Kat's 9 Lives

Whenever I make a trip up to Los Angeles, I always try to maximize the trip.  This time we were up there to check out Supperclub LA in Hollywood, so I decided to stop off on a side trip.  I have been meaning to try out Mario's Peruvian Restaurant.  It's in a small shopping strip that can be easily missed and many people comment about the parking situation.  I went during a down time so there wasn't too much hassle parking, but since I read the warning I decided to park on the street and not even bother to pull into their parking lot.
The main thing I really wanted was some Alfajores, but sadly the server said that they were renovating soon so they did not have any.  Que Lastima! I was deeply saddened by this news but since I was already here, I thought I'd still make the most of it.  Even though it was not that busy, the service was friendly but a little absent.  You have to try and flag them down behind the counter.
Like most Peruvian restaurants, they start off by bringing bread and butter along with the green sauce.  Of course, I had to get my delicious Inka Kola to complement the meal.
A typical and tasty Peruvian dish is the Lomo Saltado that's made with beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries accompanied with lightly seasoned rice.  I love the mixture of flavors and texture.  This dish tends to be more salty but that is what the tomatoes, onions, and rice mellow out and complement the savory flavor.  Don't forget to squirt some green sauce onto each bite to add the spicy kick that takes the flavor to another level.
Being Asian, I love a good fried rice.  I also read that Mario's Peruvian Restaurant offers some great seafood dishes and I decided to try the Arroz Chaufa de Mariscos, Peruvian style seafood fried rice.  It's a mix of calamari, shrimp, and octopus.  The flavor was a bit on the light side and I kind of wished I had some tasty soy sauce to add more flavor to the dish.  Another way to cheat is using the green sauce and I really poured it on.  The dish was a little bit greasy but to be fair, the seafood was very fresh and delicate.  Nothing was over cooked and there was a plethora of seafood in the rice.
All in all it was a solid Peruvian restaurant.  Still, I was a little disappointed that there was no Alfajores.  At the end of the meal, I had to go up and get the take out containers along with the check so the service was a little absent.  I'd probably stop by again if they have my favorite little sweet treats =).

Mario's Peruvian Restaurant 
5786 Melrose Ave 
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 466-4181 

Did I just see a whole stack of Alfrajores *drool drool* They are just what I needed after a grueling week. After so much talk about the infamous Renzo, I was finally able to make it to Renzo's : A Taste of Peru. Lucky for me that they are now open for dinner! As soon as you enter, you are greeted with a friendly smile from Renzo himself.
Renzo's : A Taste of Peru is a little different form your typical Peruvian restaurant. It's made for people on the go. If you don't have time to sit down for a long meal, don't worry because they've got you covered. Not only does he have the popular cafe, he also does private catering where he can really utilize his skills and explore the world of cooking.
Back to those delectable powder sugar covered little pieces of heaven! I bought up the whole lot and even took a commemorative photo to capture the moment. **sweating at the thought of the photo being exposed!** His lovely wife makes all of these wonderful Alfajores. How can you deny the explosion of flavor where melt in your mouth shortbread cookies encase a dollop of dulce de leche? Just typing this makes me want to drive back for more! The best part is the price is very reasonable! They are 75 cents each and I believe 5 for $4.
I start most of my meals with dessert first with a few alfajores to kick off the meal. Next we were given a great bottle of aji verde (spicy green sauce) to give our bread a kick! Renzo was such a gracious host that he gave us a bottle each to take home.
Normally I would go for a rice dish but I couldn't pass up the delicious combo deal. Choose any sandwich, soup or salad, and a drink for only $7.95! My favorite part was that you can opt for Inca Kola. I love drinking Inca Kola, which only motivated me to order more combos so I could take my drink home! Even Ms. Lin asked me about my Inca Kola laying around in the house. In the famous words of Bart Simpson, "Nobody lay a finger on my [Inca Kola]."
The daily soup was a homemade Onion Soup. Renzo was kind enough to substitute out one of my soups/salads for Plantains! I love cooked plantains that have a slight sugary coat on the outside and a little spice to give it a wonderful kick. Always great to nosh on or even eat as a dessert!
I couldn't deny the Sanguche de Pollo with Chicken Breast and Basil Mayo. The chicken is thinly sliced topped with sweet potato, onion salsa, and lettuce. Renzo uses a special bread that has a delectable herb seasoning and a different texture that adds a bite. Work the magic and get some of their garlic aioli to smother on for that extra flavor and kick. Personally I adore garlic and can't get enough of it. Don't forget the chimichurri sauce to add spice.
My favorite of the night was the Sanguche de Chancho with thinly sliced Pork and Garlic Aioli. I was so torn about the basil mayo and garlic aioli that I had to get both sandwiches to satisfy the craving. The pork was very flavorful and moist that it stood out from all the components. To be honest, I didn't know that was sweet potato in there. I really thought the orange colored slices were carrots. Despite the fact that there were healthy components of vegetable inside my sandwich, I still thoroughly enjoyed my Sanguche de Chancho. Bring on the garlic aioli!
Holly got the Aji de Gallina that looked very appetizing. Had I known it was all meat, I'd be all over it too. O=) It's shredded chicken in a medium spicy chili walnut sauce with olive tapenade and hard boiled egg. Definitely something try for next time.
All in all it was a pleasure meeting Renzo and I am sure we will see each other quite often in the future. I can't stay away from those Alfajores! Make sure you come before I do or you will be left in the dust.

Renzo's - A Taste Of Peru
2222 Michelson Drive, #200
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 955-9053

I wish I had my coupons! I know there are coupons for this place that come in the mail. My friend and I suddenly decided to come here after he dropped off his car. We went on Friday for lunch and the place was packed, which was a good sign. Fortunately we were seated right away and they brought out bread with the Peruvian Green Hot Sauce. The sauce should be made from cilantro, a type of chili, garlic, salt, & oil. This really packs a punch in flavor and spice!
Luckily I saw a yummy appetizer and decided to try it. I ordered the Chicharron de Pollo, chicken slowly marinated with garlic & spices then deep fried to perfection! As I have mentioned before, anything that's fried gets lots of bonus points. It was served with fried yucca and sarza criolla on top. The chicken was extremely flavorful and tasty! Only to be perfectly complimented with the sarza criolla that toned down the saltiness and brought out the taste of the spices. We both enjoyed it immensely! The yucca was very bland, so it doesn't fight for your tastebud's attention.
I have had Peruvian food at the Farmer's Market in LA, and I loved the fried rice. Nostalgic for some good old stir fried rice, I ordered the Chaufa de Pollo. This was a big mistake! It was extremely bland and oily. I wished it was saltier and flavorful like the appetizer was. Luckily we still had the green sauce, so I drenched my fried rice to add a kick.
My friend ordered the Inka Special. It was chicken sauteed with minced onions, peas, carrots, french fries in a spicy yellow chili & garlic sauce with white rice. He thought that it was bland, but I thought it had a LOT more flavor than the fried rice. I really liked the crisp texture of the french fries even when they were drenched in sauce. The chili flavor was light and tasty, I really wished I had ordered that.
All in all, the service was nice and friendly. The food had its high and low points. I was sold on the appetizer, so I will definitely be back again for that. Next time I will bring a coupon I swear! You can even print them out on their website, makes me mad that I didn't have one! Still the food was good overall. The bill turned out a little pricier than I thought it would be for lunch. Another funny thing was we asked them to split the bill, yet somehow he got $15 and I got $16 something... makes me question their math skills. =P