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