Post 101: Peruvian in SF - La Mar Cebichería (San Francisco: Embarcadero)

Okay, enough talk about sweets and cupcakes.  Let's switch back to some real food.

Back in November my brother and I headed to San Francisco for a quick 24 hour trip.  Our parents had gone on their own weekend getaway, so we thought we would treat ourselves to our own trip too.  Our main goal was to eat.  And eat we did.  The highlight of our meals was lunch at La Mar Cebichería Peruana, an oceanfront restaurant specializing in Peruvian style ceviche.  My friend Diana who had recently returned from working abroad joined us.

As we sat down at a table on the patio we were presented with a bucket of chips.  Every occupied table in the restaurant had a complimentary bucket of this house made appetizer along with a duo of vibrantly colored dipping sauces.

There was a mix of crisp potato slices, sweet yam curls and plantain strips in the bucket, all of which tasted great with the dipping sauces.  The yellow sauce was made primarily of aji amarillo, a Peruvian chile pepper.  It was blended with oil, cheese, and crackers, surprisingly, which made it mildly spicy and creamy at the same time.  The red sauce was made with aji rocoto, a much spicier chile pepper, and vinegar, red onion, and garlic.  This sauce definitely burned my tongue a little bit, so the combination of both sauces created the perfect blend of heat for me.

What's a good meal without a good cocktail right? While the orders were being prepared, we ordered a number of cocktails, the first of which was a pisco sour.  This cocktail was made with pisco quebranta, which is an alcohol distilled from Peruvian grapes also known as Peruvian brandy, along with lime juice, simple syrup, egg whites and bitters.  I really liked that the ingredients were not just shaken together but that the bitters was splashed against the foamy egg white to paint an aesthetically pleasing picture.

Of the six different Peruvian cebiches on the menu, we ordered five of them.  It sounds a bit insane, but it did help that La Mar offered a tasting of four cebiches on the menu.  The first of the four was the cebiche clásico with California halibut, red onion, cilantro, habanero, giant Peruvian corn and yam in leche de tigre.  Also known as tiger's milk, leche de tigre is the acidic liquid, usually containing lime juice, that cooks the raw fish in the cebiche.  The classic cebiche was a great start to the meal.

The next cebiche we had was the cebiche mixto, which was a combination of Mexican yellowtail, calamari and shrimp.  Also mixed in was an aji amarillo leche de tigre, a spicier version of the classic tiger's milk, which gave the cebiche a more potent flavor.  The remaining ingredients of red onion, cilantro, habanero, Peruvian corn and yam were the same combination of ingredients in the cebiche clásico.  The highlight of the cebiche was the tender rings of calamari in the spicy marinade.

After the cebiche mixto, we tried the cebiche nikei, which was a play on Japanese flavors.  There was fresh tuna topped with red onion, avocado, Japanese cucumber, daikon radish, nori and sesame seeds.  The leche de tigre here was sweetened with tamarind, which was a successful way to represent the sweet and salty flavor that is characteristic of Japanese cuisine.  This was a favorite at the table.

The last of the tasting was the cebiche chifa.  This yellow cebiche had more flavors in Chinese cuisine such as peanuts, scallions, ginger, pickled carrots and daikon.  Strips of deep fried wonton skin and cilantro garnished the fish dish.  The sweet and sour sesame oil flavored leche de tigre rounded out the cebiche well.  I really enjoyed the crunchy textures and the rawness of the scallions and ginger.  We thought that it tasted like a sophisticated version of a Chinese chicken salad.

The cebiche tasting was so good that we decided to add on a full order of the cebiche barrio.  This variation of the classic cebiche was probably my favorite because it had some of my favorite seafood... yellowtail, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, and deep fried battered calamari.  The red onion and cilantro with the spicy rocoto leche de tigre provided a crisp freshness and spicy yet creamy flavor.  It reminded me of Sriracha mayonnaise used in many Asian fusion dishes.  I could have done without the cancha, the toasted corn nuts, but the fried calamari more than made up for the jaw breaking corn.

