Picca

9575 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

9.0

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Cuisine
Peruvian

310-277-0133

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By Chris Stang
January 11, 2012

Dining in Los Angeles is different than dining in New York. You probably don’t need us to tell you that, but every time we eat food in this town, we’re reminded of the fact that having a valet out in front of the restaurant is just about as essential as getting good press. Let’s just say that different things matter here.

Excuse us then, for being a bit skeptical when we read somewhere that Picca chef Ricardo Zarate is currently doing for Peruvian cuisine what David Chang did for Korean. That’s essentially the food industry equivalent of “insert band name here is the next Nirvana.” I think I’ve heard that about fifty times in my twelve years working in the music business, and all in fifty cases, those dudes have day jobs now. As a matter of fact, half of them probably work in restaurants.

But for once, that kind of hype isn’t an indication of assured mediocrity. Whoever wrote that David Chang thing is absolutely right. Actually, it’s not even fair to Zarate to measure his talent by using another chef as the standard. Picca is one of the most exciting new restaurants we’ve been to in a very long time, and this guy is destined to be a nationally known name in his own right. Food & Wine actually just crowned him 2011′s Best New Chef, and we’d be surprised if there weren’t at least a few cookbooks on the way. Most of the time, that stuff doesn’t make any difference to us, but this restaurant is special. We went into our meal at Picca having no idea what to expect from Peruvian food and flavors, and came away craving things we’d never tasted before. How about some mussels with pancetta and aji amarillo butter? Or a Peruvian twist on sushi? Every bite is like a grenade going off in your mouth, and it makes you mad that all meals aren’t this satisfying. Now we just need one of these in New York so Ricardo Zarate can give David Chang a real run for his money. And they won’t even need a valet.

Food Rundown:

Causa Spicy Tuna
These little causas are essentially a Peruvian twist on sushi. Instead of rice, the fish sits atop a traditional potato mixture that’s formed into a cube. These things are delicious, and you should eat a whole bunch of them. This one was our favorite, thanks to the tender shrimp and pickled cucumbers.

Ceviche Croncante
Holy sh*t. I don’t even really know what to say about this other than that it’s about the most satisfying plate of food I’ve ever had in a restaurant. It’s a big bowl of citrusy, punchy sauce with some perfect ceviched halibut and delicious calamari. What you end up with is an extremely aggressive flavor and a soft vs. crunchy thing going on texture-wise. What’s better than that?

Oysters a la Chalaca
I don’t even need to say anything. Just look at the picture.

Conchas a la Parmesana
These scallops were absolutely incredible. The baked parmesan on top seals the tasty scallop and some spinach in the shell. I’ve never had a scallop like that, and it might have ruined me for all future scallops. I’ll never get over you.

Chicharron de Pollo
Wow. Who knew chicken nuggets could taste like this. These little deep fried things are amazing, and so is the chili aioli they’re served with. Order them.

Anticucho Beef Filet
You might know this better as yakitori. All of the “antichchos” on the menu are meats or vegetables that have been skewered and cooked on the restaurant’s robata grill. You’ll want to order a few. Also, I would eat a human arm if there was sea urchin butter on it. No question.

Seco de Pato
Duck leg confit. Black beer sauce. Cilantro rice. Tell me there is any chance you see that on a menu and don’t order it. And if you tell me you don’t like duck, you should probably just go back to reading that Real Housewives blog or whatever site you were on before this.

Arroz con Erizo
This is “Peruvian paella” with mixed seafood and a “sea urchin sauce.” We were surprised not to love this, especially considering my previous comment about sea urchin, but I just don’t think the application works that well here.

Locro de Quinoa
Also known as a quinoa pumpkin stew, this would probably be an excellent breakfast. It’s a bit sweet from the spices and the pumpkin, and the egg makes it extra breakfast worthy.

Giant Ribeye
We didn’t order this – I believe it’s a special – but we saw plenty coming off the robata grill on our night in the restaurant, and it looked amazing. It’s a massive steak that’s marinated for a few days in god knows what and then cooked sous vide and finished on the grill. I just flexed while I typed that.