Valentine's Day Dinner at Machu Picchu Restaurant

On our second Valentine's Day as a couple, Carlos and I ventured out to one of our top favorite restaurants: Machu Picchu in Somerville, MA (Union Sqaure). We did this last Valentine's Day so we thought it would be a nice treat to go back again for the same celebration. Machu Picchu serves wonderful authentic Peruvian food. I've been here numerous times and it never disappoints.

When you sit down, you are greeted with a plate of Peruvian Cancha and dipping sauce. Cancha is toasted kernels from Choclo corn (a type of corn with super big kernels which is also used in soups and appetizers served at the restaurant). I forget what's in the sauce but it's a wonderful blend of spicy and cool. You take a spoon, scoop up a few canchas and dip into the sauce. Much better than any buttered popcorn!

For beverages, Carlos got an authentic Peruvian beer called Cusquena and I got a mixed drink called Pina Borracha (translated into Drunk Pineapple) which was a wonderful mixture of coconut, pineapple, cherry and rum. Mmm...

For an appetizer, we shared a plate of Chicharrones de Cerdo. These are large cubes of pork, salted and deep fried and served with thinly sliced and grilled sweet potatoes and pickled red onions. Oh. My. Goodness. This is so amazing. I fell in love with this dish the first time I had it with my friend H. It's something I always look forward to when I come to visit this restaurant.

But the piece de resistance is the Lomo Saltado. This is by far Carlos' favorite dish and it's my favorite too. Strips of beef cooked with tomato, red onion and fried potatoes served with a big scoop of rice and topped off with cilantro. Wow! It's salty and greasy and delicious. We split our plates in half so we could enjoy the goodness the next day for lunch.

See how excited Carlos is to dive into his plate of Lomo Saltado?

 

The waiter, who is super nice and has waited on us several times before, offered to take our picture at the bar. Aren't we a cute couple?

If you live in the area, please make a special trip to Machu Picchu. It won't even cost you a plane ticket! And on certain nights they play live music, so make sure you call ahead to reserve a spot.

Birthday Dinner at Casa Portugal

Carlos treated me to a birthday dinner at Casa Portugal. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the area simply because they serve authentic and delicious Portuguese food. Stepping inside the restaurant feels like you just skipped off the continent and into Portugal. The restaurant is decorated with ornamental tile and china work, just like a proper Portuguese restaurant wood. They have an extensive collection of wines, including Vinho Verde (Portuguese Green Wine). I would come to Casa Portugal on weekdays I had free. It would be great to come have an inexpensive and authentic Portuguese lunch and it made me feel good to support a local business. However, this was a special occasion and Carlos said I could order anything I wanted, no matter the price. I already knew what I wanted even before I got there.

Can't you tell I'm really excited for my food?

And here it is! Arroz con Marisco (Rice with Seafood). It's a big pot of rice in a spicy tomato broth and filled to the brim with lots of seafood. It was a treasure trove of delights from the sea. Lobsters, shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and scallops. Oh what a delight. Whenever my parents and I would travel to Portugal, we'd always visit the same restaurant in Aveiro and get a family-sized pot of Arroz con Marisco to share. It's such a part of my childhood that eating this meal brought back lots of happy memories. However, it was quite a lot for little ole me but I made as big of a dent as I possibly could.

Before the meal, we were served a basket of Portuguese Bread, Broa and marinated olives. Broa is one of my favorite breads. It's a white cornbread, very thick and chewy and perfect for dunking in some olive oil or in a bit pot of Arroz con Marisco. The couple behind us got a plate of flaming (literally on fire) chorizo links. They smelled so good that Carlos and I plan to come back again to Casa Portugal to get those.

Carlos ordered Bife Grehlado (Grilled Steak) with came with Portuguese rice, the restaurant's style of potatoes as well as some vegetables. His steak was more rare than medium-well but he enjoyed it nonetheless. My meal was super messy as I tried to fish (pun intended) the meat out of the half-lobster as well as the clams and mussels. It was well worth the mess.

It was a great way to celebrate my birthday. Thank you so much Carlos. You are the best boyfriend in the world.

Regular Haunts ~ Taipei Tokyo Cafe

Taipei Tokyo Cafe is a wonderful Japanese restaurant that is ridiculously convenient to me. There are two locations, one being a stone's throw from my work and another being a stone's throw from my home. It's a small restaurant that features great Sushi, Bento boxes and Lunch Specials. My friend and coworker Lisa and I go there regularly for some good quality food.

Lisa always gets the Oolong tea. It's served in this beautiful teapot.

Their Hot & Sour Soup is absolutely divine. A perfect combination of hot broth and tofu, seaweed, scallions, bamboo and egg. It's spicy and warming and a great deal at only $1.00 when you order a meal.

The Lunch specials range from $6 to $8 and they are a great deal. You a small plate, an egg roll with dipping sauce and a small bowl of rice. I got General Gao's chicken with broccoli and white rice. My favorite standby is usually their Jumbo Shrimp with Vegetables and brown rice.

Their Sushi is wonderful too. Very light, refreshing and tasty. Above is Lisa's plate of cucumber/avocado sushi rolls and sweet potato tempura rolls. I love the piles of ginger and wasabi. You get your own little plate to pour your soy sauce on to. My only complaint about this place is that perhaps the waitress (at one of the two locations) isn't all that friendly. However, it's a cozy place and the food makes the service tolerable.

It's a shame I haven't written about Taipei Tokyo Cafe before. In fact, it's a downright shame that I don't write about my favorite haunts. I hope to devote a few posts to a new small series called "Regular Haunts" in which I feature restaurants and other foodie haunts that I frequent.