I had the good fortune to spend a recent birthday lunch at Andina, Portland’s destination for upscale Peruvian fusion cuisine.
Soon after menus were dropped, we were presented with bread and this trio of salsas. At the far end was a mild, smooth and creamy salsa infused with peanuts, in the middle a vibrant, fruity puree, and at the near end a fiery, intense salsa verde. All were absolutely great, with the heat factor intensifying as you worked from creamy to verde.
PIMIENTO PIQUILLO RELLENO “Piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese, quinoa and Serrano ham”
Pimiento cross-section. A perfect appetizer. Light, refreshing.
ANTICUCHO DE PULPO “Grilled octopus kebob with rocoto and caper chimichurri”
One of the better octopus dishes in recent memory. It was served on top of a delicious, savory, starchy (yuca/cornmeal?) puree—I could have eaten a whole bowl of this stuff.
A LA CHALACA “Sashimi-style fresh fish in an ají Amarillo vinaigrette, served with corn salsa criolla”
Today’s fish featured Ono. The ají Amarillo had just the right level of heat to punch up this raw dish. I could drink the vinaigrette straight up in a shot glass.
AJÍ DE GALLINA “Succulent pulled chicken in an ají Amarillo, peanut, and cream-based sauce served with yellow potatoes, white rice, and Botija olives and hard-boiled egg”"
Comfort food at it’s finest. Portland would be well-served by a food cart dishing out Peruvian home cooking such as this.
CONCHAS A LA PARILLA “Grilled diver scallops with a garlic lime butter sauce and crispy onions”
The scallop was wonderfully grilled, slightly opaque in the center, with a mild sauce accentuated with a bit of soy. The onions could have been a bit more crisply flash-fried.
Andina continues to be one of Portland’s brightest shining stars, with expertly presented, colorful dishes and vibrant flavors churned out with punctual regularity. A true gem.
Andina
1314 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-9535
Andina on THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Food Dude’s Review.
PDX Plate.
PortlandFood.org.
Bruce/Wineguyworld has been here.
So has KAB.
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August 15th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Katnkim
Man, that looks like enough of a reason to visit Portland.
August 16th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Eugenia
Hiya, this is off topic but I don’t see an email. I’m trying to find Szechuan products in PDX and will be up there this week — any recommendations on a Chinese market that might have a better import selection from the usual Lee Kum Kee? I visited H-Mart a few weeks ago after reading about it on your blog and browsed the shelves, but didn’t have luck there (not that I thought I would for Szechuan). Thanks for any insights!
August 17th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
SauceSupreme
Fubonn on 82nd and that other Chinese market on SE Division and 84th should have stuff beyond Lee Kum Kee.
August 17th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
wineguyworld
man, that just reminds me of how freakishly good and fresh everything at Andina is. I love their pulpo, even better are the mashed potatoes that come with it. Great pics too!