We’ve got friends in town! Alice and April (friends from Nat’s old work in DC) are staying with us a few nights, so we went down to Barranco (a favorite neighborhood) for ceviche and some other food adventures. For lunch, we went to Canta Rana (“The Frog Sings”), one of the many, many restaurants on our cevicheria list. It did not disappoint.

FRIENDS!

The restaurant itself was awesome, the walls were covered in photos and new clippings (sports, fish pictures, the owner with visitors we assumed are famous), and the ceiling was draped with flags.

Hopping (pun!)

We split four dishes. First, we got a ceviche with fish and octopus. The leche de tigre (“tiger’s milk”, the marinating liquid for a ceviche) was packed with aji amarillo, a wonderful chile with tons of flavor and not too much heat. I’m consistently impressed with the octopus texture here, it’s so tough to cook well, and everywhere we get it (from fancy restaurants to street carts), it’s tender and delicious.

Boy I boy do I love ceviche

Next, a causa of pulpo al olivo. Causas are a cold dish of mashed potatoes, stuffed (or in this case, layered) with a variety of things—the most common are shredded chicken or tuna with veggies. But today, we had my favorite causa I’ve eaten so far. Pulpo al olivo (octopus with olive sauce) is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, it’s slices of octopus in a smooth sauce of blended black olives with a little mayonnaise. Layered with mashed potatoes and a little avocado? Heaven.

Mardi Gras colors!

This simple dish was a plate of pan fried fish (pescado frito). With fish this fresh, it doesn’t take much for an amazing dish. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, a fantastic piece of fish (not sure what kind it was, but a nice flaky white fish).

With the ubiquitous side “salad”

Finally, we got something I’ve been wanting to try since we landed in Peru—sea urchin ceviche. Sea urchin (erizo del mar in Spanish, “hedgehogs of the sea”) is one of my favorite things in the world, and in a ceviche? Oh wow. There was no filler here, just erizo, a little corn, onion, lime, aji, and cilantro (maybe a few other things like milk or seaweed, but not much). SO MUCH UNI. I didn’t count but dozens and dozens of pieces, super fresh, super flavorful, really something special.

I’m going to dream about this plate

After lunch, we wandered around Barranco for a while, and ate more delicious things! We went to a great little flea market in the courtyard of a school, where I got some emoliente. It’s a hot drink which has all sorts of different things in it—this one had barley, quince, hierba luisa (lemon verbena), and lots of herbs in the base, then I got the muña flavor (a delicious Andean herb, sort of like a bitter mint). Then finished with some lime juice (the most Peruvian ingredient there is).

Favorite thing on a chilly grey day

For first dessert, we got some picarones in the park. Picarones are Peruvian donuts, often made from squash or sweet potatoes (these were sweet potato) in the dough. Then they’re doused in a sauce made from chancaca (an unrefined sugar product) and fall-ish spices—this sauce was largely star anise, we think, plus probably cinnamon and cloves?

Cheap thrills, but pretty thrilling

And for second dessert we went to one of our favorite spots in the city, Blu. Seriously, seriously delicious gelato and sorbets. The sorbet flavors change pretty often, since they’re all made in house of seasonal, tropical fruits. Nat and I shared vanilla (real vanilla, just wonderful flavor), passionfruit/ mango, and aguaymanto (coming soon in Candy of the Andes part II).

We try to go weekly

Great day of great food with great company.