Part 1: La Alma de Un Pais Puede Encontrar en Las Mesas

Poor Translation of - "The Soul of Country Can Be Found on Its Tables"

In case I never mentioned it before, or you've been hiding under a rock recently, you've probably heard someone wax poetic about the wonders of Peruvian food - delicate and refined ceviche bursting with the taste of the sea and tang of lime, a hearty and spicy criolla stew of aji de gallina, italian-style gelato made with the freshest tropical fruits of the Peruvian Amazon, Japanese-Peruvian sushi.

Recently I have made it a mini-mission of mine to test out the hype and see if Lima truly is the new "gastronomic capital of the Americas"

Favorite Cevicheria: Segundo Muelle

Segundo Muelle ("The Second Dock") is now a mini-chain of three exceptional cevicherias in Lima. Ceviche is a lunch-time ritual in Lima (apparently in the old days, you wouldn't eat it at night because the fish might be old and make you sick!) Although not a problem these days, ceviche is traditionally eaten in the afternoon, during a long, leisurely lunch if possible.

For the uninitiated, ceviche is simply fresh diced fish, shellfish or other seafood, in various combinations, "cooked" by marinating it in lime juice (with a little onion, spicy sauce, sweet potato and/or corn on the plate). Deceivingly simple, the best ceviche can be truly food-gasm inducing.

Segundo Muelle is a favorite of local Limenos, and I have no doubt why. My lunch at the sea-side Miraflores branch included tastes of ceviche mariscos (with scallops, mussels, squid, and sole) which were wonderfully sweet and briny and ceviche mixto (bonito, tuna, shellfish) was hearty yet delicate.

Top this off with a few expertly crafted Pisco sours, and a few hours slipped by in a haze of foodie bliss. Although quite pricey by Peruvian standards - my lunch ran a cool $28 with drinks and appetizer - this was perhaps one of the best seafood meals I've had in years and I challenge any of the finest restaurants in New York, London, LA, or Tokyo to top it.

Japanese With a Peruvian Twist: Osaka

Thanks to the strong Asian influence in Peru (over 50,000 Japanese-Peruvians, mostly in Lima, and nearly 200,000 1st and 2nd generation Chinese immigrants) a profusion of "Asian-Peruvian Fusion" food has taken root, both in Peru and abroad. However, "fusion" is usually a death-knell for a decent bite of sushi, sashimi or maki.

However, Osaka, located in the quiet yet trendy San Isidro neighborhood of Lima, managed to defy my prejudice against "Asian-fusion" cuisine. Led there my a local friend (Cristina - my tour guide for all things cool in Lima), I was blown away by the freshness of the fish - think Bay Area fresh for my Californians, the excellent presentation, and the subtle Andean touches that accented rather than overwhelmed the fish.

Of course this should be no surprise - sushi impresario Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (of Nobu fame) began his rise to fame, and his creative experiments with sushi traditions in Lima.

Particular favorites at Osaka were the norteno roll - a hand-roll mixing Peruvian sweet-potato and Japanese cucumber, whitefish and a lemon-creme sauce, and conchitas Tai - scallops in a red curry sauce with leek tempura. And of course, the true test of any sushi joint is its hamache nigri (yellow tail) and Osaka didn't disappoint, with buttery, sweet fish that I could talk about for days.

Throw in a few drinks and you will set yourself back a pretty penny, by Peruvian standards - $70 for two with drinks. But if you're going to seek out sushi with a local accent anywhere in the world, you really couldn't go wrong with Osaka.

Chicken Joint Coming to A Strip Mall Near You: Pardo's Chicken

Sure the U.S. has plenty of roasted, braised, bbq'd, etc. chicken joints. We've even had a massive growth in Latino-styled pollo a la brasa chains in recent years (think El Pollo Loco). And certainly, in most major cities with any sizable Latino population, you will find excellent mom-and-pop pollo a la brasa.