After a whirlwind tour through five unique cebiches, it was time for more drinks.  We ordered a bottled sparkling grapefruit beverage and the blood and sand cocktail.  Made with Dewar's scotch whiskey, blood orange, Heering black cherry liquor, and drambuie, this was more to our liking than the pisco sour.  We could taste the whiskey in the drink, which is quite important to some.  It was a bit stronger but also sweeter than the pisco sour.  The blood orange and black cherry liquor blended well to make an alluring cranberry color and a smooth and deep fruit flavor.  The swirling clouds on top of the glass really did make the drink look like blood and sand.

Since we ordered the tasting of cebiches, we thought we should do the same for the empanadas.  Although there were only three of us eating, we really did try to eat just about everything on the menu.  The quartet of deep fried deliciousness was served with the house panchita sauce, another condiment that had crackers and chile peppers in it.  That was the second sauce that was made by blending crackers with oil and chile peppers.  Our eyes were opened to new aspects of Peruvian cuisine.  It was not just lomo saltado anymore.

First, we had the empanada de aji de gallina, stuffed with a Peruvian chicken stew and aji amarillo sauce.  The chicken was shredded but not dry in the least, and the sauce made the inside very savory and hearty.  

Next, we tried the empanada de lomo saltado, and it was amazing.  The soy and oyster sauce flavored beef was beyond flavorful.  It blew my mind that an empanada could contain lomo saltado, a classic Peruvian dish of stir-fried beef and potatoes.  Seriously, amazing.  

There was also an empanada de k'apchi, which was stuffed with pisco flambéed crimini mushrooms.  The shell of this empanada was the crispiest out of the four, and the filling really warmed me up like only a comfort food can.  

The final one was the empanada de tomalito verde filled primarily with sweet corn and blended with queso fresco, cilantro, and more sauces.  The sweet corn had a consistency more like mashed potatoes and the sweetness of yams.  It was a smart way to finish off the four empanadas.

Another sampler round of Peruvian appetizers was on its way down to digestion, which meant that another round of drinks were to be ordered.  This time we decided on the house sangria at the server's suggestion.  We liked it because the taste of the wine was still prominent, but the fresh fruit was present as well.  Our glasses were quickly dried out.

Of all the items on the menu, my brother was the most excited for the anticuchos de corazón, grilled skewers of beef heart.  Knowing my brother he probably thought eating the heart of an animal was primal and masculine, and I guess in some ways it really is.  But after Diana chomped down on some of the grilled heart, I knew it did not seem as primal as it seemed.  Diana's palate is very, uh... how do I say... uh... ladylike.  Yes, ladylike.  So the tender beef muscle was not daunting.  The fried potatoes served with it were like rounds of flat potato wedges.  So fried and so delicious.  What's better than grilled meat and fried potatoes? Oh, and there was some seriously gigantic Peruvian corn piled on the plate too.  Gigantic.

Our stomachs were pretty packed by this time in the meal.  We had spent almost three hours at the restaurant by now, but there was still one more item that we wanted to try.  Peru is a country that is home to many Chinese and Japanese immigrants, and so much of its cuisine is influenced by the culinary cultures of China and Japan.  We wanted to taste some more of the Asian influence, so we ordered the rollo nikei.  We liked the flavors of the cebiche nikei so much that we chose a similar taste for the sushi.  The roll had dungeness crab inside with avocado and cucumber.  On the outside tuna tartar was dropped over the top of each slice, and crispy noodle strips garnished the entire plate.  I liked the mix of meaty and crunchy textures, but it simply just tasted good.

I was really looking forward to the end of the meal because I had noticed the neighboring tables being served little drops of purple sorbet on spoons.  They were actually spoonfuls of chicha morada sorbet.  It was icy.  It was sweet.  And it was made with Peruvian purple corn, strangely enough.  It was more pleasing to the eye than to the tongue, but it was not bad at all.  It, probably due to the color and the sweetness, sparked a unpleasant memory of Welch's grape juice from my elementary years.  But no matter it was an eye opening experience nonetheless.

