ledelboy's Profile
The Mother of all Sandwiches is not dead
Oh, that's Juanito. Love the place. A must-go whenever you are in Lima. A Best pig's feet in town and their olives sandwich is unbeatable. Sandwiches are good but in a different league. Monster Sandwiches is a take-out place. Their only value is their amazing sandwiches. At Juanito you can spend a lazy afternoon or a busy evening. The place has a soul, and good pisco.
Peru--Cusco and Lima (long)
Astrid & Gaston was a good choice, Applesister. If you're having only one meal in Lima, that would be the place. Sadly, Chinese restaurants in Lima saw their heyday many decades ago.
The Mother of all Sandwiches is not dead
I lived outside of Peru for nearly 25 years. And I spent all that time in an endless quest for the perfect sandwich. I tried Mexican tortas, and they are great. I've been at the source or Philly's steak sandwiches, I've had dozens of very creative burgers and (chicken) churrascos in Manhattan, I've been a regular at Katz, but never ever could I find the glorious, simple sandwiches I had left behind in the 80's. A year ago I went back to Lima, and continued my quest to no avail. Some of the old houses were not there anymore. Some had succumbed to cold economics. Some pretended to be the real thing, and most people believed them. Then a miracle happened. Driving by Barranco one night, I saw the light. Well, an extremely well lit hole in the wall named Monster Sandwiches. What caught my eye was the people outside. About a dozen girls an guys with that unmistakably air of happiness that great food can trigger. So I parked and went to the line. God, it was such a good smell. They had the classic menu: turkey; "jamón del país"(country ham), a boiled ham seasoned with cumin and achiote; "jamón serrano" which is not the Spanish version, but an andean ham made with pigs that live above 10 thousand feet and are probably the only ones in ghe globe who pasture with goats, sheep, cows an llamas; and chicken. I ordered one "jamon del país" sandwich with everything on top. That means mayo, julienned onions and peruvian chile sauce. In less than one minute, I had in my hands a perfect sandwich. Large bread, like right from the oven, the right amount of ham. Enough for a large appetite, but not asking for a doggy bag, The ham had a complex flavor: it was, as it should be, unsalted, and seasoned by an expert hand at the moment of fixing the sandwich, and cumin and achiote were barely perceptible. The meat was tender, cut by hand in slighty irregular shapes not killed by slicer. It was not greasy. It was again the mother of all sandwiches. Got to go back for the other choices, including some that are new to me, like veal ham. If you ever go to Lima, try this, by all means. It is the best 2 dollars investment ever.
Sandwichs Monstruos, Pierola, Cuadra 1, Barranco, almost on the corner with Grau
Bolivia & Peru
Ice cream wise, Peru clearly is not Bolivia. Although globalization has lowered the quality of commercial mass produced ice cream, there are still a couple of world class local chains and a few individual "heladerias" well worth the try.
Larissa and 4D are two names that come to my mind. I can't really tell the difference. Both are really good, and at least one of them will be in every shopping mall. Both have a large selection, about 80% creams and 20% ices with the classic flavors and then some. The San Antonio cafés have a smaller selection, but their ice creams are just as good.
For visitors, the main attraction will probably be the local, tropical flavors. Passion Fruit (Maracuya) and its subtle and untranslatable cousin Granadilla are among my favorites. Oh and I love Chirimoya!. It is a pity they are not in season.
Peru is also much more than food, but Peruvians survive to eat.
Bolivia & Peru
You're right. Beer's the best. But in the improbable case you are a teetotaler inka cola is far better than coke for Peruvian spicy food. Aji (peruvian chile) and coke yield an unpleasant bitter taste
Bolivia & Peru
Hi, I lived in New York for the past eight years, and ChowHound was my eating bible. BTW I must say I am stunned by the new looks and functionality. Bravo, Jim!
Now I live in Lima. This is truly a good eats place.
Cebiche is easy to find. But if you are a true and tried chowhound, this is the place to go:
Pedro Solari
Cahuide 995
12th block (Cuadra 12) Avenida Salaverry
471-5360
Tha place is in a nondescript neighborhood and doesn't even have a sign at the door. It has always been extremely discreet. A few decades ago it was the place to go to bribe a judge. Now any Mac Donald will do.
There are about six tables, no tablecloths at all. You will find an elderly gentleman and an elderly lady. But don't even think they are the owners of a mom and pop restaurant. They just have been working together for decades.
There is only one dish in the menu. Sole Cebiche - Cebiche de Lenguado-, and don Pedro will prepare it for you when you put your order. For a moment he will disappear into the innards of the restaurant to fillet one of the 3 of 4 soles he buys every day. The beasts are pretty large ones (about 10 pounds each) brought from the sea early in the morning and never ever frozen.
While he does his disappearing act, the lady will be slicing onion and squeezing lemon. She will be ready by the time don Pedro is back with hisexquisitely filleted lenguado.
He will ask you how fiery you want your cebiche. If you really like it hot, be sure to ask, because he may believe you are a gringa with taste for blander food. Tell him to make it hot or very hot ("Por favor, hágamelo picante" or "Por favor hágamelo muy picante" are the phrases that will do the trick ) If you don't want it at least minimally hot, we are losing our time. Go somewhere else.
He will fix your cebiche in a second. It is a very minimalistic affair and you will be tempted to reproduce it once you are back home. Sorry. That won't work. It will be your first Cebiche, and Don Pedro has been in the Cebiche business since he was 16. Now he is a happy octogenarian, although he looks like a man in his early 70's. But if you keep trying at some point you'll getthe proportions and the timing.
While he finishes his ministrations, the nice lemon and onion lady will present you the cebiche side dishes: some boiled yucca and corn with an aji (Peruvian for chile) sauce. You can order beer, coke or Inka Kola. Go for the beer or the Inka Kola. Spicy and coke don't mix well.
How can I tell you what to expect? Let's say that Pedro Solari is to Cebiche what Michael Angelo was to ceilings painting. Got it?
If you are lucky, very lucky, Don Pedro may have another dish. That only happens when one of his customers has asked well in advance for a full lunch. Now, that's got to be an amazing experience. He will cook only for four people or more, customers may express their preferences or phobias (no shrimp, pleeeazze?) but normally they won't be allowed to choose their menu. And they will be charged 100 bucks, American greenbacks, each.
I have never tried that full menu. But I have tried some of the food, and it is superb.
The restaurant is open from 12 to 2 or 3 or 4. It will close as soon as they are out of Lenguados. It is usually quite empty, and most of the clientele are long time customers and serious chowhounds. Don't expect to stand in line. The place is never crowded.
Why?
1. It is not fancy or fashionable. Lima in that respect is just like New York. Difara doesn't attract crowds, does he?
2. It is very expensive for Peruvians. At about US$ per cebiche it is as expensive as in the fanciest restaurant and 2 to 3 times what you would expect to pay elsewhere.
Now, if you are interested in some other types of Peruvian food and other forms of eating or food buying experience, I'll be very glad to share the little I know. Suffice to say that food wise, I don't miss New York a lot. Oh, I miss bread and bagels and the smell of Hungarian, Italian or German food stores, and theenormous variety of food. But here produce is fresher and greener, tropical fruits ripen in the trees, and there are more than a few superb cooks, both in the hole in the wall and the fancy categories.
