Brunch at Divino Ceviche in Coral Gables

Peruvian food lovers: there's a new brunch in town and I thought you might like to take a look. Divino Ceviche's location in Coral Gables, situated at 160 Giralda Avenue, has recently launched a Divine Sunday Brunch featuring an original twist on many of the popular Peruvian spot's signature dishes along with some cultural favorites.

What would a Peruvian Brunch be if we didn't
start with a Pisco Sour?

We had a first bite of their new brunch menu and I have to tell you, it's got some nice dishes on there. For example, I just loved the Huevos Peruanos, Chef Christian Encalada's very own Peruvian version of Eggs Benedict; except these perfectly poached eggs were served with chorizo and tomatoes then bathed in my all time favorite Huancaina sauce.

Huevos Peruanos

In true Peruvian tradition, many of the brunch dishes include a flavorful serving of that finger-licking good "chicharron" or fried pork meat, that makes all of our hearts skip a beat  (just think of the protein ladies and gentlemen). Highlights include their Chicharron con Mini Tacu Tacu and their Pan Con Chicharron. The Mini Tacu Tacu dish was very interesting, tickling our taste buds with cooked rice, pork and beans mixed together, and then seasoned with garlic and Peruvian yellow pepper. The tasty treat was then friend and served with chunks of pork, eggs and Peruvians salsa criolla. It was definitely a palate pleaser. The Pan Con Chicharron is a popular street food in Peru, and Divino Ceviche's version, albeit simple, incorporated a sweet and salty element that gave it a delectable spin. Chef Encalada takes a freshly baked bread and fills it with fried chunks of pork meat, sweet potatoes and Peruvian creole sauce. The result is pretty amazing.

Chicharron con Mini Tacu Tacu

Pan Con Chicharron

If you're in the mood for a bit more sweetness, you can choose their Chicken & Peruvian Waffles, featuring panko breaded chicken, served with a sweet potato and squash waffle, then drizzled with homemade syrup. Of course, no Peruvian menu would be complete without some kind of Lomo Saltado dish and theirs is perfect for brunch, putting together a Peruvian stir-fry, made with beef, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and garlic, then flambeing it with Pisco. The meaty delight is served with potatoes and eggs.

Chicken and Peruvian Waffles

Lomito Saltado Con Huevos Fritos

Besides their a-la-carte brunch items, Divino Ceviche also offers an All You Can Eat Ceviche Madness + Mimosas de Maracuya for $19.99 from 11:30am to 4:00pm on Sundays. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Mimosa de Maracuya

For more information on Divino Ceviche's Sunday Brunch in Coral Gables, you can visit their website or call them at 786-360-3775.

MPP Brickell

It's National Ceviche Day! Peru has designated June 28th as the day to celebrate that delicious dish we all love made from uber fresh fish, marinated in citrus juice and mixed with ingredients such as the ever popular aji Amarillo and nice, hot chiles. Serve it in glass, and you can drink the Tiger's Milk for some extra fortitude.

 

 

Because I happen to love ceviche, and to be perfectly honest, find Peruvian cuisine as a whole incredible fascinating, I decided to make today's post on a relatively young Peruvian restaurant in the gastronomically booming area of Brickell. MPP Brickell, located at 141 S.W. 7th Street is quickly becoming a hot spot in the area. MPP stands for "Mi Propiedad Privada"; named after its predecessors in Lima, Peru. MPP is one of only five restaurants in the country approved by PROMPERU (Peruvian State Agency) to import its country's products; a  distinction they are very proud of.

 

The ambiance and décor at MPP Brickell is contemporary yet warm. The outside couches welcome you with their colorful orange and brown cushions, while the inside lounge and bar area make it the perfect place to have some drinks and unwind after a long day at work, or simply watch a game on one of their large screen T.V.s. I like the way the ultra chic lighting and the sleek, modern white furniture in the dining area match so well with the upscale Brickell feel.

Maki Causa Festival

Three Pepper Ceviche

The first thing I noticed about the menu was how extensive it was and how they offered an original take to traditional Peruvian dishes. We started with the Maki Causa Festival, a dish consisting of five causa makis (potato causas prepared to resemble sushi rolls), filled with panko-crusted prawns, avocado, and cucumber, and topped with fish and a chalaca style sauce.  They were scrumptious, with a creamy texture and a tongue tickling kick. We also had their Three Pepper Ceviche, a combination of fish and seafood marinated in lime juice and combined with three kinds of creamy pepper sauces. It was an excellent rendition of the popular Peruvian delicacy with a completely different flavor.

Sautéed Filet Mignon

Chiclayana Rice with Seafood

Since I crave and enjoy this country's cuisine so much, I wanted to go for something different while indulging in some of my regular favorites. As a result, we chose the Lomo Saltado, one of the most popular dishes in Peru, (on MPP's menu it's called Sautéed Filet Mignon) and ventured into unfamiliar grounds by ordering the Chiclayana Rice with Seafood. I had never had this before so I was excited. The Lomo Saltado was exquisite. The sautéed beef tenderloin was enticingly flavored with onions and tomatoes, and served with white rice and French fries. The meat was very juicy and tender. While I had had Chaufa before, a Peruvian style of fried rice, Chiclayana Rice was totally new to me. It was amazing! The rice was moist and cooked with a variety of seafood, cilantro sauce and duck reduction; its signature ingredient. I noticed the main source of seafood that predominated the dish was calamari, and I would've liked to perhaps have more of a balance of the others (shrimp, fish, etc.) but it was fantastic nonetheless. I can't believe I have added yet another dish to my long list of Peruvian favorites.

Suspiro Limeno

To finish our delightful meal, I couldn't help but resist a taste of the ever satisfying Suspiro Limeno. While there are many desserts from this country I adore, this one is the one I always come back to. The creamy, sweet custard-like gem has a similarity to dulce de leche but lingers on the tongue just a tad bit longer. Theirs was fabulous and I had to stop myself from licking the glass when I couldn't spoon out anymore.

We truly enjoyed our meal at MPP Brickell.  Our server was very attentive from the moment we walked in and enjoyed talking to us about the dishes and giving us an insight into the origins of the restaurant. They have a number of different daily specials and events ranging from discounts on their ceviches on certain days of the week to live music. I also got a glimpse of their lunch specials and found them to be a great deal, particularly in this part of town.

Before I forget, like I told you at the beginning of this post, today is National Ceviche Day and to celebrate it, MPP Brickell is having an awesome offer. Their wildly popular ceviches will be available for only $10 all day long. This is a great opportunity to try as many as you'd like to and not break the bank doing it. Don't you just love food holidays? For more information on MPP Brickell, visit their website at http://www.mppbrickell.com or call them at 305-400-4610.