One of the same guides took us to a seaport, in the district of Chorillos, where freshly caught seafood is sold. The view was amazing and all the seafood could not look any fresher. The guide picked up some fish and took me to a nearby "mom & pop" seafood shop.
There, the fish was made into fresh cebiche!! Again, because the fish is so fresh, it didn't need much time to marinate. It came out within 10 minutes. It was as good as the one I made at the cooking class yesterday. The guide told me that locals eat cebiche between breakfast and lunch as a snack because many local restaurants don't have refrigerators, so they have to finish serving by early afternoon. Of course, big restaurants with good refrigeration can keep the seafood fresh and serve it at dinner.
The next stop was the oldest bar in Barranco, called Juanito Bar. Yes, it's a bar and we were supposed to have alcoholic drinks there, but not today.... Tomorrow is the presidential election day in Peru and any alcohol consumption the day before the election is prohibited.. But the causa trio below was excellent. These causa isn't the typical layered shape; instead, different toppings are served on top of balls of causa potato. This one had scallop, octopus and tuna (left to right). Still the best one is octopus. It was well seasoned and tender!
For dinner, I did some research because this is going to be the last meal in Peru. I found this restaurant, Panchita Sazon Criolla. It seems this is Gaston's restaurant. Some guidebooks and online comments mention Gaston's name but not the restaurant's website. So, I'm not totally sure... Gaston is probably the most famous chef in Peru and his restaurant, Astrid & Gaston, is ranked No. 14 of the world's 50 best restaurant in 2015. I had tried to book his restaurant in Cuzco, called Chicha, but couldn't make the reservation.
This restaurant specializes in grilled and stewed dishes. The first dish is anticucho. Compared to the anticucho I had the other day, this is definitely more sophisticated. The beef heart was cooked medium rare and the corn accompaniment was separated from the cob and lightly sauteed. The seasoning was as good as the other anticucho.
This is a pork stew, called adobo. Adobo can be totally different things depending on the culture. In the Philippines, adobo is normally a chicken stew involving vinegar. In Mexico, it refers to a chili-based pasty sauce. In Peru, adobo is stewed pork, which originated from the Arequipa region. I don't think that traditionally this is such a big chunk of pork but this restaurant offered a very generous portion, in a very complex flavored sauce. So yummy!
I don't know if this is a traditional or a fusion dish but it's so good! Stewed beef tongue that melts in your mouth. The sauce tasted a bit like Beef Bourguignon. I was expecting the puree underneath to be grits (corn), but it was a very creamy mashed potato.
In this trip, I would say the two most noteworthy dishes/foods were cebiche and fruits. I've had quite a few cebiche. But nothing can beat cebiche made with fish that was caught in the same day!! When marinated the minimal amount of time with fresh lime juice and fresh chilis, it cannot be any fresher. Also, the amazing fruits. My most favorite is granadilla, which is one of the sweeter passion fruits. It has a floral aroma that reminds me of some Pinot Noirs. It resembles lychee in flavor, which is also my favorite. In fact, the very last food I had in Peru was granadilla at the airport. I bought some at the supermarket and took it to the airport. I was enjoying it until I was ready to board the plane.
Another amazing trip!
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