A Taste of Peru

I was going through my twitter time line when I came across a tweet from Andrea declaring her love for a Peruvian restaurant located on the North side of Chicago. Having never had peruvian food, my interest was piqued. My only hesitation was that going alone would cause me to be overwhelmed by all the food choices and I wouldn't know where to start.  So Andrea graciously agreed to accompany on my introductory meeting with the cuisine of Peru at Ay Ay Picante (http://ayaypicante.com/).  It's an adorable restaurant that seemed to be appropriate for family, groups, or even one on one dining. Andrea informed me that there was a nice patio area in the back for dining during the warmer months, which of course was not ideal for Chicago weather in March.  

Upon seating, bread and a green sauce were brought to the table while I waited for the arrival of Andrea.  Usually I would be extra cautious about trying new things without asking, but I figured this is my personal food adventure so I'd be daring and have a taste.  The sauce was spicy, but not overwhelming and I loved the overall flavor.  So much that I asked the server what it was in it.  He informed me that it was garlic, jalapeño, and salt. Here's a snipped from a Chicago Tribune review from 2009, just to confirm my opinion of the awesomness of this sauce:  

This creamy, hot sauce arrives on many local Peruvian tables with a basket of sliced French bread. The fiery, garlicky sauce ignites just about anything it touches, warning you to stay away just as it beckons you to taste it again. Owner Jaime Bardales says the sauce blends jalapenos (a substitute for Peruvian aji peppers), garlic, onions and oil. The finished product may look green and as harmless as Kermit the frog, but it bites. It bites hard.  (for full review: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-sauces-photo-gallery,0,60314.photogallery)

The menu consists of small plates (similar to Spanish restaurants), soups, and entrees broken down by seafood, meat, and vegetarian.  We started off with a small plate of Papa Rellena, which is described as a twice cooked mashed potato (deep fried), stuffed with seasoned leaned beef. It is served with lettuce and thin cut onions, which I heartily avoided.  There is rarely a potato dish you can put before me that I would turn down and this was no exception.  Creamy potato mixed with small bits of meat, definitely a win for me.

As an entree I ordered Sudado de Camarones (steamed jumbo shrimp) and Andrea ordered Seco de Cordero (lamb cooked w/ chicha de jora).  I must admit I took the safe way out, but I enjoyed the lightness of the shrimp which was cooked in a simple sauce of white wine, tomatoes, & onions. In the battle of seafood verus meat entree, seafood won so the Sudado de Camarones more than fit the bill.  It was served with white rice and came with a side of a boiled, halved potato.  The potato itself was kind of bland unless I ate it along with some of the sauce from the shrimp. 

I tasted a piece of the Seco de Cordero and while I enjoyed the flavors, I'm still weary of lamb dishes.  Maybe because it brings up images of Mary Had a Little Lamb, but seeing as the likelihood of me becoming a vegetarian in the near future is pretty much nonexistent I'll have to overcome this imagery.  But I also think it is a cultural issue, lamb was never prepared as a dish at home when I was growing up so incorporating it into my choice of meals is a small battle for me.

I adored the atmosphere and there is so much food on the menu that I want to try so I will be making a return trip in the near future.  It is also BYOB, so I will make sure it is after Easter so I can enjoy a nice wine with my future meal!