Peruvian Cuisine

First time I have heard name 'ceviche' was a culinary shows. Preparation of a starter became a big challenge for the participants of the program.  And what was even worse it was one of the dishes often ordered by guests of the television restaurant. There is an educational side of the situation. I searched more information about the dish.

It turned out it was the most famous Peruvian dish.  It is made of raw white fish marinade in a spicy mixture of lime juice, onion and hot peppers. It sounded great.  Thus when I found out I was going to visit Peru to try ceviche became a must.

Not much to say ceviche is delicious dish. Of course, each place has a slightly different way of marinating fish.  But a set of basic ingredients remains the same. First we tried ceviche at one of the chain restaurants Segundo Muelle.  We were advised not to eat a random place as freshness of fish is vital. But, next time we picked up one of local bars in Barranco.  Both places served exceptional ceviche.  And I do regret that I couldn't try everything on short stay.

Some people say Peruvian Cuisine is one of the best in the world.

For those interested to visit one of chain restaurants Segundo Muelle go to website for more details.

Garota de Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro

This time about food

If you are looking for a place for lunch or dinner in Rio de Janeiro, it is worth taking a look at the place, which makes parto of the city's history. Most of us have heard the song “Girl from Ipanema” and its characteristic warm rhythms.

Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim enjoyed life and sought inspiration in an ordinary bar called Veloso. It is said that muse and inspiration was Heloisa Pinheiro, who walked by the Veloso bar on the way to the beach. The bar quickly became a popular meeting place for artists.  Thanks to the huge popularity of the song it has gained a new name Garota da Ipanema.

Like many similar sites, now it is one of the tourist attractions and a bar/restaurant. It offers typical Brazilian food and more international options, but most importantly, it is tasty.

Sao Paulo for weekend

São Paulo, the symbol of modernity and affluence, is sometimes called New York of South America. The golden age of the city began with the construction of the railway line to the port of Santos.  The main reason for the project was to transport coffee beans from inland to the world.

There are a few historic buildings, mostly churches in the city center.  It may be difficult to spot them as they are squeezed between modern buildings.  Church of St. Anthony (Igreja de Santo Antônio) and Church of St. Francisco (Igreja de São Francisco de Assis) are good examples.  The oldest part of the city is the Patio de Colégio.  It is where São Paulo de Piratininga was founded by the Jesuits Anchieta and Nóbrega. The small building you find there does not look like historic one.  The square is surrounded by Manhattan style buildings.  

It is worth visiting the Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market) for lunch break. There are over 10 restaurant-bars that serve among others local food on the mezzanine. It is true that the definition of locality in the case of Sao Paulo is difficult.  Each cuisine is local in Sao Paulo.
We did not know what's what on the menu. So we discreetly looked at the plates on nearby tables. It was not difficult because tables where set the way they formed one long table. Discretion proved to be indiscreet and after a while a couple sitting next to us offered help. They described what other people were eating. Perhaps we could order any food.  A queue of local people waiting for tables was a proof that it was the right place for trying the local cuisine. And it was good.