Mike and I were in Los Angeles for the Democratic Convention last March, and decided to give Mo-Chica a try for lunch.\u00a0 We both like Peruvian food and were excited to see what this restaurant could do.\u00a0 With the right expectations, I think Mo-Chica would have been a great experience.\u00a0 Alas, our expectations were to quench our hunger without having to mortgage our home, and that is not quite possible here.\u00a0 Still, the food was very nicely presented and interesting and I appreciated the experience.<\/p>\n
Mike and I started with the tiradito de seabass.\u00a0 The thin slices of cold seabass (maybe 8 or so) came beautifully presented in a long plate decorated with the aji amarillo sauce.\u00a0 You would never have guessed from the delicate look of the dish just how bursting in flavor it’d be.\u00a0 It did get boring after a while, so this is definitely a dish to share.\u00a0 And it’s all about the flavor, there is almost no substance to the dish.<\/p>\n
As our main dishes, we ordered the carapulcra (“Peruvian sun dried potato stew, crispy pork belly, peanuts, chimichurri”, $14) and the Estofado de alpaca (“Braised alpaca, tagliatelle, aji amarillo sauce, fried organic egg”, $15).\u00a0 I’d had llama in Argentina, but I figured alpaca wasn’t exactly the same, so I might as well add it to my list of meats I’ve tried.\u00a0 I can do that now, but as the alpaca meat was cut into extremely small pieces, and its flavor was covered by the rest of the stew, I can’t quite say I know what it tastes like.\u00a0 I can imagine, that’s probably the point.\u00a0 There must be a reason why llamas and alpacas are pretty much only served in restaurants catering to tourists in their home regions.<\/p>\n
In any case, both dishes were very good, they had distinct and pleasant flavors and I enjoyed them.\u00a0 Neither, however, was a show stopper.\u00a0 The presentation and novelty, rather than the taste, is what justified their absurd prices for lunch.\u00a0 They also weren’t particularly generous portions.\u00a0 Mike, in particular, who had been less enthusiastic about the food and had let me had the lion’s share, left hungry.<\/p>\n
The restaurant itself looks too casual to justify its prices.\u00a0 It’s more of a hipster place, and I would perhaps not have minded it so much for dinner, where a larger meal at a larger expense might seem justified.<\/p>\n
Needless to say I won’t be going back, but I’m glad I tried it.<\/p>\n
Mo-Chica<\/strong>
\n514 W 7th St
\nLos Angeles, CA
\n(213) 622-3744
\nhttp:\/\/mo-chica.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n