That said, if you have the chance to hit the Pardo's Chicken in NYC, or any other soon to open location in the US, I highly recommend it based on my taste-tests in Lima. Of course you may not get the ridiculously amazing view of the Pacific ocean that you get at the Larcomar shopping center in Miraflores, Lima. But I'd put money on the fact that the crispy, tender, spicy and juicy chicken you're going to get will be every bit as good.

And please, for God's sake - use the salsa de aji (hot yellow pepper sauce). It packs a punch, but adds a great sweet and earthy flavor that perfectly compliments the chicken.

So whether you're in Lima, Peru or the West Village in Manhattan, be sure to pop in on Pardo's before the rest of the world finds out how damn good it is.

That's all for now chicos - I'm off to catch some sun and pre-Incan culture in Trujillo this weekend, but I'll be sure to snap lots of pics for the blog - and more ruminations on food to come next week!

Hasta Proxima Semana

M

Charlie Kaufman did not Write "Eternal Sunshine" in Lima, Peru

Because the phrase "eternal sunshine" falls under the same category here as "government ethics", "early to bed", and "courteous driver".

When even Brit travellers are bitching about the lack of sun, you know it's a serious issue.

By my count, I have seen that big, beautiful ball of blazing fire for a grand total of 4 hours since I arrived in Lima on August 7th.














Picture to remind myself what it looks like...

Well, here's the scientific explanation, for those weather geeks out there:

"The influence of cool, sea-surface temperatures associated with the south to north flow of the Humboldt or Peruvian Current combines with hot, dry Equatorial air from coastal deserts of Peru and Chile. Also important is the influence of strong atmospheric subsidence associated with a positionally stable, subtropical anticyclone. The result is a mild, uniform coastal climate with the regular formation of thick stratus cloud banks below 1000 m during the winter months.

Where coastal topography is low and flat, this stratus layer dissipates inward over broad areas with little biological impact, but where isolated mountains or steep coastal slopes intercept the clouds, a fog-zone develops with a stratus layer concentrated against the hillsides. These fogs, termed garúa in Peru and camanchaca in Chile, are the key to the extent and diversity of vegetation throughout the deserts of the western coast."

Unfortunately that diversity of vegetation does not apply to Lima, where the greatest impact of the garúa can be seen in the rustiness of the cars and the amazingly long time it takes for anything to dry!














The depressing daily view from roof of my apt.




Hasta chicos

Matt

Tales from the Crypt

The pictures kind of say it all don't they?

But just so you know what you're looking at...

In Central Lima, Peru, there is a Franciscan Monastery - La Iglesia de San Francisco, which I paid a visit to yesterday.

Built between 1546 and 1672 it is purported to have been one of the most elaborate and ornate in the world during its heyday. It is still quite impressive:




















However, in addition to its religious functions, the catacombs also served as the first commoner's cemetery of Lima, up until 1810. Thus, when you take a few steps down beneath the ornate wood, tile and gold walls and floors of the monestary, you enter another realm.

Dimly lit, claustrophobic brick passageways and rooms with a series of pits and wells lining them on either side. Each of these pits and/or wells are up to 15m deep - and most are still filled to the brim with skulls, femurs, and other assorted bone fragments, one body piled on top of another almost 45 feet deep.

Apparently, at some point, the caretakers decided to arrange some of the remains in geometric patters - as seen in the pictures above. The guides, as best as I could understand, weren't sure when this practice began. I put my money on a monk who either a) knew a good tourist photo op when he saw one, or b) had some OCD issues and a lot of time on his hands.

Needless to say, I did not necessarily rest easy last night - funny how being underground, surrounded by a few tons of skeletal remains will do that to you.

Ciao for now...

Matt

A few pics from inside and outside

Here's a few shots of my apartment, the Huaca Pucllana (pre-Incan ruins in Lima) and the view from the precipios (cliffs) of Lima:



My expansive dining area



The office / music room / place to pass out




Where all the "magic" happens ("magic" meaning me falling asleep drooling on my pillow)



The pre-Incan temple of Huaca Pucllana in Lima - Absolutely massive!



