la comida peruana

last month I was in Peru for a friend's wedding. But if you had seen me in action, you'd think I was just there to eat. I've done a bit of traveling and I must say that the spices and flavors and techniques that characterize Peruvian cooking make for a delectably rich gastronomical experience. It is HELLA GOOD.


So woe is me when I have to leave the land of potatoes and pollo a la brasa and purple corn. Without my new Peruvian mom around, who will make me lomo saltado? And why can't anybody in the City make a decent ceviche?


Fellow eaters, there is hope: a year or so ago, my friend Cabbage and I stumbled across Limón Rotisserie on South Van Ness Avenue at 21st Street. This place serves up the best representation of what a proper pollo a la brasa in Peru is like, complete with the 3 aji sauces. And this is one place we can't help returning to.

L: Half a rotisserie chicken.
R: "Lomito" saltado.

And talk about sweet victory! Cabbage is not a fan of seafood but she'll try anything I shove in her face at least once. Turns out she's in love with the fantastic ceviche here, too!

L: Ceviche mixto (white fish, calamari, & shrimp) in the maginificent "Tiger Milk... could not stop rawring that night!
R: Ensalata Rusa.
Top: the 3 aji sauces

In true Peruvian style, everything here is finished with a squeeze of limón (lime - no lemons here. This ain't Red Lobster!) Along with a glass of Cristal (one of the most popular beers in Peru and a favorite of Cabbage's) and a bottle of chicha morada (juice of purple corn... Limón bottles their own brew,) ¡fue una cena magnífica!

las bebidas

One notable omission is papas amarillas, the super-rich yellow potatoes that accompany every good pollo a la brasa. At Limón Rotisserie, we prefer tacu-tacu, rice and beans rolled into a dumpling that is breaded and lightly fried. Of course, they were promptly eaten before the pictures were snapped.


If you plan on going for dinner, make reservations because this place is poppin' like a cornfield in July. And fair warning: the portions have shrunk a bit since my last visit to Limón Rotisserie in February. But all in all, I never have a bad meal here... friendly service + great food = happy times!