It was a pleasure to have Bianka Kamber (@biankakamber) at our Queen Street West location and experience Brasa’s Peruvian cuisine for the first time! During his visit he learns about Peru, Peruvian cuisine, and the imported Peruvian ingredients we use in our hot bowls and fresh salads. He also had the chance to build the Chifa Short Rib Bowl.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE:
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Jay: Hello lads. I’m here with Bianka today and this is her first time here at our Queen and John location. How has it seemed so far?
White: So cute. I said it has a very New York feel, which I like.
Jay: How much do you know about Peru?
White: I’ve never been there. And I don’t think we have many Peruvian restaurants in town, that I know of.
Jay: Peru is known for its vibrant colors, its fabrics, its clothes…
White: When I think of Peru, I think of meat dishes, barbecued things and ceviche and this is really it
White: Those, those little guys are my favorite.
Jay: Sweet peppers?
White: Sweet peppers. Are those Peruvians?
Jay: They are Peruvian, yes! They are also known as Inca Red Drops. And it’s a nice combination of flavor and sweetness.
White: They are so good…
Jay: Haven’t tried any of our bowls before?
White: I haven’t tried any. The one that impressed me the most was the prime rib, one because I love red meat.
Jay: YES.
White: And two because I think ribs are something you would find at a fancy restaurant. So I was really surprised that it was on the menu and that all the ingredients sounded really good. So I think I want to try the rib bowl. So let’s do it.
White: I’m going to have these guys arrested.
Jay: Roll up your sleeves!
White: It smells so good.
Jay: So the first is the mixed—
White: Greens and then we’ll put…
Jay: Heated seasonal rice.
White: Did I do that well?
Jay: Yes, you’re good. You will love the rice. It’s nice, soft, fluffy! And then we get into the chifa right here.
White: Oh my gosh, this looks so good.
Jay: They have hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce and a little gravy from the meat itself. Chifa is a Peruvian Chinese fusion.
White: That’s great, I didn’t know that. I already like it because I love Asian flavors too.
Jay: Here, I’ll do the honors because I’m like… you can tell I’m drooling.
White: It looked so beautiful.
Jay: And then we take the onions. Here we are. Tap, tap, tap!
White:
Jay: Yes, so next we’ll have the broccoli.
White: All right.
Jay: And then we got the Salsa Criolla. It is practically used as a side dish or even to garnish Peruvian dishes.
White: It looks absolutely delicious.
Jay: And then we have chili peppers, honey.
White: Oh my favorite! This will literally take me back. I love t
how they pop in your mouth and are so full of delicious sweetness but with that tangy flavor. Very exotic. I didn’t even know I would find this here.
Jay: So now let’s get straight to the hot lime rocoto dressing. Rocoto is a type of pepper native to Peru, and the lime helps balance the heat. Did you want to do the honors of the house?
White: Safe.
Jay: Well. I would recommend using our typical Brasa sauce.
White:
Jay: There you have it and Bianka has her Chifa Bowl ready!
White: I had so much fun.
Jay: What would you say was your big takeaway?
White: So I had absolutely no idea that there was an Asian influence in Peruvian cuisine and I love Asian food. And the fact that the two are getting married together seems so beautiful. And I can’t wait to taste my bowl. It’s like torture having it right there.
White: Ok, I think I have a little bit of everything here.
White: It’s so, so beautiful. It tastes like a home cooked meal. The flavors are super rich. There is so much in every single bite. Like most times I eat a meal, I think, oh, that wasn’t for me. You have to get something else. No, every single bite tastes different and I love it.
So, all good. The meat is delicious. It’s so cute. The bomb to dress. I am a very severe food critic. Nice work Brasa, guys, you made a great impression!