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Real, authentic Peruvian Ceviche!!!May 28 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line "Mi Peru" restaurant has the MOST authentic Peruano food that I have found in Miami. The Ceviche is top notch! For two months in 2000, I had the great pleasure of being able to spend two full months in Lima, Peru, tasting local dishes, and soaking up local culture. Now, many of the local dishes that I tried left me with a raised eyebrow. For example, a dish called 'Cau-Cau' which contained cow stomach as the main meat ingredient, mixed into a yellow sauce, and served over rice and potatoes. Another was a very similar dish containing 'Pulmon'...Spanish for 'lung'. These were the two big dishes that I could have gone without putting in my mouth. However, a few specialties of the Peruanos really did impress me tremendously, and once I got back to the USA, I didn't think I'd be able to find them again. I was living in Puerto Rico at the time, and they aren't exactly known for being open to embracing outside cultures, so finding authentic anything except Puerto Rican rice and beans and plantain was a chore. Then I moved to Miami, where multitudes of Latin cultures have gathered, and was lucky to be able to choose from many different types of Latin foods, including little places offering my favorite Peruano dishes. The best Peruano dish that I ever put on my tongue is a seafood dish called 'Ceviche' (pronounced say-vee-chay). Ceviche is the equivalent of South American sushi...being that it really is raw seafood. This seafood is 'cooked' by being marinated for some time in lime juice, with Peruano hot peppers, red onions and cilantro tossed in to add zing and flavor. It is usually topped with 'Cancha', which is roasted Peruano corn, and served with a chunk of boiled potato and yam. The flavor is outstanding, and I've never found anything that could compare. It is a delightful light and delicious dish, usually costing somewhere in the $12 range. There are many choices for Ceviche in Miami, and I have tried several of them, but have found none that hit the authenticity mark as accurately as a little placed called "Mi Peru" in North Miami. Located in the Skylakes Plaza, at 1760 N.E. Miami Gardens Drive, "Mi Peru" gave me the exact same flavor and quality that I had tasted in the little restaurant in Callao (Kuy-yow), Peru. The portion is plentiful, well 'cooked', and incredibly flavorful, and there are plenty of other Peruano options on the menu for those too wimpy to try eating 'raw' seafood. For example, I highly recommend the "Papas a la Huancaina" (potatoes with cheese sauce). The dish is served cold, and the Huancaina (Juan-ka-eena) sauce is the real thing. If you want seafood, but are afraid of the Ceviche, try the "Jalea" (huh-lay-ah), which is a mounded plate of fried seafood. The Ceviches come in plain fish, mixed fish and seafood, mixed seafood, or specific seafood (like Octupus or Shrimp), and all range in price between $10 and $12. The 'raw' seafood really shouldn't be feared though. It is sanitary, and free from those pesky native parasites. It IS 'cooked'...it just isn't cooked with heat. When you walk into the restaurant, don't be put off by the atmosphere. The lighting is flourescent office style lighting, and the decor is basically tables, chairs, and white walls. But you're not going for the atmosphere...you're going for the food. On Friday and Saturday nights, they have a Latin combo playing and singing (well), and the place can be crowded. You will notice that the crowd is heavily Latin, and with many Peruanos...which should tell you something about he food quality. I mean, for those of us who also enjoy authentic Asian food, isn't it a comfort to find half of the patronage in such a restaurant to be Asian? When you first sit down, they will sit a basket of rolls down on the table, as well as a little jar of green sauce. A warning! The green sauce is HOT. Spicy HOT! And incredibly fresh, unlike the green salsas that other Ceviche establishments have given me. When I say HOT, take my word and heed it! I LOVE hot peppers...habaneros are my friend...so when I say hot, it would be scorching to the average tongue. I love this salsa, and really appreciate how fresh it is. To me, it actually tastes 'green', if a food could ever really taste like a color. Hot and green. Yum. They also have a few other things to offer that are true to Peru. Chicha Morada is on the beverage list, and should not be missed. It is like Peruano iced tea, but made with red corn and spices. You can also try a Maracuya (a native fruit juice) or the equivalent of 'Coca Cola' in Peru, the vibrant yellow and fruity "Inka Kola". As a side dish, you may want to sample a 'Choclo Peruano con Queso', which is native white corn on the cob, served with local cheese cubes. In Peru, Choclo is HUGE. Each kernel can be the size of a nickel, and you usually eat it by picking off the kernels one by one. When it is imported, the kernel size seems to shrink a bit, but it's still a delight to try. I have been to several Peruano restaurants in Miami to have Ceviche, and was disappointed most of the time. If you really want to sink your teeth into the real thing, take the advice of someone who's BEEN in Peru and who has HAD the 'real thing'. "Mi Peru" has it. Their telephone number is 305-940-9404 or 305-940-9416. And again, the address is 1760 N.E. Miami Gardens Drive (185th Street) in the Skylakes Plaza in North Miami.  |
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