Both Scott and I went to pick up Claire from daycare and on the way home decided to get dinner out (usually one of picks up Claire and the other works later then we meet up for a quick dinner at home before getting Claire ready for bed). We stopped into a new Peruvian restaurant, Tumi, and we were not disappointed. Neither of us had tried Peruvian before, and it was fantastic!!
We met and spoke with the owners (the host/waiter/owner was the husband and the cook/owner was the wife), throughout dinner, and also struck up conversation with the only other table, a Peruvian father/son who had come in for dinner. It was a truly wonderful experience all around.
But, let's get to the most exciting part: the delicious food!!
We started off with a traditional Perubian drink, Chicha Morada. Our host explained that the Peruvian chicha morada is made of boiled blue corn and pineapple husks, with spices and a tad of sugar. It was deep purple, spicy, and very fulfilling for a drink. I am tempted to find a recipe and try to make it at home!
Next we had some platanos fritos (fried plantains with sour cream and salsa criolla), that Claire noshed on, and a plate of Ceviche de pescado clasico. Whoa. It was one of the most amazing dishes I've ever eaten, but definitely not for everyone. It is described as, "White fish, made with rocoto, cilantro, red onions, toasted Peruvian cancha, Cuzco corn, and sweet potato". The liquid is called, "leche de tigre", and our host told us that is is basically a "cure-all" in Peru. He said people will order a shot of it (the lime juice turns milky after the fish has marinated, and the spicy pepper turns it a pink/orange color), to stave off a cold or cure a hangover.
So, in traditional Peruvian fashion, after we finished the ceviche, I downed the leche de tigre. What was really surprising is that it is very spicy, but unlike other peppers, it vanishes pretty quickly. I would definitely recommend ordering this dish!
Then, our main meal was Arroz con Mariscos (Peruvian style paella, calamari, scallops, shrimp, baby octopus, Peruvian scallops, clams, mussels, fish and salsa criolla). Our host described it as rice full of surprises in every bite, and he wasn't lying. Every single bite had a piece of seafood goodness in it. We got a picture with one of the baby octopi:
It's a little challenging to keep Claire occupied when we go out to eat, but we will definitely be going back to Tumi to try out some more freshly-prepared Peruvian fare!
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