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There’s so much good food in Lima, Peru. Choosing just one meal to highlight was difficult. However, I chose Al Toke Pez (Avenida Angamos 886) because everything about the place defied my expectations of what Peruvian cooking could be.
Particularly the location. Lima may be the throbbing epicenter of Peruvian cuisine but, like my hometown of Los Angeles, it’s not always a pedestrian friendly city. So getting to all that good food can be tricky. When I travel I like to walk. Partly so that I can work up an appetite for my next meal, but also to understand how the city works and to discover the places not in guidebooks. Despite the lay of the land, I wanted to walk around in Lima as much as possible.
I’m pleased to say that…
View Full Recipe at Sippity Sup-Serious Fun Food
%20because%20everything%20about%20the%20place%20defied%20my%20expectations%20of%20what%20Peruvian%20cooking%20could%20be.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EParticularly%20the%20location.%20Lima%20may%20be%20the%20throbbing%20epicenter%20of%20Peruvian%20cuisine%20but,%20like%20my%20hometown%20of%20Los%20Angeles,%20it%E2%80%99s%20not%20always%20a%20pedestrian%20friendly%20city.%20So%20getting%20to%20all%20that%20good%20food%20can%20be%20tricky.%20When%20I%20travel%20I%20like%20to%20walk.%20Partly%20so%20that%20I%20can%20work%20up%20an%20appetite%20for%20my%20next%20meal,%20but%20also%20to%20understand%20how%20the%20city%20works%20and%20to%20discover%20the%20places%20not%20in%20guidebooks.%20Despite%20the%20lay%20of%20the%20land,%20I%20wanted%20to%20walk%20around%20in%20Lima%20as%20much%20as%20possible.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%E2%80%99m%20pleased%20to%20say%20that%20neighborhoods%20like%20Central%20Lima,%20Barranco%20and%20Miraflores%20are%20exceptions,%20as%20they%20are%20fairly%20navigable%20on%20foot.%20However,%20since%20public%20transportation%20isn%E2%80%99t%20really%20an%20easy%20option%20in%20Lima,%20if%20you%20want%20to%20venture%20further%20afield%20you%E2%80%99ll%20need%20to%20get%20in%20a%20car%20or%20a%20cab.%20Like%20most%20places%20experiencing%20a%20cultural%20renaissance,%20the%20culinary%20explosion%20means%20some%20of%20the%20most%20creative%20restaurants%20are%20popping%20up%20outside%20of%20the%20traditional%20city%20centers.%20Young%20chefs%20particularly%20are%20willing%20to%20take%20a%20chance%20and%20start%20restaurants%20in%20untested%20areas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAl%20Toke%20Pez%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOne%20of%20these%20restaurants%20is%20Al%20Toke%20Pez.%20It%20was%20opened%20in%202011%20by%2020-something%20Chef%20Toshi%20Matsufuji,%20son%20of%20a%20famous%20Japanese-Peruvian%20chef.%20He%20chose%20Surquillo,%20a%20blue%20collar%20neighborhood%20filled%20with%20American%20fried%20chicken%20franchises%20and%20incessant%20car%20alarms.%20It%20lies%20just%20north%20of%20Miraflores%20and%20really%20isn%E2%80%99t%20too%20far%20away%20(maybe%203%20miles)%20from%20the%20trendy%20Barranco%20neighborhood%20where%20I%20stayed,%20so%20I%20was%20tempted%20to%20walk%20to%20the%20restaurant.%20However,%20Al%20Toke%20Pez%20sits%20on%20the%20wrong%20side%20of%20the%20Paseo%20de%20la%20Republica%20highway.%20Walking%20seemed%20a%20bit%20of%20a%20challenge%20as%20I%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20sure%20how%20or%20if%20I%20could%20get%20across%20the%20major%20thoroughfare%20on%20foot.%20Maybe%20there%20were%20walkways,%20but%20I%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20willing%20to%20go%20there%20and%20find%20out%20there%20weren%E2%80%99t.