Located at near the heart of Quezon City, is a place to go
to not because of its location or gimmick but because of its food
offering. It is near two major TV
network station but still maintaining a quiet ambiance despite the busyness of
the general location. I am talking about
Don
Andres Peruvian Kitchen – a place named after the hero, but now known
for its chicken.
Near the midpoint of Sgt. Esguerra St., Don Andres Peruvian Kitchen
is technically a small place with a big food offering. From octopus to chicken, from skewered meat
to dainty tapa style food offering, they have something for your teeth to sink
on and fell in love with. When I saw the
posting regarding a food review event, I immediately took a spot despite the
location. I mean, I live in the south of
the metro and this is near going north of the metro. My thought:”It is a noon time event. I can
do it!”
Armed with my memory of location, thank you to Google Map, I
started my search of the place from Timog Avenue. Lo and behold, there it was! It was right between two other food
establishments and you will definitely not miss the signage, if you are looking
at the right direction that is. It has
outdoor seating and a cozy interior to boot.
As soon as a good number of invited bloggers were there, the food
started to appear, thus the food adventure begins . . .
Oopps! Before I
forget, please note that this is Peruvian cooking. Meaning there is a touch of Spanish influence
in it with a light difference in terms of spice or flavoring (savor). Add the fact that the menu is written in
Spanish . . . with an English
description underneath.
Back to the offerings.
APPETIZERS:
Pulpo Al Olivo (thinly
sliced octopus in citrus sauce, accompanied with saltine crackers and Botija
olive dip- the dip is seasonal due to its availability)
The octopus was cooked right! Similar to its “sea-relative”, the squid, if
not cooked right it might turn gummy or tough in texture. It was soft and holds the citrus sauce well! The crackers and the olive dip is good
accompaniment to this dish. You may wonder
as to why they combined two strong flavors in one dish. The answer is quite simple; when combined
right in terms of amount, you will find the flavors bouncing in your
mouth! From the acidity of the citrus to
the tart-bitter taste of the olives, from the softness of the octopus to the
crack of the crackers; it is a continual shift of flavors and texture.
Choros A La Chalaca
(Peruvian mussels with citrus salsa)
These are big mussels topped with salsa and citrus
dressing. The citrus is the main agent
in cooking the mussels. It is served on
5 cocktail type spoons that you simply have to slide the content into your
mouth. No need to be demure when eating
this dish. One word to describe this
dish . . .COOL!
The mix of the mussels and the salsa opens up your taste
buds to other offerings that they have.
Add the fact that the salsa mixture is cold in nature – that makes it
refreshingly cool!
Chorizo Al Plato (grilled
chorizo served with a side salad)
It is your Spanish sausage grilled and served with a light
salad on the side. The salad serves as
an antipasto as you enjoy dipping the sausage slices in any of the three (3)
dipping sauces that comes with it. You
can even combine dips to suit your taste desire.
Ceviche De Pescado
(marinated fish in citrus sauce with yellow chili sauce)
When served, you will not immediately see the fish for it is
topped with slices of onions, a good serving of corn at one side and pine nuts
on the other, with sweet potato on the other side and parsley on the other (you
may have realized now that they are using a square plate for this dish). They will advise you to mix it all up before
eating or even before getting a portion. Why?
So that you get to have everything of each element as you get your
desired portion. The fish is sweet and
is complimented with the strong onion flavor then balanced off with the sweet
potato which goes well with the citrus juice/sauce. The texture dimension of this dish is also
vast for it will travel from soft to a light crunch to something starchy.
From 4 appetizers, we where then treated to five (5) of
their offerings tagged under their main dishes namely: Lomo Saltado, Pollo Saltado, Lengua Guisada,
Pescado Al Ajillo and Brochetas De Lomo.
MAIN DISHES
 |
| Lomo Saltado |
 |
| Pollo Saltado |
The Lomo Saltado and the Pollo Saltado are nearly the same in
terms of flavor and even presentation.
The difference? You got it, the
source of protein! It is one dish that
is good for sharing with friends and family member.
I love their Lengua Guisada!!
It is basically ox tongue cleaned right, boiled to
tenderness and cooked in the desired sauce.
When served, you will see the silhouette of the tongue for it is covered
in its rich sauce. I love meat with nice
rich sauce and this definitely fit the bill!
Visually, the sauce would make you think of a local dish but once you
taste the sauce, you will forget that local dish and simply enjoy what you are
eating.
I do still have a question regarding this dish, what is the
lemon for?
