Mo-Chica - Los Angeles, California

Address: 514 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Items Ordered:

• Watermelon margarita - jalapeno infused espolon blanco, watermelon, lime juice, agave nectar
• Pan con Tuna - grilled bread, spicy tuna, cucumber jalapeno relish, yuzu mayo
• Anticucho de Pulpo -  grilled octopus, roasted potatoes, jalapeno sauce 
• Chicharron de Pollo - marinated crispy chicken, rocoto aioli
• Picarones - sweet potato & kabocha (squash) donuts

Who doesn't love the great food and drink options in downtown L.A.? I wish I could go there more often. After visiting San Antonio Winery for free tastings & hitting up Seven Grand's great happy hour whiskey cocktails, I walked across the street to find Mo-Chica with an open table for 2 to help me soak up the libations. Things were really going my way. To continue my drinking trend, I started with a watermelon margarita. It was great, not too sweet or sour or strong--just a nice refreshing drink. We weren't that hungry, and the small plates actually filled us up for the rest of the night. I loved every dish. The tuna was fresh tasting, moderately spicy, and I liked the squishy bread and mayo that it was served with. The grilled octopus had a nice smoky flavor, and was probably my favorite of the evening. The fried chicken tasted just like it's counterpart at Picca, and the meat was still juicy and steaming hot on the inside. The picarones had a nice texture, kind of like eating mochi, except that they tasted a little burnt--although they looked great when the dish arrived. I would definitely return to Mo-Chica, especially when the wait at Bottega Louie is bordering on ridiculous, and I need to combat my low blood sugar or alcohol addiction asap. I hope to make a return visit sooner than later!

--y

Chifa - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Address: 707 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Items Ordered:

• Peruvian ceviche - leche de tigre, sweet potato, mote, ricoto aioli, pickled onions
• Pork belly bao buns - hoisin glaze, pickled daikon & carrot, togarashi mayo
• Duck taco - duck confit, house kimchi, sliced radish, flour tortillas
• Mushroom broth w/ udon noodles - red miso, wakame, scallions, pickled enoki mushrooms
• Chaufa - shrimp, stir fried rice, chorizo,  mango, edamame
• Vegetarian curry - jasmine rice, tofu, eggplant, coconut
• Humita - charred corn, tamale, bacon, mushrooms, aji cream
• Bien me sabe - coconut cake & cream, guava ice cream
• Suspiro - lemon custard, meringue, alfajores

Gong xi fa cai! Happy New Year everyone!

What does Iron Chef Jose Garces have to do with Chinese New Year's?? Well, his restaurant Chifa in Philly is actually a Peruvian and Asian fusion restaurant. All the dishes we tried were inventive and absolutely amazing. The pork belly buns had just the right amount of fattiness with a great sweet glaze, the duck taco was well-balanced with the kimchi, and the chaufa was like a cross between paella and fried rice that really worked. I won't hesitate to say that Chifa is one of the best restaurants I've ever visited since starting this blog. I'm so impressed by Jose Garces that it makes me actually want to watch Iron Chef America. If you live in or visit Philly, I highly encourage you to make a reservation...STAT!

--y

Picca - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 9575 W Pico Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90035

Items Ordered:

• ceviche mixto. mixed seafood, sweet potato, choclo
• causa spicy yellowtail. spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko
• anticucho black cod. miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato (not pictured)
• chicharron de pollo. marinated crispy chicken, salsa criolla, rocoto sauce
• arroz con erizo. peruvian paella, mixed seafood , sea urchin sauce
• chanfainita. braised oxtail, mote and potato stew

Did you know that "pica" is an eating disorder where people eat largely non-food items? Well, to my astonishment, we were served delicious Peruvian tapas at Picca instead of pieces of glass and chalk. Already a plus in my book! The restaurant itself and presentation of dishes was beautiful and appetizing, and probably made me enjoy the experience more. Both of the small bites (causa and anticucho) are worth a try, but were so quickly consumed, that I can't remember much about them now. Ceviche was deliciously tangy and had a bountiful amount of seafood--highly recommend! Also, the fried chicken tasted like savory nuggets of deliciousness, but how can you really go wrong with fried chicken? My last favorite dish of the night was the braised oxtail stew, it was just good home-cooking and sopping up the sauce with house bread made it even better. Unfortunately, the paella was too rich and salty, and left me thirsty and chewing on some ice as I was leaving the restaurant...perhaps Picca and pica are slightly synonymous after all :O.You've got to try it for yourself to judge.

--y