Bon vivants of all ages and origins congregated at Lima Bistro eager to have a lunch for the books.
To begin April and say adiós to the first (and endless) quarter of the year, Lima Bistro and its team of culinary creators have come up with a special lunch featuring Pisco 1615 and new dishes that may or may not go on the menu. Truly a one-of-a-kind occasion.
Bon vivants of all ages and origins congregated at Lima eager to have a lunch for the books. I can tell that Lima Bistro has amassed a strong fanbase locally with familiar faces from wall to wall. For that Saturday, the restaurant by the harbor seemed the place to be.
And I wouldn't have been caught being somewhere else! First, I am a HUGE fan of Pisco. There's nothing more refreshing than a Pisco Sour to beat the heat... or a Chilcano, which is like a Moscow mule, with ginger beer, pisco, and lemon, in this case, Maracuya juice. $10
I don't have enough words of encouragement for you to try a Pisco cocktail, especially here, where they have perfected the recipes to make sure you try the real deal but hey, be careful to not overindulge, Pisco is 42% alcohol and for some mystical reason, it goes to your head quickly! Nobody wants to be carried out of the restaurant on a stretcher 😆
The Food.
What do you do when you don't know what to order? you let the Chef order for you.
Fish and grilled octopus.
Chunks of fish and grilled octopus with sweet potato cubes, avocado on top of a parmesan Leche de Tigre? I haven't seen such a wild thing. The taste hits it all: sweet, salty, umami... 100% needs to go on the menu. Bestseller prediction. $13
The salmon and jalapeño followed.
The instruction is to roll it and scoop it in the sauce. One of the freshest dishes Lima has offered so far. I know salmon sashimi is nice but there are ways to make this fish shine and this is one of them. Should this go on the regular menu? Absolutely. $13
The Crudo graced us.
Already a hit from the regular menu, the fish and shrimp Crudo come together in the dish with chopped pecans, chili, sesame oil, ginger, and god knows what else but it is sweet and terrific. $13
Squid Chicharrones, what?
If you think fish and chips but make it Latino, maybe you get this one. The crispiest Calamari rings (how do they do it?!), fried yuca sticks and tartar sauce, homemade, don't get it twisted. The finely chopped red onion, parsley, and pickles adorned it like sprinkles on a cake. $13
Warm ceviche, something for everyone.
Several times I have heard "Lima Bistro is not for me, I am not into raw fish", well your day has come. Fried crispy fish cubes, grilled shrimp, and ají Camarillo Leche de Tigre. Pickled red onion on top. The charred bits of shrimp add a depth of flavor that I can't put into words.
It is a generous portion. $12
Now that you saw the cocktail let me tell you about it.
La Comadre.
Pisco, blueberry, lime, and mint. Goes down like juice. Again, be careful with Pisco 😜 $10
Finally! Seafood rice.
I always wondered why Lima didn't have seafood rice. Being seafood masters in general it was long overdue until we finally get Lima's version of it.
Sliced chorizo made its way into the rice giving it a little of Paella Castellana style to it. A drizzle of aioli, and chives. Don't forget to squeeze some lime on top to brighten it up. $26
A Crème Caramel worth having.
I have talked about this dessert before. Let's start with the apparent black dots in the crème from real vanilla bean. That's decadent.
After lunch, Chef Teddy talked about how special Pisco 1615 is.
Specially sourced for this event, Cava Aruba was able to give us a taste of this brand that comes from Pisco Perú, the same land where the distilled originated 400 years ago. Now, they incorporated the contemporary knowledge of distillation and mixology, and voilá. Still not available in stores but for the look and taste of it, success is assured. And Aruba is liking Pisco more and more, it was incredible to learn that Lima Bistro serves at least 70 pisco cocktails every night.
I can't thank enough the Lima Bistró team for letting me be part of this occasion. A culinary experience at the hands of Teddy Borouncle and the Lima Bistro team should not be taken lightly, it's a must! If there's a Lima Bistro lunch club membership, where do I send my application?
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