Latin Chef Part 2

In my waaaay too wordy first part, I think I spent too much time on "stuff", and not enough on the food, so I'm hoping to rectify that with part 2. After my very enjoyable first visit, I knew I had to convince the Missus that Latin Chef was worth a visit...it really wasn't very hard!

So a few evenings later we found ourselves having dinner at Latin Chef.

We started with the usual Canchita, and the Missus had a glass of the Chica Morada($1.50), the very sweet drink made from Purple Maize.(Sorry no photo) We started with a bowl of Sopa a la Criolla("Creole soup" - $8.50):

This very mildly spicy, tomato and cream based broth was rich, but not heavy. The soup contained angel hair pasta, and a few pieces of shredded beef. The Missus, as is Her M.O., took ownership of the fried egg...and declared it "delici-yoso!!!"

I ordered the Aji De Gallina("Chili chicken" - $8.50):

This is one of the "standard" Peruvian dishes. The sauce is made with Aji Amarillo(yellow chile). Aji Amarillo is the most common chile in Peru, when young the chile is green, and is used in sauces. At the "ripe" stage the pepper is yellow in color, and is used in Aji de Gallina. When fully mature the chile is a deep orange-red color, and is at it's most pungent state. Cream, bread, cheese, and usually walnuts make up the rest of the sauce, which is served with strips of chicken. The sauce was thick, and on the mild side, which I livened up a bit with some "Aji", and not as "nutty", nor a spicy as another version I had several years back. The chicken was fine, if a tad on the "dry" side.

The Missus ordered the real "winner" of the evening, the Arroz con Mariscos (The daily special, Seafood Rice - $10.00):

Beyond the nicely flavored rice, and wonderful roasted vegetables, what really impressed us was the preparation of the seafood. The calamari was soft, and very tender, as was the octopus. This was quite good, there was one request that the Missus mentioned to Freddie for the next time she orders this...she asked if next time she could get some chopped Papas Fritas(french fries). To which the always obliging Freddie said; "no problem...we'll make one up special for you!" You gotta love these mom and pop places!

One thing did bother us on this visit, the place was totally empty the entire time we ate. We started worrying about Latin Chef surviving. But all such thoughts evaporated when we visited on a recent Sunday. On this day, the place was packed to the rafters, with no seats available in the tiny restaurant, but we decided to sit outside and enjoy the sun.

I had designs of starting our meal with some Papa a la Huacaina(Potatoes with Huacaina Sauce), after all the potato was first cultivated in the Peruvian Incas. I was over-ruled by the Missus who loves Yuca, so we ended up with Yuca a la Huacaina($6.00):

The pieces of Yuca were fried to perfection, slightly crisp on the outside, and nice and starchy, without being too dense in the interior. The Huacaina sauce, basically a cheese sauce, with Aji Amarillo and cream, was a bit too cheesy for the Missus. This version was made with Parmesan cheese, which made slightly more salty than what I'm used too.

For my entree, I went with a classic "Chifa" (Chinese-style) dish, Arroz Chaufa a la Carne ($8.50):

If you think this looks a lot like fried rice, you'd be right, that is exactly what it is. This version was a bit more simple than the Arroz Chaufa Especial that I enjoyed from El Rocoto in Gardena. While the beef was on the dry and tough side, the scrambled egg had been mixed with soy sauce, and I believe there was a hint of chile as well, making it very tasty.

On this occasion the Missus again did a fine job ordering the Pescado a lo Macho (again the daily special, Fried Fish with Mixed Seafood - $10.00):

A breaded and fried white fish fillet was smothered with a very mildly spicy tomato based sauce and  mixed seafood. Like our previous meal, the seafood was cooked well, the Octopus was especially good, with an almost melt in your mouth texture, without being mushy. Whatever means of marinading and tenderizing is done, it is done well.

After this experience, I'd recommend reservations if you're planning to have lunch on a weekend. At this time Latin Chef does not have a liquor license, so sorry, no Pisco Sours, if you want a Cerveza, you'll be directed to the liquor store down the street. The service is very friendly and accommodating, keep in mind that this is a one chef in the kitchen restaurant, so you may have a bit of a wait for your food, but chances are it would be worth it. There are at least 2 "specials" daily that add a nice variety to the menu.

On the bottom of the sign to right it says, "Warning, Peruvian food is addictive!" At the least, the food at Latin Chef does not lack flavor.

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858)-270-8810

Kudos to Ed from Yuma, another great find!

You can find part1, here.

