Peruvian Archives - Foodology

In Downtown

Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio: Pescatarian Tasting Menu

February 21, 2018

Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio just released their Pescatarian Tasting menu from February 19 till March 31. The menu has 5 Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes by executive chef Ricardo Valverde.

I personally love tasting menus as it gives you a glimpse into the chef mind and see more creativity than on a regular menu. Plus, the ingredients that go into the dishes are fresh and in season. Plus, you might discover a new favourite dish.

Pisco Sour is the national drink of Peru and we got a little taste before the meal.

Amuse

This taster has lobster bisque, coconut espuma and crispy quinoa. This had a strong and flavourful lobster taste. A good way to kick off this pescatarian menu.

Causa Mixta

This has a selection of shell fish like scallops, white fish, shrimp, and mussels. There is also yam, nori and acevichado sauce.

This is paired with Seastar Stella Maris 2014 from Pender Island, BC. It is a blend of Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.

Matane shrimp risotto

This dish has cauliflower, hazelnuts, preserved lemon and thyme. The dish was delicious and the texture was very nice. The hazelnut was an interesting element added to the dish but I loved it. The preserved lemon added a good amount of tanginess and the thyme and lemon flavouring went well together. All the flavours in this dish really complimented each other.

This is paired with the Prima Volta Chardonnay 2015 from the Okanagan Valley.

Aji panca glazed sablefish

The sablefish is paired with quinoa crackling, kale gomae, and smoked potato puree on daikon. The sablefish was cooked perfectly and the flakiness it was melt in your mouth. I enjoyed every bite of this dish.

This is paired with the Kettle Valley Reserve Pinot Noir 2013 from Okanagan Valley.

Picarones

Picarones are like a lighter version of a donut.

This is a Peruvian classic with pecans, fig syrup and Lucuma ice cream which tasted like delicious gingerbread. The flavours tied well together and was a joy to finish the meal on this sweet note.

This is paired with the Late Harvest Sperling 2014 from the Okanagan Valley. Great to see all the local BC wines paired with the menu picked by their sommelier team.

Final Thoughts

For $59 per person or $99 with wine pairings, it’s a good price and you will be leaving satisfied.

Address:
1600 Howe St #2, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.ancoradining.com

In Dineout

Dine Out Vancouver: Chicha

January 24, 2014

Chicha is a fun and casual restaurant serving up Peruvian inspired cuisine. They opened up in May 2013 and located on Broadway near Main.

My coworkers have said amazing things about this eatery and I was very excited to come here for Dine Out Vancouver, Their menu is $28 and you get to choose, 1 entree, 2 mains, and a desserts. I love the tapa style dishes and great for sharing. It gives you an opportunity to try more dishes.

Their menu had lots of options and to be honest, I was very overwhelmed because I didn’t know what to order. Plus, a lot of the names of the dishes sounded very unfamiliar. These are times I wish I had one of those menus with pictures.

Chicha Morada ($3.50) is a traditional Peruvian beverage made of purple corn, spices, pineapple, and citrus. It’s a non-alcoholic drink and its very delicious. It comes with a cute paper straw and beautifully decorated with lime and pineapple.

Fresh Local Seafood Chowder has aji amarillo chili pepper, red nugget, sweet potatoes, corn and cilantro oil. Magz and FierceFeathers both got this as their appetizer and adored the unique combination of flavours.

Palitas de Yuca has cassava root and a huancaina sauce. The yuca was very crunchy and quite different from your usual fries. It’s a good dish but it really doesn’t compare to the seafood chowder.

Rocoto Braised Lamb and Wine Cured Chorizo Fettuccini has black olives, tomato and parmesan cheese, and cilantro oil.

Pollo anticuchos has aji chili marinated chicken breast skewers with brown butter fingerling potato, choclo corn, and trio of aji chili sauces. The chicken was moist and have great flavours that balanced out the aji trio sauces.

Yarrow Meadows Duck Spring Rolls has wild mushroom, five spice duck confit spring rolls served with a peashoot and pickled daikon salad and ginger and Japanese plum wine sauce. There’s a good amount of duck in the spring roll.

Lomo Saltado has flat iron steak, kennebec fries, red onion, peppers, tomato wok fried with soy sauce, garlic, and aji amarillo chili. Image it as like a Peruvian poutine. I actually imagined this dish quite differently. It tasted like an asian stir-fry with fries. We didn’t like this dish.

Spiced Aji Chili Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Peruvian dulce de leche, and pisco raspberry sauce.

Lucuma, white chocolate, and lime frozen torte with passion fruit and raspberry sauce. This was a very unique dessert and it really cleanses your palate.

We definitely felt there were dishes that were a hit and some a miss. You really have to read all the ingredients carefully or ask how the dish is presented. The food was ok, but I wasn’t very impressed by the choices of the dishes I chose.

We Rate Chicha:

Address:
136 East Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://www.chicharestaurant.com/

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In Four Beakers

Silvestre Deli & Bistro: Authentic Peruvian Food in Gastown

December 11, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: Silvestre Deli & Bistro approached me to do a review of their specialty dishes, I brought along 3 guys to help keep this review unbiased. All dishes are exactly what you would receive from this restaurant.

I’ve walked by Silvestre Deli and Bistro several times, but I never took notice of it since it just seems like a soup and sandwich restaurant. I was very wrong! Silvestre Deli and Bistro specializes in authentic peruvian food.

It is steps away from the Gastown Steam Clock and has some very yummy food. I came here for lunch and it was busy with people ordering Peruvian food. They also have wifi, which is always a plus.

Chicha Morada is a traditional Peruvian drink made of purple corn, fruits and spices. They make it all in-house and it’s very delicious. If you didn’t know what it is made of, you would think it’s like a juice.

