LOCAL Houston | The City Guide MARCH 2015 | Page 18

Local March 2015FINAL.qxp_002houston 2/21/15 3:42 PM Page 18

DINE WRITE

IT’S LIKE TAKING A
VIRTUAL TRIP TO PERU
THROUGH HIS FOOD.

Lomo Saltado

“ROBERTO’S FOOD IS SO GOOD,” SAID MY FRIEND MARIA-ROSA ALVAREZ-CALDERON LARCO. “IT’S THE BEST
PERUVIAN FOOD IN HOUSTON, AS GOOD AND AS AUTHENTIC AS ANYTHING YOU’LL FIND IN LIMA.”
Peruvian by descent, Maria-Rosa grew up in Lima before moving to
Houston for many years. She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already
know. I’ve been to Peru twice in the last two years, sampling food from
the most basic market stand in Cusco to some of the best restaurants in
Lima, among them Astrid y Gaston, Central, Maido and Malabar.
And every time I step into the doors of Latin Bites, CHEF ROBERTO
CASTRE’S modern Peruvian eatery in Tanglewood, it’s like taking a virtual trip to Peru through his food.
Plan to start your gastronomic journey with the signature Trio Tiradito –
strips of white fish sashimi topped with three different types of aji (chili)

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sauces laid out in strips of pastel yellow, peach and cream color. Each
sauce has a distinctive, tangy, acidic flavor, punctuated with bites of
Peruvian choclo (large corn kernels).
Follow this with one of his signature ceviches. The Market Cebiche is
a must for every first-timer. Seeped in a traditional leche de tigre
(tiger’s milk) made with aji rocoto, the crispy textures of fried calamari
next to the chunks of fresh white fish and tender octopus are quite
wonderful. Also wonderful: the stunning new Passionfruit Cebiche, a
gorgeously plated dish with lovely aromatics, crushed corn powder
and the fruity sweet yet tart essence of passionfruit.
I had to try Chef Roberto’s Pan con Chicharron, essentially a Peruvian