Mochica: Peruvian Fusion

DATE NIGHT: 07.21.2012 @ 6 PM

FRIED CHICKPEAS @ PIQUEO'S: # 82 on SFs 7x7  Big Eats 2010: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

 Mochica and Piqueo are sister restaurants.

Since I do not foresee going to Piqueo's anytime soon, this will do for now.

Mochica's FRIED CHICKPEAS, if they were as good as Piqueo's, deserve the special mention in the much-followed "7x7 SF Big Eat." 

These complimentary  fried chickpeas were crunchy and tasty. The crunchy peanut like texture is contrasted by tomatoes and red onions. 

Armed with an expired Groupon, Enrique and I made it to Mochica for our date night.
Mochica is a tiny restaurant located at South of Market. Just like SoMa's signature loft-style architecture, Mochica has high ceiling and exposed beams. A big chalkboard  on the wall is functional as a menu display and piece of art.

 Bottles of wine on the walls were also used as art pieces. The place was cramped and loud.

I had the CHICHAMOSA $8 which is a combination champagne and chicha morada (Peruvian non-alcoholic sweet drink made from purple corn). I have not had this before but I found it very nice and very refreshing!

Enrique and I shared BEEF HEART (Anticuchose de Corazon) $12 as our appetizer It was served with potatoes and huacatay sauce

Avocado Stuffed with Chicken Salad and Beef Heart with Huacatay Sauce

Since heart is a muscular organ, I was expecting tough meat. Our beef heart tapa was actually pretty tender. However, the sauce that came with it was just one dimensional in flavor and quite salty.

We also also shared an AVOCADO STUFFED WITH CHICKEN $9 which is another appetizer. It was served with a very fresh avocado with simple chicken salad.  Lovely and great as a palate cleanser.

Enrique had the BRAISED LAMD (Seco de Cordero) $21 as his main entree. Leg of lamb slowly braised in cilantro-peruvian dark beer sauce with white beans.

I had a taste and this dish was very flavorful and the meat was very tender. The beans were also nicely seasoned.

I had the BRAISED HALIBUT AND SEAFOOD STEW (Pescado a lo Macho) $22

This bowl of seafood reminded me cioppino but in lighter tomato-based sauce.

Our check was came up to $81 including tip before Groupon.

Mochica serves tasty Peruvian-Fusion dishes.  We liked everything we had. Every single dish was delicious.  Despite the middle of the road, friendly service, our dinner at Mochica was satisfying.

Fresca on Fillmore

DATE NIGHT: January 7, 2012 @ 5 PM

Someday I will go to Machu Picchu, bask in the Peruvian sun,and drink plenty of chicha morada and sangria. Before that happens, I will just have to satisfy myself with the Peruvian food in the Bay Area.

Fresca serves good homey Peruvian comfort food.
DECOR/AMBIANCE/SERVICE:
Fresca's decor is modern but simple. The restaurant is narrow, small and cramped. It is the right venue for cozy dining but not intimate.  An open kitchen is located in the back of the restaurant while  not so comfortable-looking bar type tables and chairs were available outside for al fresco dining. Service was friendly and efficient.

SANGRIA $8/glass or $22/pitcher
A good Sangria can set the mood for a delightful dining experience. (Or a weak one could ruin it.)  Fresca's Sangria did just that for me.  Strong yet well-balanced. The only fruit were the cubed apple pieces but the fruit were obviously well-soaked in the red wine before it was served chilled. Refreshing, very nice and easy to drink. It was worth the $8 price which I thought at a little too much at first.

CEVICHE TRIO $16
Fresca has a pretty extensive ceviche bar. They could be ordered a la carte or as tastings of 3 or 4. We opted for Cevice Trio.
1.Ceviche de Coco - ahi tuna, coconut leche, red jalapeño, ginger, scallion oil, honey cashews.
2. Ceviche Chino - ahi tuna, guacamole, ponzu sauce, lettuce cups, aji verde, wonton chips.
3. Ceviche ¡Pasion! - ahi tuna, salmon, passion fruit, red onion, aji amarillo, cilantro, purple corn.
*I really enjoyed the ceviche at Fresca. They were very  fresh and well-marinated. My fave was the coconut ceviche for its creaminess.

