Lima City: Peruvian Food In The OC

Gustavo Arellano is a journalist at the OC Weekly, Orange County's weekly alternative rag (or as it is now known in popular culture, the OC) .

He recently discovered Lima City, a food court find in Irvine, located in south Orange County, California (not to be confused with Orange County, Florida).

According to Arellano, 'Lima City sells Peruvian favorites, and surprisingly good renditions considering its humble abode. The tallarín — Peruvian chow mein — usually sauced like spaghetti, is served in heaps, often topped with beef pounded as thin as a magazine, then dipped in batter and fried; it’s like eating a fried-egg sandwich. The soups are thick and chock-full of seafood, the rice dishes plentiful, the ceviche is tart and contains a whole corn-on-the-cob. Lima City also offers an ever-changing buffet that can feature anything from cod fillets to crispy empanadas.'

Having been raised in the OC, I was amazed at discovering the incursion of Peruvian food in this bastion of Americana.

Arellano writes: 'Everything else on the special menu excels. On top of the list (literally and figuratively) are the Peruvian tamales. And though Peruvian cuisine isn’t typically thought of as spicy, the heat burrowed inside the mushy masa is enough to make a Mexican wince. Baked into the tamale is shredded beef, peanuts, olives and a whole hard-boiled egg that lies hiding within, like the statue in a New Orleans king cake. Tallarín also makes an appearance, slathered in crumbled cheese and garlic, a jumble of heartiness borne from the Italians. And whenever you visit, order the anticuchos, skewered beef hearts paired with pork belly. They take a while to cook, but the wait is worth it: the marinade seeps all the way into the holding stick until you get the most flavorful toothpick on Earth.'

Read Arellano's complete article at this link.


Lima City
2540 Main St # J
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 553-1401


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TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana