The thrill

Ceviche de Pescado

The thrill of discovery

Don Andres.

REVIEW BY ANNA FELIPE

It’s not every day that you fi nd a Peruvian restaurant in Metro Manila. A glance at the menu will reveal what you’ll experience: big, bold fl avors. Peruvian cuisine, after all, is a refl ection of the bounty from the country’s three geographical regions (the coast, the Andes mountains, and the jungle) and a number of foreign infl uences.

For starters, order the Ceviche de Pescado— Peru’s national dish and a great introduction to its cuisine. Bite-sized chunks of fresh, raw mahi-mahi sit on top of a lime marinade, and are paired with red onion, sweet potato, corn, and canchas (lightly salted toasted corn kernels that resemble popcorn seeds). Toss everything together before digging in to get a symphony of fl avors and textures— chewy, tender, moist, and crunchy all in one bite, fi nished off with the slight heat and fresh tang from the cilantro-lime base. Another standout is the Pulpo al Olivo. Layer a thin, sashimi-like slice of octopus tentacle on a saltine cracker then smear everything with the black olive sauce. The result: a subtly briny, creamy treat for your taste buds.

Move on to the main course with a serving of Pollo a la Brasa. Fast becoming Don Andres’s signature dish, the rotisserie chicken gets its bold fl avor from being marinated in a secret combination of spices and seasonings for 24 hours. Its glossy brown skin and moist, tender meat effortlessly balance peppery, smoky, slightly salty, and tangy fl avors. Give it an extra spicyherby kick by dipping it in a trio of sauces: chimichurri, aji verde, and chili mayo. The Arroz con Mariscos is comfort food that inspires midnight cravings. A rich, paella-cum-risottolike dish, it gets its color from the spices that boldly season it, while its texture is courtesy of the seafood and vegetables tucked under the rice grains. In the mood for plain white rice? Pair it with the Lomo Saltado (a stir-fry of juicy tenderloin strips and vegetables in a savory brown sauce) or the Pescado al Ajillo (fl aky white fi sh in olive oil, pepped up by lemon and garlic). The beef entrée delivers assertive fl avors, while the fi sh displays a certain subtlety.

And if you only have room for one dessert, go for the Tres Leches, a slice of pound cake swimming in a lake of milk. It’s that kind of melt-in-yourmouth treat that leaves a lasting impression—a sweet reward for daring to try something different.

Pollo a la Brasa

in a nutshell

DON ANDRES

26 Courtyard Building, Sgt. Esguerra Street, Quezon City; tel. no. 364-4145 and mobile no. 0916-4067000

MUST-TRIES Ceviche de Pescado (P280), Pulpo al Olivo (P290), Pollo a la Brasa (P165 for quarter, P330 for half, P650 for whole), Lomo Saltado (P420), Pescado al Ajillo (P420), Tres Leches (P165)

THUMBS UP Complete the experience with an authentic imported Peruvian drink. The Inca Kola (P175) is a light, fi zzy beverage that tastes mildly like bubblegum; the Pisco sour (P395) is great for cocktail hour.