Saturday was date night with my husband and we had 9 o'clock dinner reservations at La Mar Cebicheria, Gastón Acurio's first San Francisco project at Pier 1½ next to the Ferry Building. I had read about Acurio, he is a heavy hitter in Peruvian cuisine. He owns many restaurants, has published cookbooks and is a celebrity TV chef. Beyond that, I didn't know what to expect.
We took a cab to the Embarcadero and were immediately drawn into the spacious, vibrant space, accented in blue, green and burnt orange hues. We were a tad early so hubby and I sidled up to the bar and grabbed a Cristal Peruvian beer ($5) and pisco sour ($10), respectively. My cocktail, made from distilled grapes with lime juice, simple syrup, egg whites and bitters was so refreshing. It was a perfect combo of tart, sweet, bitter and creamy. We decided to share the empanadas de ají de gallina ($10) while we waited. Two big, savory pockets filled with tender hen arrived with a small salad tossed in a sweet vinaigrette. It was delish! We were really excited about the rest of the meal.
As soon as we were done, the hostess led us past the bustling lounge and raw bar showcasing beautiful, fresh octopus, and into the main dining room where my seat offered a good view of the open kitchen. We shared a bunch of things, starting with the cebiche sampler. It consisted of four plates of fish briefly marinated in different types of "leche de tigre," or chili peppers and lime juice. The clásico featured California halibut and red onions in habanero pepper leche de tigre with Peruvian corn and yam. In the mixto, there was Mahi Mahi, calamari, octopus and habanero pepper in ají amarillo leche de tigre, with cilantro and red onion. In the nikei, ahi tuna was the star, with red onion and Japanese cucumber, in tamarind leche de tigre with avocado. Finally, the chifa consisted of Mahi Mahi with peanuts, scallions, ginger, pickled carrots, daikon, habanero pepper, wonton strips and cilantro with sesame leche de tigre. As many of you know by now, I don't do peanuts, so I had the chifa without, but it was still excellent. We enjoyed each kind immensely, and my husband says it was the best cebiche he has ever tasted. The fish was incredibly fresh and the flavors really popped. Just beware of those thin slices of habanero pepper hiding beneath the cilantro leaves, unless you like setting your tongue on fire.
The anticuchos de pulpo ($13), or grilled octopus skewers with herbed mashed potato with chimichurri sauce and ají panca, is a must. It's amazing. You get large pieces of tender octopus boasting a nice smokey flavor with a slightly sweet hint.
The causa limeña ($12) came out next. It had whipped potato with Dungeness crab, avocado puree, quail egg, cherry tomatoes, ají amarillo Huancaina sauce with basil cilantro oil. It was like a dressed up crab salad, tasty and creamy, but didn't wow us as much as the other items we sampled.
Our server was so enthusiastic about the anticuchos de corazón ($11), or grilled beef heart skewers, which he claimed were so reminiscent of the ones he found while traveling in Peru, that we had to give them a shot. We did this, despite our misgivings, having recently eaten duck heart elsewhere that was really tough and tasted like iron. Well, right on, Nick, you called it! It was surprisingly good, with a texture somewhat similar to a filet. The red rocoto sauce packed a lot of heat, wow! But fortunately, it was on the side so we could use as much or little as we wanted.
The complimentary basket of potato, sweet potato and plantain chips was good which is a testament to how well food is seasoned and prepared here. My husband isn't a big fan of potatoes, but he actually liked the potato chips the best. The chips were crispy, perfectly salted, cut on the thicker side and not all greasy. They came with three sauces: huancaína with ají amarillo, rocoto, and ocopa with peanuts. To boot, my husband also enjoyed the potatoes prepared in different ways in the rest of the dishes; what a nice surprise.
We were too full for dessert, but next time, I may save room for the rollitos de arroz con leche ($10), a rice pudding spring roll topped with homemade ají amarillo and orange marmalade with passion fruit sorbet. We'll see, because first, I want to try other items including tiraditos, sopas, salads, rice plates and main entrees. They also have an interesting wine list with varieties from South America, Spain and California which needs exploring. My husband and I finished our drinks, then rolled out totally content.
Our hostess and server were very friendly and attentive, and we appreciated it when the manager stopped by our table to see how we were doing. We loved the airy space and lively atmosphere, it felt celebratory. It would be great to return to La Mar during the day to take in the Bay view on their 80-seat patio which is decked out in breezy all-white furniture. If our second visit is as good as our first, then I wouldn't hesistate to recommend this place for a date, happy hour, girls' night out, a work event or private party. I'm guessing that Acurio will soon succeed in making cebiche as ubiquitous as sushi around town.
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