FRIED PLANTAIN CHIPS $5
We were asked if we wanted Plantain Chips. We thought it was like getting tortilla chips but they were not free. However, they were worth paying for. They were freshly cripsy fried savory banana chips. We used them to scoop out the ceviche resulting in multidimensional texture in our mouth.

PESCADO A LO MACHO $24
Crispy fried whole dorade, spicy tomato sofrito sauce, clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, calamari, white rice.
*Ginormous plate of whole fried fish--head and tail. The plate  was also a chockful of  yummy fresh clams, mussels, etc. This was a very generous meal. The highlight for me was the seafood which were plump, fresh and delicious! The fried fish was a disappointment. It was bland although fresh but far from crispy. It did not have a single crunch to it.

BISTEK A LO POBRE $27
Grilled rib-eye steak, caramelized onion, mashed potatoes, sweet plantains, fried egg.
*My man wanted roasted chicken but it was not available. This was a simple meal of steak au poivre but plentiful. He enjoyed his properly cooked medium-rare steak. 

PORTIONS:
I think we can take pride in being able to put our food away. However, we went home with half-finished meals. They were good but the portions were big.  We barely put a dent in our fish and steak dishes. I had 2 more meals with our leftovers.

CHECK: $106 w/ tax, tip, sangria and soda

NOTE:
*Fresca is the perfect pre-movie dinner/drinks venue in the Fillmore/J-Town area.
*Offers 1000 points on OpenTable.

Limon

Saturday Date: July 23, 2011

I have had the pleasure of meeting the culinary family who introduced Limon's Peruvian cuisine to SF, and  their rise to success. I doubt that they will ever remember me but I met the brothers and their mother through a mutual friend almost 10 years ago while they were trying to make a name in the SF food world.

And how far they have come! I used to dine at their former restaurant also in the Mission District. I barely have any recollections of the old place but still remember the lomo saltado that was my favorite. Years later, thanks to Groupon, Limon was back in my radar again. The "new" Limon is very chic and contemporary with modern art and clean lines. At 2 pm, the place was not packed and is actually a pleasant place to have a late lunch in the Mission.

I did not order lomo saltado this time and wanted to try other Peruvian dishes. Enrique and I shared all the dishes family-style:

Ensalada Rusa: Classic Peruvian salad of beets, potatoes, peas and green beans in creamy mustard dressing. A salad that is on the heavy side because of the dairy dressing but filling and good.

Seco de Costillas: Braised boneless beef short-ribs with cilantro, potatoes and peas. This is really a very simple dish. Enrique mentioned that I made something very similar at home. However, the short-ribs were very tender and full of flavors.

Arroz con Mariscos: Peruvian-style paella with saffron rice, calamari rings, mussels, prawns, and pimiento. Not the best paella I've had but good as well with the spices with the saffron giving the rice and seafood good flavors.

Carne Empanadas: Crispy pastry dough filled with beef, veggies, hard-boiled eggs and raisins. Enrique was not quite full and ordered these empanadas which finally hit the spot. Delicous fried dumplings with generous beef fillings. I did not taste the raisins but it was there. I always compare empanadas from other countries to the Filipino empanadas. Filipino empanadas are baked and tends to be sweeter because of the raisins compared to the Peruvian ones. We enjoyed these little treats!

Instead of Sangria, I ordered a non-alcoholic mango lemonade. Very refreshing and paired well with the dishes we ordered.

OVERALL:
Well-executed dishes in a modern setting with lively vibes. Limon states their dishes are meant to be shared "family-style." However, their portions are more of tapas than big platters. Pricey for the portions but the taste of the food is worth the price.

TAB: $80 including 2 non-alc drinks, tax and tip.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 3.5 Stars

Key:
0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)