Lima Peruvian Pop Up Will Have You Licking Your Fingers
Categories: Pop-Up
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| Lima Peruvian |
Seattle-born Christopher Kese worked at La Mar after ditching at thesis in Peruvian history to go to culinary school when he realized he was really in love with the country's cuisine. Christopher met Chio Burga, co-founder of Lima Peruvian when he was living in her hometown, Lima. They were best friends for ten years, until, Christopher adds sheepishly, "they added a romantic element to their relationship." This Peruvian fusion power couple plans to make San Francisco fall in love with the food of Peru by bringing an authentic Peruvian experience to the Bay.
And this isn't an antiquated Peru either. They're looking to capture a Peruvian hipster vibe to accompany their exquisite ceviche and anticuchos.
And this isn't an antiquated Peru either. They're looking to capture a Peruvian hipster vibe to accompany their exquisite ceviche and anticuchos.
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| Lima Peruvian |
Though music and art are burgeoning in Lima, Peruvians are most proud of their food. Mistura, the largest culinary festival in the Americas, will draw 15,000 tourists to Lima this year. More importantly, however, it is a congregation of Peruvians from all over the country who gather to celebrate their enormously diverse cuisine. Peru not only has 2,000 different types of potatoes, but also boasts influences from cuisines all around the world. Kese highlights the similarities between Asian and Peruvian cuisine. Peruvian ceviche is more similar to Japanese sashimi than to other ceviches in the Americas because, in preparation, it only is marinated in lime juice for two minutes. "Any more than that is too much," he says. "It's all about presenting something that's as fresh as it can be."
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| Lima Peruvian |
They also hope eventually to incorporate kañiwa, a grain similar to quinoa with even more of the Andean super food's super powers.The couple was initially unsure about how the public would react to anticuchos, a skewer made of beef heart, but because "the streets of Lima smell like anticuchos" they had to bring some along to their first Off The Grid three months ago.
Though it was the ceviche that had sold out by the time I made it to Fort Mason last Friday, these anticuchos have intrigued adventurous eaters and had Peruvians coming back for more. I tried one of these "anticuchos clásicos" and found the meat tender and suffused with the aroma of aji panca. The skewer lay atop a bed of boiled yucca, drizzled with a Peruvian cheese sauce. These quasi steak fries accompanied the anticucho with a sweetness to complement the meat. The heart muscle is certainly chewier than other parts of the cow and is something of an acquired taste, like any unusual animal part might be.
San Francisco's Peruvian community has been both Lima Peruvians most loyal and trickiest customers. "They will always show up, we don't have to convince them to come," Chio says. "But sometimes they complain about the prices. They say, 'I can get much more than this for a few pesos in Lima.' Or they want more salt because a lot of home cooking is very salty in Peru. But they keep coming back."
The Lima Peruvian crew remember fondly a Peruvian boy who tried their food at Off The Grid and brought his dad back the next week. "The dad looks skeptical as they were ordering," Christopher says, "but I looked over later and saw him smiling and licking his fingers." Yes, this means you get to eat Peruvian food with your hands.
You can find Lima Peruvian at the FoodLab every Wednesday from 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM and follow them@LimaFood to stay up to date on menus and other locations.
You can find Lima Peruvian at the FoodLab every Wednesday from 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM and follow them@LimaFood to stay up to date on menus and other locations.
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La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
Pier 1 1/2, San Francisco, CA
Category: Restaurant
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