The "biblioteca" technique of building walls - looks like library books



The "view" from the top of the temple - kind of ugly, but shows you how big the complex is



The cliffs of Miraflores - looks exactly like a cross between Santa Monica and Palos Verdes (for my SoCal brethern)



Paragliding over the cliffs - I was going to give it a shot, but ended up looking a little tame for
my tastes (Maybe if they shot flaming arrows at you... that would do it!)

More tomorrow!

Hasta

Matt

Peru Earthquake Relief Fund

For those of you who visited this wonderful country last year for our friend's wedding, you know both what a special place it is, but also how difficult life may be for many of its citizens.

Unfortunately, life has just been made all the more difficult due to the massive quake near Ica in the southern desert.

For those who have yet to visit this unique place, I encourage you not to be scared off by the news reports. The majority of the country remains unaffected by the quake, almost all of the popular (and less popular) areas to visit are open, and of course, your tourist dollars will be most appreciated.

I am encouraging everyone who can spare a little cash to donate it through OxFam (generally well-regarded, non-religiously affiliated charity) as they have an extensive operation set up in Peru.

Go here: OxFam Peru Earthquake Donations

Mil gracias y saludos

Matt

Shakin' That A#@ - Show Em' What Ya Workin' Wit

Tranquile' dudes and dudettes - everything is ok in Miraflores, Lima. In case you missed it, there was a 7.9 earthquake off the coast of southern Peru earlier this evening, about 90 miles south of Lima.

Now in my experience as a Los Angeleno, 7.9 is wrath-of-god type stuff - freeways falling down, sand liquifying, the Dodgers winning a playoff game (sorry, wining any game). But strangely enough, I was just sitting in a cafe sipping a cappucino con crema when it hit - and I barely noticed it!

There was a little rolling and rockin' and that was it... and I went back to my coffee. However, the locals seemed verrry nervous - I was informed that the history of earthquakes in Peru has been extremely bad. As recently as the 1990s, entire towns were wiped out. So I guess I get it - I'm just a jaded California.

Anyhow, it appears the Lima was relatively unscathed, although some of the poorer neighborhoods have reported power outages, scattered fires, minor damage.

Hoepfully we will remain tsunami free as well...

I'll check back in with further reports.

Tiene cuidado chicos y chicas.

10 Things You May Not Know

- The Spanish word for "plunger" is embolo. A very useful word indeed.

- Peruvian taxi drivers are very closely related to fruit bats. Similar methods of navigation are used, I think.

- Do not make Sendero Luminoso jokes. This is just plain stupid and insensitive.

- Singing karaoke with a live band in Peru may generate an audience of 300 or so people.

- Singing Sublime's "What I Got" may thin the crowd somewhat.

- Singing "My Way" with a Peruvian dude at 4am will definitely empty the seats.

- If your wife is a Cubana, do not piss her off , she may take the car and leave you with a slightly inebriated American guy.

- Vendors selling fresh paltas (jungle avocados) y choclo con queso (roasted giant corn with cheese) are my new heroes. Hope I can find some guys in DC - 16th St. maybe?

- The signs at the airport in Lima telling you not to sell your children are there for a reason!

- My name has changed once again, to "blanquito"

Lima, Peru: Tocado de la Cabeza... Off on Another Damn Fool Crusade?

Yep, that's right, the long drought of blogging is over now that I'm semi-comfortably situated in my apartment in Lima, Peru.

It's cloudy and grey, as usual, in Lima, which is appropriate given the cloudiness of my language skills right now. Tourist Spanish is one thing, but trying to negotiate payment of my rent in multiple installments with the apartment owner's Peruvian mother-in-law... whole nuther' ballgame.

Anyhow, I'll be here for the next 6 weeks, working on some anti-corruption research (who knows, maybe I'll decide to write a paper - I hear many of the more respected law journals will be running low on kindling this winter!).

I will also be busy studying at a language school trying to rapidly put a stop to the aforementioned atrocities I have been committing against the Spanish language.

And last, but certainly not least, I hope to find time to see more of this beautiful country. Suggestions are welcome (as long as they aren't of the "how about a long walk off of a steep cliff.." - I've tried that... bit bumpy at the end).

All in all - should be an interesting time.

hasta