New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Department of Hospitality Management
Janet Leffler Dining Room
MEMORANDUM
To: Prof. Abrue, Director of Service
From: Gabriel Negron, Student
Date: 9.19.19
RE: NY Times Restaurant Review
For this week’s New York Times article Pete Wells reviewed Mission Ceviche Restaurant & Bar. This restaurant was started by young Chef José Luis Chávez following the poke craze where he serves different renditions of ceviche. Ceviche is a citrus marinated raw fish with assorted fresh herbs and vegetables a dish holding its origins in Peru. However, Wells states that since opening up this new location he has broadened his range to include more Peruvian foods and flavors.
At the previous location Wells commented that if the chef served food in anything other than a recyclable bowl, he may be on to something, and the chef did just that at his new location as an actual dine in restaurant. The menu for this location gave a little deeper insight into the flavors and nuances of the Peruvian cuisine such as grilled skewers known as anticuchos. The anticuchos that Wells expounded upon was a grilled beef heart, brushed with a creamy rocoto sauce and served with newly fried blue potato chips and kernels of choclo corn. Wells continues to state that although ceviche is the staple of the restaurant and what the waiters push the most the rest of the menu is not a minefield but has some amazing dishes. The dishes include options such as the ají de gallina a shredded chicken breast in a creamy ají amarillo sauce that is both soothing and spicy and the seco norteño, a slowly braised short rib in cilantro sauce. However, the highlight of the menu and the dish in which the Chef has near perfected is the Ceviche. He complements Chef Chávez for his creative initiative when creating ceviche which he compares to the art of mixology. The “Nikkei” ceviche is made with tuna in a modified ponzu sauce seasoned with ají amarilllo and togarashi with watermelon and a dollop of ginger foam. Chef Chávez also created a vegetarian ceviche where the fish is replaced by shiitakes and the leche de tigre takes the form of snow, frozen by liquid nitrogen. Needless to say, the Chávez is a forward thinker in this constantly shifting culinary world and has successfully remained educated in popular trends and fads in the industry.
I would dine at this restaurant due to Well’s review of the authenticity of the Peruvian cuisine and his ability to describe the Chefs ingenuity and creativity in each addition to the menu. I have had ceviche before but never as good as the dishes in this article are described and would jump at the next opportunity to experience their menu.
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