It Doesn't Seem Worth the Trouble, But It Very Definitely Is. More Peruvian Food.

I got a lead onto two places to get what was billed as excellent Peruvian food.  The lead came from a Peruvian person, who told me that Peruvian food is certifiably "the best food in the world."  As if someone did a test and provided an acceptable rating.  I'm just telling you what someone else told me.

I was further told that these two places, which are side by side, are owned by the same Peruvian genius chef/entrepreneur.  His name is Juan Chipoco.  Among other things, he is said to have invented a recipe for cooked sweet potato, that this recipe is served all over Peru, and that Juan Chipoco is rich on account of royalties or something paid to him by all the Peruvian cooks who serve his patented sweet potatoes.  For all I know, these stories are apocryphal nonsense, but they are the stories which were told to me.

Here's the trouble.  Both places are in downtown Miami, on NE 3rd Avenue, at about 1st Street.  One is called CViche 105 (it's at 105 NE 3rd Ave), and the other is called Pollos y Jarras, immediately north of CViche 105.  If you haven't stopped reading this review yet, valet parking is $10.  Being allergic to paying $10 to some valet to park my car, I drove 1 1/2 blocks west on 1st St, and paid $1.50 to park the car myself for an hour.  That's more like it.

I went to this trouble for a reason.  I wanted to find out what's so great about Peruvian food, although I already had a lesson at Tunky-Tunky, up our way.  I did not go to CViche 105.  Not only am I allergic to paying a valet $10 to park my car; I'm also allergic to standing on line for an hour to get a seat in a restaurant.  So I went to Pollos y Jarras.  It's much better to sit upstairs in the real restaurant than it is to sit at the bar downstairs.  It's more comfortable, and you can watch the World Cup, or whatever else they show on all the TVs on the walls.

CViche 105 appears to be distinctly trendy.  I'm not exactly allergic to trendy places, but I generally don't like them.  Pollos y Jarras is funky.  This is directly up my street.  The decor is brick and white panel with graffiti.  Nice, though.

Shortly after you sit down, you are brought a little arrangement of four dips.  It was not made clear what the purpose of these dips was, but they looked nice.  One looked like pickle relish, but it was very good.  Two looked mustard-based, and both were mild and delicious.  The other looked cream-based and tasted subtle, but good.  You are not brought bread, so the dips were not for that.  I used them for the fried yucca.  Maybe they're the Peruvian equivalent of chimichurri, and they should have been used on meat.  I don't know.  Not long after the dips arrive, a ramekin of green stuff is brought.  This ramekin turns out to contain a complimentary serving of soup.  As best I understood, the soup had chicken and vegetables in it.  It was thick, and it certainly had whole baby peas.  The soup was remarkably good: full of flavor and a little bit spicy.  As soon as you realize you got that fantastic little serving of soup for free, you start feeling very friendly to the place.  And once you look at the menu, and see the prices, you feel even more friendly.  After you've ordered and discovered how much food they bring you for that price, you wonder if you're falling in love.

I got ceviche, of course.  It happened to be the Ceviche Pucusana.  It cost $10.95.  I wouldn't say I've made a career of exploring ceviches, but I've had them enough times.  This one was by far the best I've ever had.  And there was a great deal of it.  The Buenas Yucas was served in a little metal basket, like a tiny version of the thing in which french fries are fried.  I'm estimating there were about six pieces, and the cost was $6.95.  A special dipping sauce was brought for the yucca, but I used all five sauces (the first four, and the special one).  What can I say?  I don't normally get fried yucca, but these were excellent.  They were not greasy, they were perfectly done, and they were hot (caliente, no picante).  They would have been fine on their own, but the sauces were perfect.  Ensalada de la Huerta sounded to me like the most interesting salad.  At $9.95, it was also tied for most expensive.  You and two of your friends could have shared the Ensalada de la Huerta.  It had tons of stuff in it, and ingredients included various lettuces, tomato, cheese chunks, artichokes, asparagus, and what I found to be the almost ubiquitous Peruvian corn.  You can see it whole when you walk in.  It has massive kernels.  It's also very tasty, both boiled and roasted, both featured in the salad.  The dressing was very good, too.

Oh, the chef/entrepreneur's special sweet potatoes.  This dish wasn't available as a side order (although I was told it is available at CViche 105), but a chunk was included in the ceviche.  It looks like what it is: a piece of cooked sweet potato.  It doesn't appear as if anything has been done to it, apart from baking it.  And it tasted like sweet potato.  Except it was unusually good.  If Juan Chipoco did something to the sweet potato, or used some rare species of sweet potato, it wasn't obvious, except that it tasted better than any other sweet potato I've ever had.

Two or three people could have had an adequate small meal sharing the items I ordered.  And not one of those items was an entree.  They have plenty of those, too.  I saw some gorgeous platters go by.  I also saw the parrillada, which is definitely on my list for when I bring a few friends.

I will certainly be back, trouble and all.  And I'll make my way to CViche 105, when it's less busy.  David Coviello and Harvey Bilt could easily walk there from Chopin Plaza.  Drew Dillworth and Roxy Ross would have a somewhat longer walk during the work day.  But far be it from me to discourage them.  It's well worth the trouble.