Lima's Taste

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/41742261/new_york_ny/lima_s_taste_ceviche_bar.html
What is Peruvian food? I had absolutely no idea before i happened upon this place while wandering around the West Village on a Saturday evening.

The interior was truly a sight as the chairs and tables maintain a palatial feel even in a somewhat crowded space. My favorite decoration definitely had to be the large painting with an ornate gold frame that seems to be the centerpiece of the whole room. It is a rendition of The Last Supper with one minor change...all the participants are wearing ponchos and sombreros. As a connossiuer of kitsch, this was off the charts.

When i sat down i was extremely hungry as it was about 6pm, and after a 4:30am drunken devouring of Pop Burger i had held off on any substantive meal for the day. The waiter came out with a bowl of what seemed to be nuts of some sort that were a great reprieve. They seemed lighter than normal peanuts and had a great texture and saltiness to them. I asked the waiter what type of nut they were and was told they were "roasted corn kernels". They seemed much larger than normal corn kernels, and i was told they're made from some kind of Peruvian corn called Choclo.

As this place was a self-professed "Ceviche Bar" we ordered the Ceviche Mixto as an appetizer. My only knowledge of ceviche was finely chopped seafood in some kind of marinade that you eat with tortilla chips at fancy Mexican restaurants. This was definitely a surprise and a pleasant one at that. They bring out a plate of large chunks of octopus, whole scallops and shrimp, and even a piece of the Choclo (the kernels were massive) all marinated in a mildly spicy lime juice. It was amazing. I definitely want to go back and try the other versions of this they have.

For the entree i ordered the Chicken Escaveche (i think that's the spelling). This was another solid performance as they presented a large portion of chicken breast smothered in a brown sauce. The dish was surrounded by fried Yucca, that had the appearance of large steak fries with a slightly different texture. The chicken was great as it had an unique taste that somehow did not seem spicy as the food entered your mouth, but had a hint of spice in the back of your throat somehow. Peruvian magic i guess.

We also tried the Pisco Sour drink, advertised as the "Peruvian Margarita". This was not particularly notable as it was somewhat bland. The interesting part though was i vaguely remembered hearing about a drink with a similar name that had actual beaten egg in it. Looking at the foamy appearance i decided to ask the waiter and it did turn out this was the one and only.

I definitely want to head back to this place.