Cancha are Peruvian corn nuts. It comes warm and is so much better than those bagged corn nuts we get prepackaged. These arrive at your table as you wait for you meal to arrive. So addictive!

Yuquita Frita($8) are the best fries you will ever taste! They are made of yucca, which is a popular tuber in Peru. It grows between the highlands (Andes cordillera) and the rainforest (selva peruana).

This dish is very crispy since they are quickly boiled and deep fried.

Ceviche de Pescado ($12) is made of raw fish marinated in lime juice, and then seasoned with peruvian hot peppers and onions. It is also served with boiled sweet potatoes, Peruvian cooked corn (choclo) and toasted corn (cancha).

It’s a very popular peruvian dish and it’s easily my favorite item on their menu.

Papa a la Huancaina ($10) are sliced boiled potatoes, served on a bed of lettuce topped with a slightly spicy sauce made of yellow chili, cheese and milk. It is served cold and garnished with black olives and sliced egg.

It’s not my favorite dish, but it’s like putting nacho cheese over potatoes. The guys at the table did enjoy the yellow sauce.

Causa Rellena de Camarones ($12) are layers of mashed potato seasoned with lime juice, yellow hot pepper and stuffed with shrimp and vegetables (onions, peas, carrots). It is then garnished with shrimp on top.

Anticuchos ($12) are Peruvian style skewers made of beef’s heart marinated in dried red chilli, vinegar and then grilled. It is served with potatoes in their signature chili sauce and green onions.

They guys at the table loved it and the meat was tender and flavourful.

Tamal Criollo ($9) has steamed cooked yellow corn dough seasoned with spices and chili. It is served with slices of fried pork (Chicharron), black olives and marinates onions (salsa criolla). Another one of my favorite dishes. It was really flavourful and had many depths of flavour.

Beef Empanada ($4.25) is the most popular pastry among peruvians. Some consider this pastry as a national dish that represent Peru around the world.

The Beef Empanada is pastry dough baked and filled with ground beef seasoned with peruvian spices and onions.

Spicy Shrimp Empanada ($4.25) is a fried empanada with a filling of shrimp, peruvian spices, and yellow hot pepper.

It was really good! It wasn’t too spicy at all and the filling was packed full of flavour.

Arroz Chaufa is a Peruvian fried rice made of seafood, rice, eggs, and other sauces. Pretty delicious and @cruzpresso ate it all up.

Pollo a la Brasa ($19) is a Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken marinated with peruvian spices. It is also served with salad, french fries and hot pepper sauce. The chicken is so incredibly moist and tender! Really good!

Aji De Gallina ($12) has shredded chicken in a peruvian yellow hot pepper sauce made with ground walnuts and parmesan cheese. It also comes with rice on the side. It also has more potatoes too.

Lomo Saltado ($12) has strips of sirloin stir fried with vinegar, red onions, tomatoes and peruvian mellow hot pepper. Served over French fries and accompanied with rice. It was kinda like a poutine, but not.

Lucuma Gelato is made of imported lucuma puree from Peru. Lucuma is a subtropical fruit from Peru that taste like a cross between maple and sweet potato. When we tried this gelato, it did have the distinct taste of maple and caramel.

Alfajores are delicious cookies filled with caramel milk (Dulce de leche)! It was so good and complemented the gelato. Yum!

Overall, the dishes were very unique and was full of flavour. I did find some dishes were very very carb-heavy, especially the entrees. We still enjoyed the experience and the food is pretty damn good. It’s not the type of food that would suit everyone, but if you know what type of food you like, you should have no problems at all. Some of the dishes can be a bit pricey.

I love how the owners go as far as flying in ingredients all the way from Peru to keep the food authentic as possible. Next time you pass by, give it a try.

We Rate Silvestre Deli & Bistro:

Address:
317 Water st
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.silvestregustolatino.com/

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In Cafe

Mochikas Peruvian Cafe: Hidden Gem in a Car Wash

May 13, 2012

Mochikas Peruvian Cafe is hidden inside the Platinum Touch Autospa on Pine and West 5th. I drove by this place and I totally missed it because it really doesn’t stand out at all.

I came here with the Vancouver Gastronomical Brouhaha group to chow down on some Peruvian food. I’ve heard much about this place but never had the chance to come here till now.

The interior is quite small and so is their kitchen space. I find it amazing how they can do everything in such a small space. They can’t fit too many people in this space, but you will be ok with a group of 4 or 5 people.

Ceviche de Pescado ($13) has fish marinated in lime juice, rocoto sauce, garlic & Italian parsley served with sweet corn, toasted Peruvian corn, sweet potato & red onions.

Ceviche Mixto ($14) has fish, calamari, shrimp, octopus and mussels marinated in lime juice, rocoto sauce, garlic & Italian parsley served with sweet corn, toasted Peruvian corn, sweet potato & red onions. The sauce is very sour, which isn’t a bad thing since it’s what you need in a ceviche. I loved it.

Chupe de Mariscos (Small – $12) is a spicy, hearty seafood chowder with fish, clams, shrimp, calamari, mussels, cream, Aji Panca, smoke paprika, Peruvian oregano, rice & feta cheese. It looks spicy, but it wasn’t spicy at all. Highly recommended.

Yuca frita con chicharron is deep-fried pork belly and cassava root that’s like a potato. It’s a pretty delicious dish! The only issue was that the meat in the pork belly was a bit dry and tough.

Aji de Gallina ($12) has hand shredded chicken & potatoes in a creamy Peruvian yellow pepper & parmesan cheese sauce served with rice.

Overall, it can get quite pricey and the portions aren’t too large. The service did take a while between the dishes, so some people had to wait a while till their dish arrived. The food is definitely delicious regardless of the wait.

Words of Wisdom: