Description
When Gaston Acurio – South America’s most famous chef – brought his ceviche to New York, expectations ran high. At La Mar Cebicheria, the ceviches of raw fish bathed in tart citrus juices turned out to be great, and so did their sashimi-influenced cousins, the tiraditos. The problem is that most of the rest of the menu sucked. The national dish of aji de gallina was rendered as a cheese-soaked mass of flavorless poultry – when it should have been fiery as hell – while seco de cordero, normally a hearty goat stew, had been reinvented as a couple of twee lamb chops plus a few chunks of shoulder absurdly arranged on the plate with baby vegetables. Our advice: sit downstairs and enjoy a tiradito or ceviche plus a pisco sour (the national drink of Peru), then go elsewhere for your nourishment.
