La Mar Cebicheria

Cebiche and causa

We hadn't seen our East Bay friend and his wife for years, and we were pleased at an unexpected invitation to have dinner in the City. We were especially pleased that we were to meet at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, where he had been working since 2007.

To jaded critics the five-year old San Francisco restaurant was just another example of traditional ethnic--in this case Peruvian--cooking that had been married with the techniques of California cuisine (fresh ingredients, everything prepared on-site, complex flavors, light on the dairy, etc.)

Shellfish on squid-ink pasta

Our friend explained that, until La Mar came along, Peruvian restaurants in the U.S. had been mom-and-pop operations who served dishes normally found in the home.

Business was a little iffy when the restaurant opened, but a company dinner party, the busy tables, and crowded bar on this Tuesday night showed that higher-end South American fare was catching on. We weren't the only ones impressed; Mayor Ed Lee, a man known to enjoy a good meal, was having dinner a few tables away. Our host arranged to have a few complimentary dishes sent over. Well, why not, it comes in handy to have a friend at City Hall, just as it is to have a friend who helps to run a restaurant. © 2013 Stephen Yuen