Peruvian Find!!

There's a new Peruvian joint in town and it is worth a visit! Jimmy's Peruvian is a true hole-in-the-wall joint at 3032 Auburn Blvd. Be careful. You'll drive right past it, especially since it's signage says Taqueria. In fact, it's pulling double duty serving both Mexican and Peruvian menus.

I don't know much about Peruvian food, but I do know that since it has a huge coastline, there is a lot of seafood consumption. This is what you'll find at Jimmy's, with the focus on seafood.

Another Peruvian influence is Japan. In the late 1800s Japanese went to Peru after hearing stories of gold and great farming. The gold turned out to be a lie, but the farming wasn't. Many ended up settling there and thus a small ethnic minority of Japanese were now in  Peru.

ceviche

I started with the ceviche. I love ceviche and will often make it at home because it is easy and super healthy.  I was really pleased with Jimmy's.  It was plentiful, the fish had great texture, and there was a good kick to it.  If you don't like spicy foods, you might need to steer clear. I found it interesting that they also added hominy corn as part of the vegetable component.  I didn't care for those as the texture was too close to lima beans. (yuk).  Overall, a great ceviche.


To drink I ordered their Peruvian beverage, chicha morada.  It's a juice blend made of purple corn, pineapple, apple, and lime juice. Very good, although on the sweet side.  I like to water down my juices.  For something different, give this a try.  They also have some Peruvian sodas and agua frescas available.

Mariscos Salteados

My entree was the Mariscos Salteados.  Mariscos means seafood in Spanish and this was a good variety of mussels, clams, shrimp, and fish. No skimping either. Here is where you'll see a bit of Japanese ingredients. The seafood was sauteed in a sauce of white wine vienegar, soy sauce, red onions, and tomatoes. This entree was served with rice and a choice of French fries, side salad, or beans. I opted for the fries and was glad I did because they sopped up the juices of the dish and were really tasty. This dish is not spicy, but it is flavorful.

deep fried seafood platter

My dining companion had ordered the deep fried seafood.  Basically they battered and fried all the same seafood I had above. What stood out for this dish was their Peruvian salsa that they served beside it. Again, generous on the seafood and the salsa was a great condiment with good heat. 

It's not really in an area of town that I am often in, but I'll definitely go if I have a craving for Peruvian food.