Brochetas De Lomo . .
.think of kebab. On visuals it looks like a kebab but once you taste it, you would
definitely say it is not a kebab. The beauty of this dish is not on the sauce
used to flavor the meat but on the onion that was skewered and grilled with the
meat. The onion became sweet, minus the
strong kick typical of an onion, and when eaten together with the meat it
becomes a whole new ball game in your palate.
The sweetness of the meat is given another sweetness coming from the
onion. Is it sweet over sweet? Yes it is BUT it is not sugar sweet. It is meat sweetness and vegetable sweetness
dancing together in your mouth!
Pescado Al Ajillo (seared
white fishin olive oil, with garlic and lemon, topped with Parmesan cheese)
It is a MUST and MUST NOT dish for me. MUST NOT because I am allergic to crustaceans. The dish comes with shrimps, topping the fish
and even decorating the side of the fish.
A MUST because the flavor is great!
It is not garlicky in flavor, even if you see mince pieces in the
sauce. The fish is seasoned right! YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!
A DISH OF ITS OWN
 |
| Arroz con Mariscos |
 |
| Arroz con Mejillones |
Besides the main dishes that they offer, they also have some
must try food offerings that you may consider as a full meal by itself. I am talking about their Arroz con Mariscos (seafood rice similar to a paella), Arroz con Mejillones (mixed rice with
mussels, still similar to a paela) and their signature Pollo A La Brasa (Peruvian rotisserie chicken).
Again I will state this fact: “I
value my life and shall not eat any dish with shrimps or crabs or any of the
crustacean family for I am allergic to it.”
That is why I didn't try any of their rice dishes. But something worth noting about this is that
it is cooked in light wine that is absorbed into the rice and gave off a light
sweet scent.
 |
| Pollo A La Brasa |
The chicken is another matter. It is slow roasted making the flavors seep
into the meat and the fat drip off. It
is also served with the same dipping sauce as that of the chorizo al plato. You can have it with rice, fries or mashed
potato. The mashed potato is your
typical Idaho potato, not Irish, which makes it delightful for its natural
earthy herby taste. When paired with the
chicken, which is soft, juicy and flavorful, the feeling is homey but with
style.
DESSERTS/POSTRES
Alfajores are two small short-bread cookies with a dulce de leche filling in between. For the amount of Php 65.00, you will be
given 3 pieces. Best with a warm drink.
Coffee?
Pie De Limon or commonly called lemon pie. For Don
Andres Peruvian Kitchen, this is their take on key-lime pie. True that key-lime pie is not a native treat
in Peru but lime is a key ingredient in nearly all their dishes. The tartness is present but not
overpowering. The sweetness is properly
balanced. My only comment for change,
the crust. The flavor is right but the
texture is not yet there for it breaks easily and separates from the custard
lime filling. The beauty of this dish .
. .it cleanses your palate of all the flavors you had. A perfect food offering to close a dinner!
Tres Leches is a sponge cake with cream topping soaked in three
(3) kinds of milk. Not your typical tres
leches, but is something worth sinking your teeth into. When I tasted this, the image that came into
mind is me eating it alone with a cup of coffee, enjoying a book or simply
watching people pass by; without a care in the world, enjoying my personal
space. It is a “my cake, my coffee, my smokes and I” moment.
DRINKS
Don Andres Peruvian
Kitchen has a good line of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for
you to choose from. For whatever time of
the day and whatever mood you may be in, they definitely have a drink for you.
Their sangria is quite light and
refreshing. Just don’t treat it like
water and you’ll be good. They even have
a non-alcoholic drink that is quite good.
The color is yellow, so will expect a lemony taste or a mango flavor or
any fruit that is yellow in color, but the taste is like bubblegum. Yes you read it right, the flavor is
bubblegum! It is called Inca
Kola, and you can only find it there.
It is a little pricey (Php 175.00 per bottle serving) but it worth the
experience of having a yellow colored bubblegum flavored soda.
(The bubblegum flavor
reminds me of a drink I used to create whenever I get to mix 4 types of
carbonated drinks/sodas)
·
* * *
For me, there is nothing to worry about when visiting this
place. All there is for you to do is
love the food offerings that they have!
The people are courteous, the food is good and the creative minds behind
this establishment are dynamic. Expect
more to come as they further expand and enhance their menu. Especially when they set their sight
somewhere going south – Makati perhaps?
Pictures:
(All pictures used were personally taken by me during the event)
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