Lima Rotisserie Hen & Peruvian Delicacies proprietor Oscar Escudero is properly conscious that his restaurant, positioned within the Publix-anchored New Tampa Heart plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (a mile or so south of the Pasco County line), has been amongst my favourite eating places in both of our distribution areas since he first opened in Feb. 2020.
“Yeah, we opened lower than a month earlier than the pandemic hit,” Oscar remembers all too clearly. “After which, only some months after we opened, the chef I introduced over from Peru, Felix Picasso, suffered a stroke right here within the restaurant.”
In different phrases, regardless of how a lot a sure editor has at all times cherished his place, Oscar has confronted a number of challenges, together with having to take over as the primary chef within the kitchen — regardless of beforehand working in actual property — and despite the fact that he had by no means even cooked in a business kitchen earlier than.
“Felix taught me the right way to take our recipes, which have been largely my mother’s anyway, and cook dinner them for a lot of folks,” Oscar says. “I’ve put in some 100-hour work weeks attempting to maintain this place going.”
However, not solely has Oscar stored Lima afloat, within the 5+ years since he first opened, his newfound expertise within the kitchen has helped him increase his already-delicious Peruvian-Chinese language fusion menu with ongoing specials which can be a deal with for each your eyes and your palette.
When you’ve been studying my opinions of Lima over time, I’m certain you understand that I’m principally hooked on his all-fish (since I can’t eat shrimp) Ceviché de Pescado, which is nearly as good as any I’ve had anyplace within the Tampa Bay space, with its good mix of South American lime juice and spices, these scrumptious, large Peruvian corn kernels and sliced purple onions. I don’t eat the uncooked onions themselves, however the taste they add is a necessity. I additionally love the wedge of candy potato that’s soaked within the ceviche’s delectable juice.
Properly, on our most up-to-date go to, Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I sampled three new specials, together with a “Marina Trio” (above left), which featured a nice-sized portion of that incredible fish ceviche, flanked on one facet by Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian-Chinese language-style fried rice) Mariscos, with shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams one facet and by fried white fish fingers referred to as Jalea on the opposite. Though I couldn’t eat the fried rice, Jannah and Charmaine agreed that it was scrumptious. I can vouch for the fried rice with both hen or beef tenderloin ideas, although. Yum!
Subsequent up was the Aticucho de Lomo de Res (prime) — tender, tasty beef tenderloin ideas (the standard dish is usually made with beef hearts) on skewers on a steaming dish with sizable sides of crispy potato wedges and grilled Peruvian corn. The one warning I’ll provide is that should you don’t like a really spicy dipping sauce, the innocent-looking facet of pink rocato sauce is actually an eye-opener.
And, despite the fact that Jannah doesn’t like her meal wanting again at her, even she admitted that the third particular we tried — the entire, deep-fried yellowtail snapper, served with thick yuca fries (proper) — was wonderful. The snapper was super-flaky and the flavour is not like different complete snapper/fish you’ll discover at different eating places.
The one common menu merchandise we sampled on our most up-to-date go to, as a result of we had by no means tried it earlier than, was the aptly named Lima Bowl (beneath left) — a heaping portion of creamy (and well-spiced, however not spicy) hen salad, made with Lima’s signature rotisserie hen, served over white rice, black beans and Romaine lettuce with Peruvian-style pico de gallo. So good.
Our Outdated Lima Standbys
In fact, anytime an area place continues to draw my consideration, there are at all times dishes Jannah and I enable ourselves to take pleasure in frequently. Mine at all times begins with the aforementioned Ceviché de Pescado (though I additionally cherished the brand new Ceviché Lima, which provides fried calamari and a savory golden pepper sauce to the standard ceviché), however Jannah’s absolute favourite dish at Lima is the Tallarin Saltado, which has similarities to a Chinese language lo mein-style dish, however combines flamed, sliced onions, tomatoes and cilantro, blended with fettuccine-style pasta and Peruvian soy sauce with a contact of sesame oil.
I’m additionally keen on the number of fried fillet of fish dishes, particularly the Pescado a la Chorrillana, which is topped with sautéed spices, onions, tomatoes and cilantro, with a splash of wine, and served with jasmine rice, in addition to the Asado de Res con Ensalada Rusa, which was a particular I informed you about final 12 months that’s principally the Peruvian model of beef pot roast/brisket, served with a Russian-inspired potato-&-beet salad.
And sure, I’m additionally a fan of Lima’s signature crispy-skin, Peruvian rotisserie hen, however I get virtually as a lot enjoyment merely from the aroma of the hen anytime you enter the restaurant.
“It’s a really particular oven we make the hen in,” Oscar says. “Now we have fairly a couple of common clients who by no means get anything.” When you’re one in every of these regulars, I get it, however my opinion is that that you must broaden your horizons.
Don’t overlook dessert. Charmaine and I each flipped for final 12 months’s Cake de Maracuya, which is form of like a ardour fruit cake & flan combo. It’s gentle, ethereal and scrumptious. We additionally agreed that the particular we tried this time round — the Tres Leches de Lucuma (proper) — positively had a unique taste than any tres leches we’ve had earlier than, because of the South American lucuma fruit which we agreed is a mixture of maple, butterscotch and caramel that’s gentle and never too candy.
Different desserts embody a creamy torta de chocolate, arroz con leche (rice pudding) and alfajores, that are crumbly cookies full of dulce de leche (at all times on the entrance counter).
Lima additionally serves beer (I normally get the Peruvian Cusqueña) and wine, in addition to Inca Kola (common and food plan) and Peruvian juices in ardour fruit and mango. The children menu contains Salchipapas (French fries topped with diced scorching canine), in addition to hen tenders and fried fish strips.
Lima (19062 BBD Blvd.) opens day-after-day at 11 a.m. & stays open till 8 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 9 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & 7 p.m. on Solar. For more information, name (813) 304-0205, order on UberEats or DoorDash, go to LimaTampa.com — and please inform Oscar I despatched you!