La Mar was definitely a favorite meal during our quick trip to San Francisco.  And I was more than delighted to see an old friend who I had not seen in a long time.  Thanks Diana for braving the Sunday Embarcadero traffic for us and rushing us to the BART station in time to catch our flight for the airport! Just barely, might I add.  Oh, yes, and happy birthday, Brother.  Until our next quick trip, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.
ML - 20121104

Post 85: Fight for Foie - A Farewell (LA-SGV: Pasadena)

Earlier this year I attended Fight for Foie at Haven Gastropub in Old Town Pasadena.  The event was held in support of keeping the fatty goose liver on restaurant menus in California.  Proponents of the ban on foie gras argue that force feeding geese and ducks in order to plump their livers up is inhumane.  Those against the ban on foie gras say that palatable poultry do not have gag reflexes and that the birds naturally overeat in the wild anyway.  Both sides made their voices heard.  Despite the dozens of protesters outside the restaurant armed with picket signs, iPads, and fliers, drovers of foie gras fiends continued to walk into the restaurant to dine on the delicious delicacy.  I was one of them.  As soon as the restaurant opened for this private event, my friends with foie fetishes and I dined on a multi-course (seven to nine courses depending on how it's counted) tasting menu designed all around the fiendishly fatty foie.

We were first treated to an amuse bouche in the form of a foie gras lollipop rolled in crushed pistachio.  The look reminded me of a See's Candies lollipop because of its rectangular shape, but the texture of this foie lolli was nothing like rock hardness of the See's candy.  It was soft to the bite, but it was densely packed with liver fattiness.  One bite and we knew we were in trouble.  The first course had not even arrived yet.

Our first course was a smoked foie gras torchon surrounded by oatmeal crumb, spiced orange rind, and sorrel.  The pate of foie gras was cooked after being wrapped in a towel allowing it to retain all of its moisture and original flavor.  It was luxuriously smooth with the crunch of the oatmeal, and it was buttery and spicy... and very insanely rich.  Connie and I could not continue savoring the foie gras without ordering some hot tea... but props to Ken for not only finishing his foie but mine and Connie's as well.  Holy...

Next we were served foie for breakfast complete with duck blood biscuits, duck bacon and a sunny side quail egg.  In the world where turkey is the most popular form of bacon made from poultry, this duck bacon was definitely a taste for sore taste buds.  The deep crimson color of the duck was beautiful and had a profound depth of flavor to match. 

The biscuits had a few drops of duck blood in each one, and they were accompanied by an airy whipped foie butter and pickled cherry jam.  The biscuit was crumbly like a cookie but cohesive like a shortbread.  The tartness of the pickled cherry jam peaked through the foie butter at the right moment.  It was almost like an adult version, albeit a very expensive adult version, of the classic PB&J.  This course was creative and clearly set itself apart from the previous course, which was basically an offensively large chunk of foie gras.

After breakfast came a creamy foie soup with strips of chicken skin, bottarga, and hearts of palm.  I'm all for crispy textures against a soft or sultry background, but the chicken skin was not a favorite of mine.  Bottarga, a cured fish roe that is also known as the poor man's caviar, was dotted throughout the soup.  The soup itself was perhaps a bit too airy and not as concentrated as I would have hoped... although perhaps a more concentrated foie soup may have provided the basic elements to trigger a heart attack.

A meal heavy in fatty foods definitely calls for a few digestive walks, so I walked over to the open kitchen to discover the many chefs, servers, and other staff hard at work.  Since the majority of the restaurant patrons began dinner service at the same time, the kitchen was busy preparing dozens of the next course.  Although coordinating a multiple course foie gras tasting menu requires relentless energy and effort, the chefs and staff made the dinner service seem effortless.