%20So%20I%20grabbed%20a%20cab%20at%20my%20hotel%20and%20let%20the%20driver%20figure%20it%20out%20for%20me.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20I%20found%20was%20an%20inexpensive,%20blink-and-you-miss-it%20restaurant%20with%20no%20pretensions%20and%20a%20view%20of%20the%20busy%20street.%20The%20counter%20inside%20has%20six%20or%20seven%20stools%20that%20overlook%20a%20tiny%20cook%20space%20where%20the%20self-confident%20chef%20and%20his%20assistant%20work%20shoulder%20to%20shoulder%20preparing%20the%20orders%20for%20a%20non-stop%20lunch%20crowd;%20there%E2%80%99s%20often%20a%20line%20stretched%20down%20the%20block.%20Most%20people%20get%20their%20plates%20to%20go.%20I%20chose%20the%20counter%20as%20I%20wanted%20to%20watch%20the%20show%20while%20I%20gulped%20tall%20glasses%20of%20chicha%20morada%20(sweetened%20purple%20corn%20juice)%20that%20were%20filled%20and%20refilled%20by%20Toshi%E2%80%99s%20mom%20for%20everyone%20who%20walked%20in%20the%20place.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20with%20a%20lot%20of%20the%20creative%20fare%20in%20Lima,%20Al%20Toke%20Pez%20specializes%20in%20Pacific%20seafood,%20and%20features%20some%20of%20the%20boldest%20Asian/Peruvian%20fusion%20cebiches%20and%20stir-fries%20in%20the%20city.%20The%20menu%20depends%20on%20whatever%20ingredients%20the%20young%20chef%20sources%20at%20the%20fish%20market%20each%20day%20before%20dawn.%20Whatever%20he%20finds%20will%20have%20your%20taste%20buds%20shivering%20with%20excitement,%20as%20slivers%20of%20pink-tinged%20sea%20bass%20tiradito%20fly%20down%20your%20throat.%20If%20you%E2%80%99ve%20never%20had%20it%20before,%20this%20is%20the%20time%20to%20introduce%20yourself%20to%20tiradito,%20a%20more%20subtle%20form%20of%20cebiche%20made%20of%20thinly%20sliced%20raw%20fish.%20I%E2%80%99ve%20had%20tiradito%20before%20in%20Los%20Angeles,%20but%20under%20Chef%20Matsufuji%E2%80%99s%20sharp%20knife%20there%E2%80%99s%20a%20freshness%20and%20zing%20I%20just%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20prepared%20for.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20orders%20are%20filled%20by%20a%20boleto%20system.%20Meaning%20as%20soon%20as%20you%20can%20catch%20Toshi%E2%80%99s%20mom%E2%80%99s%20eye,%20you%20should%20get%20your%20order%20in.%20If%20you%20luck%20into%20a%20stool%20by%20the%20time%20the%20food%20is%20ready,%20good%20for%20you.%20All%20of%20this%20isn%E2%80%99t%20as%20hard%20as%20it%20sounds,%20as%20I%20said%20many%20people%20take%20their%20plates%20to%20go.%20Still,%20I%E2%80%99m%20glad%20the%20man%20next%20to%20me%20helped%20us%20navigate%20this%20system.%20He%20also%20mentioned%20he%20was%20here%20for%20a%20new%20menu%20item%20he%E2%80%99d%20heard%20about.%20Almejas%20a%20la%20Chalaca.%20It%E2%80%99s%20a%20spicy%20shellfish%20ceviche%20that%20is%20made%20from%20some%20conch-like%20creature%20and%20served%20on%20clam%20shells%20(see%20main%20image).%20It%20was%20the%20highlight%20of%20the%20meal.%20Other%20winners%20include:%20The%20fresh%20cola%20negra%20(sea%20bass)%20tiradito%20I%20mentioned,%20sudado%20de%20cachete%20(stir-fried%20fish),%20the%20combo%20plate%20(cebiche,%20seafood%20rice%20and%20chicharr%C3%B3n)%20and%20the%20cachete%20frito%20(fried%20fish%20cheeks).%20Which%20all%20reflect%20the%20Al%20Toke%20Pez%20philosophy%20of%20local%20products,%20low%20prices%20and%20a%20limited%20menu.%20GREG%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20received%20compensation%20in%20order%20to%20bring%20information%20about%20the%20food%20of%20Peru%20to%20this%20blog.%20All%20opinions%20are%20my%20own.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERelated%3C/p%3E){kind=link}