Local Eats

JALEA

By Mabel Suen

Area aficionados of Peruvian cuisine likely rejoiced late last December, when Jalea debuted in St. Charles with a selection of culinary delights – including, of course, the seafood-and-citric-acid dish ceviche.

The restaurant – whose menu also features other entrées, small plates, snacks and desserts – comes from chef Andrew Cisneros and his sister, Samantha “Mimi” Cisneros. Andrew Cisneros previously has worked in such local kitchens as Elaia, Privado, The Saint Louis Club and Original J’s Tex-Mex & Barbecue, where he made a name for himself with his Peruvian rotisserie chicken pop-up, Brasas. “Growing up in the ’90s, Peruvian cuisine was unheard of here,” Andrew Cisneros says. “It’s always been a family dream of ours to open up a restaurant, and that just stuck with us.”

Jalea fills the space previously occupied by sushi restaurant The Red Sun. Its exposed brick walls feature paintings and black-and-white photographs by local Peruvian artist Carol Lara. Cisneros describes his and his sister’s vision as a “cevicheria-inspired concept in a bistro setting.” They keep the menu purposely small to accommodate fresh catches of the day.

Tiradito, for instance, involves rotating sashimi-style ceviche. One week it might involve Japanese amberjack; the next week, tuna with accouterments like citrus marinade, avocado, sesame, radish, cucumber and puffed rice. The restaurant’s fried-seafood namesake dish, jalea, plates components like flounder, shrimp, calamari, yucca, plantain chips, Creole salsa, classic tartar and citrus-aji mayo.

Additional menu mainstays include lomo saltado, with stir-fried rib-eye, the sauce/paste aji amarillo, red onion, tomato, beef tallow potatoes, garlic rice, a soft-boiled egg and saltado stir-fry sauce. Another large-plate highlight, the stew carapulcra, comprises braised pork belly, a sundried potato-bacon mix, garlic rice, country salsa and mint.

“It reminds me of my grandma cooking sun-dried potato stew,” Cisneros says. “When there is an overharvest of potatoes in Peru, they cook them and put them out in the sun to dehydrate them until they’re as hard as crystal. Once rehydrated and cooked, they have a really unique texture. Our version is very hearty, and guests who try it for the first time fall in love with it.”

From the bar, visitors can choose from a selection of craft beers, natural wines, cocktails concocted with the South American brandy pisco and nonalcoholic beverages, such as the Peruvian lemon-verbena soda Inca Kola.

On other fronts, Brasas will tentatively make a comeback at Jalea, as well: Cisneros plans to offer his Peruvian rotisserie chicken on the menu a few times a week.

“I hope we can reach out to the community and get them to try some of this amazing food that our country has to offer,” Cisneros concludes. “We source everything carefully, from the fresh fish we buy every day to craft beers selected from incredible microbreweries. We want everyone to have a unique experience here. We want to be able to offer them something special.”

Jalea, 323 N. Main St., St. Charles, 314-303-0144, facebook.com/jalea.stl