After an amuse bouche and three courses of foie gras, a wild escolar with roasted foie gras, petit pois a la francais, and sauce albufera was presented.  The fresh fish and English peas made for an initially lighter dish, but the Hollandaise and béchamel sauces helped tie the richness of the foie gras back in.  This was a sous vide fish, and it was very mild and ambivalent in a good way.  After a heavy onset of fatty foie, the fish dish returned the heaviness back to center, which made for a pleasant course in the middle of the meal.  Many thanks to the crescent of lemon for the help.

A multiple course meal isn't a multi-course meal without a pasta dish.  Our pasta dish was a tortellini in duck tongue brodo.  The pasta was stuffed with foie gras and rhubarb, and beech brown mushrooms and micro celery floated around in the broth.  It was St. Patrick's Day at first sight, but the foie gras didn't exactly start a party in my mouth.  The foie gras was a bit too soft, and the tortellini skin was a bit too thick for the soft foie texture.  A ravioli may have been a better pairing with the foie, but it may also have been too predictable... though the mushrooms did complement the broth well.

The blackberry sorbet intermezzo arrived two courses before the end of the meal... and it could not come quickly enough.  By this time in the meal my friends and I decided that we would only take one bite of the remaining dishes because the foie gras was so rich in fat.  I could feel my heart beating faster than normal.  My body was trying to tell me something... that perhaps banning foie gras in California would be better for my health... although I did not like the idea of having to travel to another state just to satiate a foie gras craving.  The sorbet was quite refreshing, but it was not enough to truly cleanse my palate.  I ordered another cup of hot tea... my fifth or sixth now.

The penultimate course came in the form of a za'atar crusted squab with a foie gras pastilla, fennel, and Meyer lemon.  The dill and fennel done three ways were cool and revitalized my palate a bit.  The dish paired the flavors and textures well.  This was my first time having squab, and it was quite delicious.  The fattiness of the squab was quite similar in texture and flavor to the foie itself.  The foie gras pastilla could be described as an egg roll stuffed with soft foie.  It was something I could have much more of if it was served as an individual appetizer or earlier in the meal.  The crackle of the pastilla wrapper was music to my ears... but half a dozen courses of foie gras in, and I was about to throw in the towel.

Naturally the final course was dessert.  And if there was anything that was both a blessing and a death omen combined, it was this duo of foie gras cheesecake and foie gras bon bon.  The vanilla crumble, hibiscus gel and micro tangerine lace were light and just sweet enough.  The chocolate in the bon bon presented a balanced, chilled sweetness.  Ken exclaimed that he was so happy to see chocolate... whether it was because he actually just likes chocolate, or it was because chocolate seemed so light in comparison to all the foie gras we had just eaten... well, I'm not sure.  But my thoughts exactly... something sweet after all the savory fattiness was quite the blessing.  Connie thought the cheesecake just tasted like cream cheese, but I this was the death omen.  I understand that foie gras and cheesecake blend well together, but something lighter and more refreshing as the final course would have fared better.  One bite of the cheesecake, and the towel was in.  Time for some more hot tea.

All in all the multiple course Fight for Foie was quite the experience... one that I would never forget.  The many different chefs all put their best foot (feet) forward in terms of presenting the best examples of their foie gras dishes.  However, the meal was quite heavy and may have helped the protesters prove the point that the ducks and geese are tortured during their overfeeding.  I felt a little overfed and plumped up myself.

But at the end of the day, the choice to eat organic vegetables, sustainable seafood, or meat products that have not been augmented by the human hand should be the choice of the consumer.  This should not be dictated by any government body whether state or federal.  Those who want to eat will find a way to eat what they want to eat.  Banning foie gras in California may cause avid diners to spend their money in states that permit the sale of foie gras.  Nearby foodie cities such as Seattle and Portland or even big dining cities as far away as Chicago and New York may see a slight boost in their economies at the expense of LA and San Francisco simply because a product in demand is offered there rather than here.  Let that be some food for thought.  Let the Fight for Foie continue on.  Until the next fatty meal, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

This post features photography by Ken Lee.

ML - 20120312