It started out innocently enough – I wasn’t looking to go out and do a bunch of photography and blogging – rather, just to take Eli’s nephew on a walk around the Mission, and hopefully grab a few cute pictures along the way.  Once we set out, it was clear we’d need something to eat, and wanted something fun and new, where we could bring the kid in without causing trouble.  And what do babies love most?  That’s right – Peruvian Rotisserie!  So we went to the new Limón Rotisserie what just opened at 21st and South Van Ness.  As you can see, William was very excited:

 

 

I still didn’t have any intentions of blogging or taking picture through the meal at this point.  However, two things changed: our waiter, Edwardo (more on him in a minute) recommended we try a Peruvian beer, and then the food came, and it was good.  Really, really good. 

First, the beer:

 

 

 

Cusqueña is a pretty typical import lager.  It had slightly more malt than your average Corona, and was easy drinking but rather forgettable.  One upside (maybe because the restaurant is brand new) is that this beer seemed to be in great shape – no skunkiness, good carbonation – the trip importing this particular bottle had been kind.  Eli had the sangria which was loaded with fruit, and rather sweet. However, my disappointment over the drinks was quickly forgotten when the soup, ceviche, dipping sauces and bread arrived. 

 

   

 

My throat was still stinging from the weekend of concerts, and the soup was just what the doctor ordered. The soup was extremely herbal, with just the right amount of spice and heat, and perfectly tender chunks of chicken.  I cleaned my bowl.  The ceviche was also good.  The shrimp with pump and well displayed – I was less of the fan of the flounder, which I thought was a touch too briny, but the Jurassic peruvian corn was a nice touch.   Finally, the trio of sauces – is there anything more fun that a selection of indigenous sauces?  The Chimichurri sauce was a the big hit, as was the spicy mint cream.  The third, red cream sauce was also good, but wasn’t the big seller the first two were.  But the sauces were a great touch at the beginning of the meal and set your palate for the peruvian flavors to come.  Plus, they were great with the fried yucca.  Speaking of which…

 

  

 

 

Our whole rotisserie chicken came with two sides: we opted for the more adventurous and Peruvian choices:  Fried yucca, which had a thin crispy exterior and and starchy, moist interior.  Mild in flavor, they made the perfect delivery device for the dipping sauces – which we refilled, several times.  We also had the Tacu-Tacu, which were fried cakes stuffed with beans and rice (think a twist on a pupulsa, with a crispier shell).  Whoever is working the fryer back there knows what they are doing. 

 

 

Then, there was the namesake rotisserie chicken. There was a long pause in service until the chicken was ready – I imagine, because they seem to pull out the chickens in waves, as they finish.  We could see the birds rotating in the open kitchen, and when they came out. each bird was quickly quartered, plated, and sent out.  The pacing of the meal was thus set partially by the speed of the rotisserie – which was fine by me, if the chicken is worth it. 

 

 

When the bird hit the table, I was too slow fumbling with my camera, and the two leg and thigh sections were quickly snapped up by my dining companions. (William had fallen asleep by now, leaving us to enjoy the meal.)  I went for the breast, and was pleasantly surprised: the breast meat was fantastically moist, with deliciously crispy skin. I stole a taste of thigh from another plate: also perfectly cooked.

When our waiter, Edwardo came by to check on us, we were all too full to order dessert. Edwardo, it is worth mentioning, was a pleasure to have as a waiter.  He helped us deceiver the Peruvian menu where needed, and did a fantastic job pacing the meal, cleaning plates and replacing silverware, and keeping our water glasses full after the beers were empty. 

 

 

 

I think Chef Castillo has a winner on his hand here.   The food was perfectly cooked, the service was stellar, and the prices made for a great evening.  A whole chicken, ceviche, two sides and three drinks came up to fifty dollars.  For me, there is still much to be explored in their small plates menu, so I’ll be back in the near future to be sure.  Plus, he was even gracious enough to not mind me taking a few pictures as we ate.   I just wish Peru made better beer. 

 

 

 

Tags: limon rotisserie, mission

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 9:46 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.