Comments

[mizducky]

Dang! I went to hear a musician-friend play a gig just down the street from this place just a couple of weeks ago--if I had known how good it was, I could have had a much better dinner than I wound up having that night! So cool to learn about the Chinese-Peruvian connection. I will definitely be checking this place out the next time I'm in the area.

[nhbilly]

Nice little shop looks like a Mama Inka, boy do I want some more Saltado de Pescado...yum.

[Candice]

Mmm...yuca fries and fried rice - my two favorite starches! BYOB too! Thanks for the review Kirk!

[ed (from Yuma)]

As I have said, I just got lucky. If I hadn't gone to the TJ's almost across the street, I wouldn't have spotted the place. And I am also so grateful to my friends from Jamul for driving across San Diego to have dinner there with me and satisfy my food curiosity.

[Kathy]

oh man, this place is so much better priced than the peruvian restaurants in the claremont area...my aji de gallina costed nearly twice as much! Keep the peruvian food posts coming, it's all so interesting!
PS
I like how "chifa" means "chinese-style"! hehe :)

[Joseph E]

You did it again, Kirk. What a find! I haven't had good Peruvian food for 3 years (though 4 years ago in Peru was the best). We just saw this place yesterday while driving home from Saturday breakfast at Cantina Panaderia in PB; I recall thinking that Peruvian and Brazilian was a strange combination. I never would have tried it myself.
Were there any actual Brazilian dishes on the menu? All those you've mentioned sound Peruvian.

[Kirk]

Hi mizducky - Latin Chef is priced right, and the service is very friendly.

Hi Billy - Ok, so now I have to add Mama Inka to my list....

Hi Candice - It is a nice little gem in PB.

Hi Ed - Well most of the time it is being in the right place at the right time.

Hi Kathy - Well, this is the only decent Peruvian food I've had in San Diego..... so I'm hoping the menu will expand over time to add a few more items.

Hi JosephE - I had the same first impression, but the food turned out to be pretty good. There are 4-5 Brazilian dishes on the menu, but the Owner and Chef are Pervian, so that's what we stuck with. The food is good, and so are the prices. There might be a wait for your food, but the people here are so very nice.

[Captain Jack]

Nice post on Latin Chef. It is a great little place. I will have to try the Arroz con Mariscos when they have it.

[Andy 食神]

OMG that just made me soooooo hungry..... especially that pescado! The portion sizes look just right.. not too large, not too small. This restaurant is flagged as a must try!

[Kirk]

Hi CJ - I agree, nice folks and good food!

Hi Andy - Yes, the portion sizes are just about perfect, and the prices are pretty good as well. When you're around, give me a buzz, and maybe I'll be able to join you!

[soyedil]

Hi everyone,
how far it's this restaurant Latin Chef from Mission Bay?
I will be going to San Diego in July..
and also how far it's Mama Inka??/
ps:
I am a Peruvian who live in Oregon

[Kirk]

Hi Soyedil - Latin Chef is not very far from Mission Bay, it is located in Pacific Beach. Maybe the best thing to do would be to use google maps or mapquest and get directions from where your staying. The address for Latin Chef is:

Latin Chef
1142 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Inka Mama's is all the way in Orange County at least 80 miles away.

Inka Mama's
26676 Portola Parkway, Suite B
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

You can find a listing of more Peruvian Restaurants in Orange County here:

http://www.letseatoc.com/peruvian.htm

[The Guilty Carnivore]

Thx Kirk. I'm going to be at the beach in September for a wedding. This is the place I will lobby the gang to visit. If not, I will leave them.

[Kirk]

Hi GC - Yes, give them a shot, the food (cebiche) is quite good. If your party is on the larger side, call them to make reservations, the restaurant is on the small side.

Here's Candice Woo's review of Latin Chef:

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=5931&atype=

[Liz]

hola quiero comer en un rico restaurante peruano en San Diego,e ir con mis amigos para que prueben la comida Peruana , donde me recomiendan ir?.
hello i want to eat in a Peruvian Restaurant with my friends, so they can try Peruvian Food, what restaurant do you recommend?
Thanks.

[Kirk]

Hi Liz - Aji Seco is undergoing renovation - so I'd recommend Latin Chef.

[Nikki]

Thanks for the two great reviews of Latin Chef! I write a blog where I research a different country every month and try to either cook a meal, or find a restaurant specializing in that cuisine to fill out my "armchair travels". Little Chef didn't disappoint in my quest to try Peruvian food! If you are interested in reading about my experience, check out http://armchairtravelingwithnikki.blogspot.com/2011/06/peruvian-dining-in-san-diego.html
Thanks again!!

[Kirk]

Hi Nikki - Thanks for the link, and taking time out to comment. you've got wonderful blog, I really enjoy the "theme".