressing // Spicy Rocoto Infused Oil.

Really nice, bright with a bit of zest and spice.

Uni Shrimp Toast | Sea Urchin // Shrimp Paste Toast // Rocoto Honey Sauce.

A little too much tomato for me, and as a tomato hater, this distracted.

Wagyu Beef | Seared Wagyu // Parmesan Sauce // Aji Amarillo Vinaigrette.

A very interested combination. It’s a taradito, but not with fish, instead with seared wagyu. The parmesan sauce worked, but i’m not sure the vinaigrette was totally successful.

Seabass | Seared seabass // Amazonian Sacha inchi oil // soy dressing // garlic // oba.

A more classic taradito, very bright and pleasant.

Pisco Sour. PORTON PISCO, ORGANIC EGG WHITE, LIME JUICE, LEMON JUICE, EVAPORATE CANE SYRUP, CINNAMON TINCTURE ANGOSTURA BITTERS.

Our three “cerviches.”

Uni Cerviche.

Pretty much straight uni with shiso, but it’s a lovely and classic combination and the uni was VERY fresh Santa Barbara uni and quite lovely.

Albacore Cerviche.

Simple, but good.

Salmon Cerviche.

Nice salmon, but the super zesty sauce pretty much wiped out the fish flavor.

Scallop cerviche.

Yellowtail cerviche.

Chicharron de pescado. CRISPY FISH CHICHARRON // LIME YUZU SAUCE

Grilled Quail Anticucho | pisco basted // ume plum wine dressing.

Really tasty with a strong char and a bit of sweetness.

Rock Shrimp Tempura | Spicy Chancaca Soy Dressing // Rocoto Aioli.

Much like the Nobu classic.

Amaebi | Filo Dough Wrap // Sweet Shrimp // Jalapeño Ponzu Dressing.

This fried shrimp body was really succulent and delicious.

2007 Bodega Margon Pricum Prieto Picudo. Parker 92+. The 2007 Prieto Picudo made from vines ranging in age from 60-100 years. It was fermented in foudre with native yeasts and aged for 13 months in French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it sports a sexy bouquet of Asian spices, wild berries, truffle, and underbrush. Vibrant, complex, and structured on the palate, it is packed with savory red fruits, and displays impeccable balance. It will evolve for several years and drink well for a decade.

Short Ribs | prime short ribs // bbq sauce.

This is from the “short ribs as pastrami” school, but it was good.

Calamari Relleno | Stuffed Baby Squid // Chorizo // Aji Pepian.

Pretty tasty, like sausage (not spicy) covered in chewy squid.

Saltado de Quail | Sauteed Quail // Five Spice // Rosemary Rocoto Dressing.

Nice bbq quail.

Cauliflower.

The server recommended these, but they were a little hard for my taste.

Saltado de Camarones | Sauteed Shrimps // Tomato Onion Stew // Home Made Pasta.

Really very tasty pasta.

Ceviche de Pato | confit duck // ceviche stew // pallares tacu tacu.

Another good dish combining richness and zest.

Arroz con Conchas Negras y Erizo | Blood Clams // Sea Urchin // Risotto.

Pleasant briny flavor punched up by the dynamite sauce.

Chaufa de Langosta | Lobster // Mixed Seafood // Fried Rice.

Very pleasant seafood flavors and that zesty dynamite.

Seco de Paiche | Amazonian Fish Stew // Cilantro Aderezo Sauce // Pallares.

Almost curry like, really very very delicious and exotic tasting.

The refuse.

Churros. Chocolate sauce and Peruvian fruit sauce.

Small, but delicious. Just little donut balls.

Green Tea Coconut Cake.

Not very coconutty, but very delicious for sure.

Chicha Raspadilla.

A kind of extremely flavorful (and sweet) raspberry ice. Except it might not be raspberry, and might be some South American fruit. Either way, I really liked it.

Overall, Paiche is not only delicious but very fun. I really enjoy getting to taste so many things in one meal and it’s full of very bright punchy flavors. Everything is extremely on point and well executed. While some dishes were better than others, there wasn’t a one that fell short of what it was trying to be. It’s new and crowded, and for good reason!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (7)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: fusion, Japanese cuisine, Marina del Rey, Marina del Rey California, Paiche, Peru, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo Zarate, Stephane Bombet

Picca Potency

Oct03

Restaurant: Picca [1, 2]

Location: 9575 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Tel: 310 277 0133

Date: September 27, 2011

Cuisine: Modern Peruvian

Rating: Really interesting flavors

My parents were in town and I wanted to take them back to Picca, which I had recently tried. Peruvian food is on fire right now in LA, and for good reason.

The Pico Blvd frontage is hard to miss.

Picca’s Peruvian cuisine has enough citrus and Asian notes that it goes best with a lighter fruiter red like this lovely Burgundy (from my cellars as usual).

The bar was hoping when we arrived and at least ten people were waiting for tables, but they honored our reservation and seated us immediately (love to see that).

The interesting handmade cocktail menu.

“Rhubarb Sidecar.” Cognac, pisco, fresh lemon juice, rhubarb gastrique, shake violentyly (and they mean it), garnished with spiced sugar.”

Today’s menu. There are so many dishes that I took to underlining the ones we wanted. Saved on recitation to the waitress.

“papa rellena. stuffed potato, slow cooked beef, boiled egg, rocoto aioli.” Tasted like potato and chilli (known in Texas as a super-spud).

“empanada trio. beef, chicken, eggplant, salad.” I tried the chicken one, it was good. Not too heavy (considering).

“jalea mixta. crispy mixed seafood, tartare sauce.” Some really good fried seafood. The tartare sauce was fantastic too.

Parker 93 points, “The 2008 Vico made from 100% Mencia with 30% whole clusters and aged for 9 months in seasoned French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a slightly reticent bouquet of damp earth, mineral, incense, black cherry, and black raspberry. Dense and loaded on the palate, the flavors are already complex and mouth-filling. Impeccably balanced and with a 45-second finish, it has the stuffing to blossom for another 2-3 years but can be approached now. It is a great value.”

“ceviche criollo. seabass, rocoto leche de tigre, choclo, sweet potato.” The leche de tigre (vinegary lime sauce) makes all these cerviche‘s taste fairly similar, but this one had big soft chunks of seabass.

“ceviche crocante. halibut, leche de tigre, crispy calamari.” And this followup was rendered considerably different by the addition of crunchy calamari.

One of the menu’s many sections is “terceras – antichuchos” which are mostly grilled skewers, sort of Peruvian yakatori.

“tomatoes. burrata, black mint pesto.”

“beef filet. sea urchin butter, garlic chip.” Good stuff, with just a hint of the classic Uni flavor.

“scallops. aji amarillo aioli, wasabi peas.” Lightly cooked, very nice.

“black cod. miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato.”

Then we have a round of “causa sushi,” with yellow Peruvian potato replacing the rice. In general, as I’ve mentioned before rice is more successful, but these are still tasty.

This is the “unagi. avocado, cucumber, eel sauce” and it’s pretty much your eel sushi. Of all these causas this was my favorite as the polenta is heavier and stronger flavored than rice and the eel held up to it best.

“spicy yellow tail. spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko.”

“smoked salmon. hijiki, shallots, aji amarillo yogurt.”

“shrimp. pickled cucumbers, yuzu kosho guacamole.”

“albacore. garlic chip, ceviche sauce.” My second favorite of this set.

“scallops. mentaiko.” Certainly tasty, but it would have been better with rice.

“snow crab. cucumber, avocado, huancaina sauce.”

“seabass tiradito. thin slice sea bass, soy sauce, lemon dressing, sweet potato puree.” Very nice. Bright fish, even further brightened by the bold flavors.

Our server was very perky and friendly. Although she got caught up talking to lots of other guests and took a while with the check :-).

“chicharron de costillas. crispy pork ribs crostini, sweet potato puree, feta cheese sauce, salsa criolla.” This however was pretty spectacular, one of the best pork sandwiches I’ve tried.

“arroz chaufa de mariscos. mixed seafood, peruvian fried rice, pickled radish.” This was a nice version of paella. Brighter and more citrusy (by far) than it’s Spanish cousin. The ingredients were very fresh.

“sudado de lenguado. halibut stew, peruvian corn beer sauce, yuyo.” This really added some flavor to the nicely cooked fish.

“pollo saltado. chicken, onion, tomato, ginger, potato fritters.” This was also a tasty chicken. Like a south american stir-fry. With fries!

“chanfainita. braised oxtail, mote and potato stew.” This was our least favorite dish of the evening. There was a lot of bone on the tail, and a lot of fat. Not that it tasted bad or anything, but I think we were done for.

I love even street cart churros but these were pretty supreme. The churros were stuffed with some kind of dulce de leche custard. It kept squirting out but was intensely good. The carob sauce was surprisingly amazing. I remember carob from the 1970s as the horrible chocolate bars that weren’t. This could have been caramel.

“Lemon tart.” This was a pretty amazing dessert. Light and airy, almost foamy, the intense lemoness paired nicely with the sweet pineapple stuff on the side.

Picca was just as good the second time. We rounded out the menu and ordered mostly new stuff. As long as you are of the “bland is banned” school like I am, there really isn’t anything not to like about their solid implementation of this bright and flavorful cuisine.