I am a fan of Peruvian food. Mind you, I didn't know this until, oh, say a year ago. But in that time, I've tried both outposts of Mi Lindo Peru (I think I like the Marina one best), swooned at Fresca on Fillmore and most recently, ate way too much at Limón.
Limón is maybe a little sexier, a little moodier than the others. It's Mission-hip, but stays true to the region's cuisine. And though the hostesses are a bit "too cool for you", the rest of the service was spot on and delightful.
We started with one of Limón's signature dishes - Ceviche en Crema de Aji Amarillo (~$13). All I can say is "wow". I've never had a cream-based ceviche before, and I'm hooked. I would honestly go back just for this one dish, and to try the other two versions. I loved that the portion wasn't too stingy for 3 people to share comfortably.
We shared three appetizers next (which, honestly, might have been too much food) -- the Anticucho de Pollo (~$8) were the only disappointment, and that's because I didn't read the description on the menu. When I see anticuchos, I always expect heart meat. I figured these were going to be chicken hearts, and got crazy-excited (skewered and charcoal grilled chicken organ meats are my favorite street food in Tehran). So, it's not so much that there was a flaw in the dish -- in fact, the chicken was flavorful and juicy -- it just wan't what I expected.
The Empanada Don Walter (~$9) were two flaky pastries filled with what amounts to piccadillo -- olives, raisins, eggs and beef. I would have liked a bit more "punch" from the filling, but these were just fine.
Finally, we ordered the Calamares Fritos (~$9), a beautiful presentation, perfectly cooked squid and wonderfully crisp and light breading. This might have been my favorite appetizer of the night.
Entrees were a much simpler affair. I went in knowing that I was ordering Lomo Saltado (~$21), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The meat, which I ordered rare, was pleasantly chewy and flavorful, though the potatoes suffered from having cooled down and then reheated. Everything else, including the addictively fragrant rice, was very good.
My dining companions both ordered the Pargo Rojo (~$21)... how to explain this dish? Take the meat off the snapper bones, then deep fry them both. The skeleton curls, and turns into a basket for serving the meat in -- beautiful. I didn't taste this (I have a thing about fish bones), but both J & M really seemed to enjoy it, and cleaned their plates.
We ordered a single dessert to share -- a selection of house-made ice creams, including lucuma, a tropical fruit that has the most marvelous fragrance reminiscent of maple syrup or dark molasses. Unbelievable.
Limón is what amounts to a more "refined" version of Peruvian cuisine as compared to Mi Lindo Peru, and at a price to match. It toes the border of "Nuevo Latino", and while it's very, very good, I felt that for the price, I'd much rather revisit Fresca.
Photo: South American Journal
That said, I think Limón is a fabulous place to go for a bottle of wine and several of their ceviches.
Limón Restaurant
524 Valencia Street
San Francisco
415.252.0918
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