Restaurant Review: Mochica

There are a number of popular Peruvian restaurants in San Francisco, but only one has enough typical dishes to be called authentic Peruvian. My qualification for this statement comes from having spent a sabbatical in Peru plus many other visits.

Mochica is located in an unlikely place at 937 Harrison Street where there is very little foot traffic, but on our second visit there the small attractive room was filled by 6:30.

One can start the meal with a Pisco Sour cocktail, Peru’s national drink not usually available in restaraunts in the U.S. There are a large variety of cerviches, all substantial in size and found quite good by our group. Unfortunately the Corvina ( a f ish of the South America’s west coast used in the best ceviche) is rarely available in San Francisco, so my favorite is not on the menu. My personal meat favorite anticuchos de corazon, an acquired taste of skewered beef heart in a spicy (ahi) sauce, is usually on the menu. If preferred you may have beef fillet instead of heart. It’s worth a try.

There are a number of fish and chicken choices among the entrees. At dessert time there is one item lukema ice cream, another rarity in the U.S. The lukema is a fruit that I and most people don’t care when eaten plain, but it makes a delicious flavor for ice cream.

With all of these dishes and a few more, this restaurant is truly reminiscent of Lima.

Larry Finberg 2-602