This summer has flown by. I've spent almost as much time on the road as I've spent in NY. My last trip was a two week stretch in Los Angeles. I was not that impressed with most of what I ate out there but I did encounter a few gems. The lovely Peruvian restaurant Mo-CHiCa was a pleasant surprise after days of bland eats. Mrs. C and I met up after work and decided to wander 7th street until we came across something desirable. The menu looked promising so we took a chance. The restaurant was well decorated and had a laid back breezy feel. We were famished so we quickly decided what we wanted to try. We started with the Causa de Cangrejo.
A refreshing blend of aji amarillo mashed potatoes, fresh crab and avocado. Although the flavors were lively and bold, I was disappointed the the mashed potatoes were cold. The Ceviche Carretillero was fantastic!
The fresh slices of sea bass were swirled with leche de tigre, red onion and yuzo. As our meal went on, each dish was better than the last. When the Arroz con mariscos arrived, the aroma alone made me salivate.
The Peruvian seafood paella was flavorful, spicy and pretty much perfect. The rice was cooked just right and although it looked soggy, I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted even better when you mixed in the red onions. Our last dish was the Paiche.
This Amazonian fish from Peru is served on top of a bed of ajiaco de arroz and cherry tomato escabeche. It had a lot more spice than the paella. The fish was firm so it didn't crumble but it was still tender. The rice tasted different than the paella, it was more like a spicy stewed rice. Although we were truly satisfied with everything we ate, we couldn't resist dessert.
The Alfajores were fantastic! These Peruvian cookies are shortbread cookies sandwiched around dulce de leche. The other sandwich was made of chocolate ganache. They were dusted with powdered sugar. Amazing!! The cookies were rich and just what we needed to end the meal.
Mo-Chica was a delicious experience. Each dish was perfectly flavored and they built on each other as each dish arrived. I wish I could have gone back again to try some of the other dishes that caught my eye. No worries, I'll be back in LA soon enough.
Hungry yet?
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