Bold as we are when it comes to strange foods, we’ve always been a bit wary of ceviche. Blame it on the guidebooks that got us through South America, but the thought of raw seafood in any form also brought to mind hepatitis and unpronounceable parasites. Back in the safety of our home city, we finally thought it was time to give ceviche a go. So we headed to Rincon Limeno Restaurant, a recently reopened Peruvian favorite on East Boston’s Chelsea Street. Rincon Limeno first caught our attention for its succulent, spit-roasted chicken and hearty yucca fries, back when it had more of a diner feel. Now, the waitstaff wears collared shirts, and the place is so immaculately clean that you could probably forgo the plates and eat right off of a table. But we digress. The restaurant offers a few ceviches: fish, shrimp, and mixto, meaning all of the above (plus squid). Naturally, we got the mixto, and found it was better than we’d hoped: the little sea nuggets in a clean and zesty citrus sauce, spiced up with aji limo (a chile often used in Peru). To delight us even more, we also got cancha – toasted maize kernels that were a familiar snack in our south-of-the-border travels. Fortunately, our mourning for what we’d long missed didn’t detract from our enjoyment in the present. But it did make us promise to keep coming back.
Rincon Limeno [Mouthfuls]
Rincon Limeno Restaurant [Official Site]
