Lima Cebichería Peruana in Bixby Knolls—which opened for lunch at noon Tuesdays through Sundays late last year—brings with it a beautifully succinct array of traditional Peruvian dishes that mark the best versions of such in the city. It also deserves some championing: Finding decent lunch spots has become a rarity over the common discovery it was a decade ago. (Let alone a lunch on Monday.)
After last year’s offerings of everything from stellar beef heart to the city’s best tallerines verdes, they will now launch a special $22 lunch special that includes a hefty dish alongside a glass of house-made chicha morada or emoliente.
“We want more people to know about our food,” said co-owner Daiwa Wong, who noted that the space has drawn not necessarily Long Beach crowds but regional Latino crowds who are familiar with lomo saltado and—new to the menu—tallarines. “We know not just Bixby Knolls but Long Beach in general could use some more lunch spaces, and it also gives us the chance to expand our menu.”
What are the new lunch offerings at Lima and how do they work?
Come Jan. 20, Lima will launch a new $22 lunch special that will run for that week. The offerings are:
Ají de Gallina (Jan. 20-25: Shredded chicken | Ají amarillo pepper sauce | Rice
Arroz con Pollo (Jan 27-Feb. 1): Quarter chicken | Cilantro rice | Papa a la huancaina
Adobo de Cerdo (Feb. 2-8): Slow-cooked pork stew with spices | Rice
Wait—what is Lima Cebichería Peruana? And what do they offer?
Moving into the former Chicken University space, the restaurant already showcases a cuisine as essential to Peru as corn itself: cebiche (as it is spelled in Peru). This was along with plates of wok-fried rice, layered with bits of octopus, scallops, and shrimp. Or an arroz con mariscos, a more Peruvian-centric take on rice and seafood. Classic lomo saltado that distinctly differentiates itself from fellow Peruvian joints Ají and Casa Chaskis…
Upon opening, they offered up not just stellar but the best versions of cebiche. And they also have the best causa. A creamy seafood mix—highlighted by chunks of sweet, raw scallops—sits atop a bright, hyper-savory huancaina sauce before, tableside, noodle-like strands of starchy, deeply golden potato are sifted through a ricer.
And now? The city’s (unquestionably) best tallarines verdes. Silky smooth and deep spinach green, this basil-tinged sauce coats linguine before being topped with chunks of steak and onion.
What else is offered for lunch at Lima Cebichería Peruana?
The beef heart and tallarines verdes are amongst my favorite new dishes in the city. Tender, incredibly savory, and paired with an array of fried potato chunks and choclo dipped in chimichurri, it’s a wonderfully unique dish to hit the Long Beach Food Scene. Even better? Their rocoto, used to either spread across the meat, dip the potatoes, eat on its own, or all of the above. Spicier than any other rocoto in the city, it’s a genuinely perfect condiment to a marvelously solid anticuchos.
Anticuchos de Corazón: Beef Heart | Anticuchera Sauce | Potato | Choclo | Peruvian Sauce
Tallarin Verde con Lomo Saltado: Linguini in Peruvian Pesto Sauce | Lomo Saltado
Tallarin a la Huancaina: Linguini in Huancaina Sauce | Lomo Saltado (not pictured)
Some other offerings on the menu to score at lunch…
Here are some of the things Lima has long offered—and will continue to offer through lunch.
Causa “Lima” Especial: Peruvian mashed potato | Seafood mix | Avocado | Huancaina sauce
Leche de Tigre: Chopped fish | Leche de tigre | Onion | Choclo | Cancha | Crispy calamari
La Sirena (Ají Amarillo): Ají amarillo leche de tigre | Sweet potato | Cancha | Choclo | Mixed seafood
Chaufa de Mariscos: Peruvian-Chinese fried rice | Seafood | Egg | Vegetables
Arroz con Mariscos: Rice | Shrimp | Scallops | Calamari | Ají amarillo | Mixed vegetables | Criolla
Pulpo a la Parrilla: Antichuchera-marinated octopus | Chimichurri | Potato | Peruvian sauces.
Lomo Saltado: Wok-fried beef tenderloin | Tomatoes | Red onions | Cilantro | Potato | Rice
Lima Cebichería Peruana is located at 3851 Atlantic Ave.
This all looks so DELICIOUS!