Back in August of 2008, some members of ACAP visited La Pescaderia in La Perla as one of their monthly restaurant outings. At that time I was on vacation in the U.S. and was unable to attend. When I returned, I had heard from several of the ACAP members that the food was quite good and that it was in an "interesting" location. I would guess that the majority of the ACAP members live mostly in the areas of Miraflores, San Isidro, Surco and La Molina. So the "trip" to La Pescaderia probably raised a few eyebrows since it is off the beaten track. I have heard La Pescaderia referred to by locals as a huarique or hideaway. La Pescaderia is located on the corner of Av. La Paz and Av. Santa Rosa in La Perla, a district of Callao. It is an inconspicous restaurant that until recently did not even have the name of the restaurant on its front door. My husband and I have frequented the restaurant several times in the past 8 months for two reasons....the food is good and La Pescaderia is a quick 10 or 15 minute drive from our home in LaPunta.
La Pescaderia opened its doors in June of 2007. The owner of La Pescaderia is Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, considered one of the Top 10 chefs in Peru and internationally renowned. He is also the chef/owner of Malabar, a very popular restaurant in San Isidro. In the May 2009 issue of Food and Wine magazine, Chef Schiaffino was listed in the "Go List 2009: 20 Rising Stars" section. La Pescaderia was represented at Mistura (the huge food fair in Lima) this year offering their food and Schiaffino conducted a presentation as well. Another interesting tidbit, when I googled Schiaffino there were 37,900 results. Interesting guy!
The interior of La Pescaderia is very simple and slightly on the modern side. There is a large terrace area with seating to enjoy the wamer, sunny days or you can opt for dining under the corrugated roof area on the colder days. During the weekdays, you see mostly business people there enjoying lunch mixed in with leisurely diners. On the weekends you notice more families, especially on Sundays. The service has always been very prompt and pleasant. The restaurant is usually busy and has a steady clientele. Seating capacity is approximately for 90 people. Our favorite waiter is Jose Gilbert.
We usually order their delicious pisco sours immediately after we are seated. You notice many people ordering drinks from their list of 8 "Cocteles Cevicheros" that are listed on a board above the bar area. At some point I know I will try the Pisco Punch, Mojadito and Cholopolitan. Besides these cocktails, they also have full bar service and a small wine list.
Now on to the most important thing....THE FOOD! All of the food served here is fish or shellfish. It's hard to understand that some people do not enjoy fish or seafood but there are a few of you out there. Your dining experience begins with a complimentary bowl of fish broth. They have a large list of "Pica Picas" (little bites/appetizers). I think I counted about 22 different appetizers. Sometimes we just like to order a few of the appetizers to share instead of ordering large main dishes. Their sashimi, sushi and Maki of the day is always extremely fresh and I find myself ordering that often. Other delicious offerings listed with the "Pica Picas" are the Causitas, Cubos de Atun en Salsa Hoisin con Nabo Encurtido, Pulpitos a la Parrilla con Chimichurri de la Casa, Pulpo La Perla, Escabeche Oriental de Pejerrey and the Boquerones de Pejerrey. For those of you who are not familiar with Pejerrey, the most similar fish that I can think of in the U.S. to compare it to is Smelt. Smelt is not found in the ocean, but mostly in lakes in the U.S. Here in Peru, the Pejerrey is in the ocean. For me, Pejerrey is much better.
La Pescaderia offers five different Tiraditos. I am crazy for their Tiradito de Atun Nikei and order that quite often. The thin slices of very fresh tuna combined with their delicious asian sauce and sprinkling of sesame seeds and chopped peanuts is absolutely wonderful. I have ordered this on many occasions and finish up every last bit of sauce with my spoon. The Tiradito Trio is presented on a long, narrow plate with corvina in a creamy rocotto sauce, corvina in a creamy aji amarillo sauce and the third is the atun nikei that I mentioned above. Each trio is separated by a column of choclo (the large corn popular in Peru). If you want something quite different, order the Pejerreys al Aji Amarillo (delicious).
Six different Ceviches are offered on the menu and the Causa section offers several unique choices. Our favorites are the Escabechada and Atun Spicy y Palta (Spicy Tuna with Avocado). Really quite delicious.
La Pescaderia offers approximately 15 different main dishes or "La Pesca de Altura". The fish offered is Atun (tuna), Pez Espada (swordfish), Merlin Azul (blue marlin), Wahoo, Mako (shark), Escolar (white fish) and Mahi Mahi. They are prepared in a variety of ways. We have sampled 7 of these dishes on different occasions and all were tasty. A couple of the standouts were the Wahoo y Pure de Coliflor ( I loved this dish so much I started preparing Cauliflower Puree at home) and the Merlin Azul con Salsa Thai y Verduras al Wok (Blue Marlin with Vegetables prepared in a wok with Thai Sauce - - excellent).
La Pescaderia offers six different Sanguches (sandwiches). We have yet to explore this part of their menu. In 2008 their sandwich was the winner for "Best Sandwich" at Mistura. It is a smoked marlin sandwich. Other areas of the menu we have not sampled are the "Revueltos" (scrambled egg dishes), "Sudados y Caldosos" (Sautes and Soups) and "Arroces" (Rices). The Revueltos offer three items, scrambled eggs with either shrimp, fish or hueveras (fish roe). The restaurant is open at 9:00 a.m. in the morning and these are probably popular dishes for breakfast, but are also offered all day.
Many of the items on the menu are offered in regular and larger sizes to share at your table. Prices for items on the menu range from .6/soles to .65/soles. The address of La Pescaderia is Av. La Paz 1299 in La Perla. They are open Monday thru Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parking is available inside on La Paz or on the street when no parking is available inside. There are a couple of men that watch the cars on the street. If you would like any other information on La Pescaderia, please call them at 465-7095 or you can email me at: josesheila614@yahoo.com.
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