LOCAL Houston | The City Guide MARCH 2015 | Page 19

Local March 2015FINAL.qxp_002houston 2/21/15 3:42 PM Page 19 Amazon Chicken pork sandwich. A type of Peruvian street food, this one is crafted with pork shoulder that has been sous vide to a tender moist softness, and pan-seared for flavor. Served on a freshly baked bread with sweet potato and grilled red onions and mayo, it’s simple but delicious. SAMPLE MENU - COCKTAILS • Coca Fizz – Coca leave herbal liquor, basil extract, orange juice, agave nectar, green grapes, lemon, spearmint leaves fennel bitters and Prosecco. $12 - CEBICHES • Fisherman – mixed seafood, mixed leche de tigre, cilantro, ginger garlic, green onions, sweet potato puree, cancha choclo and red onions. $16 - FROM THE STREETS OF PERU • Anticuchos – Grilled heart, roasted potatoes, roasted choclo andhuacatay sauce. $10 - ENTRÉES • Pescado a lo Macho – Pan-seared white seasonal fish, mixed seafood, creamy Peruvian peppers, Pisco sauce and roasted potatoes. $20 Another must-not-miss is the Ceviche de Pato, which is a total wow. A specialty from Northern Peru, this hot dish is made of crisp leg of duck confit. The opaque yellow ceviche sauce, which resembles a yellow curry in color, is poured tableside so that it bubbles and sizzles, giving off scintillating aromas – more spectacular and definitely better than the two excellent versions I had in Lima. If you want something more traditional, Chef Roberto’s lomo saltado, a stir-fried beef tenderloin dish, never disappoints. You can find this all over Peru, but the Latin Bites version is in a class of its own. Wok-fried and tossed in a special recipe of 15 different ingredients, and served with white rice and french fries, it’s a “chef’d” up Peruvian classic done with style. Likewise, his pollo a la parilla, or grilled chicken, is always fantastic. Alas, we were too full to try the desserts on this visit (the alfajores are divine though), but I did try a couple of their cocktails, including a lusciously creamy pisco sour made with guanabana and the Coca Fizz. Made with Peruvian coca leaf herbal liqueur, this one was served in an attractive crushed copper cup and garnished with grape and mint, a great accompaniment to a truly fine, authentic Peruvian meal. LATIN BITES By Mai Pham Photography by Sarah Miller contemporary cuisine 5709 Woodway Dr. | Houston, TX 77057 | 713.229.8369| www.latinbitescafe.com | [email protected] LUNCH: Monday–Friday 11am–2:30pm | DINNER: Monday-Saturday 5–10pm | HAPPY HOUR: Monday-Friday 4:30–7pm | Closed Sunday march 15 | L O C A L 19