Mané

Peruvian is one of those cuisines that I need to eat more often.  I think every week is probably a fair place to start.  So I did just that in Santiago, breaking my own traveling rule and eating at the same restaurant twice.  Mané, you had me at ceviche especial.

ceviche with corn!

There was a yellowtail-like fish that was sweet and buttery.  And some shrimps. And slices of calamari.  All living in perfect harmony in lime juice and thinly sliced red onions.  To add more textures, there were hominy and these fried corn things that were soooo good.  Like Cornuts on crack. OH CORN, HOW I LOVE YOU AND YOUR MANY INCARNATIONS.  The two orange chunks were sweet potato.  Did it go with the seafood, not really, but I love sweet potatoes, so I didn't care.  

fish in shrimp sauce

My entree one night was fish layered between fried corn tortilla like things (but more flaky) and topped with a creamy shrimp sauce.  This was awesome.  The fish was pan fried, one of my favorite fish preparations (along with steamed and raw)  The chips gave the dish a completely different textural contrast.  YUM.

seafood and rice

Another night, I had the seafood stew and rice.  It was tasty with lots of different seafoods, but I have very little recollection besides, "mmm, I'd eat it again".  Blame the pisco sour!  

chocolate cake

I have no idea what possessed me to order a chocolate cake for dessert one night.  I rarely order dessert and even less likely to order chocolate cake (not a cake fan, more a custard/pudding or pie kinda girl).  But I actually really liked it.  Probably because it was soaked in rum or something other liquor, so it escaped the sad and unfortunate dry cake syndrome that so many other cakes have been inflicted with.  This cake was so moist that it was almost a pudding!  yay for puddings!