Food of Peru Pt. 1 -- Breakfast

So it's been about a week and a half since I returned from my Peru trip, and I still find myself thinking/dreaming about the food I had there.  You guys, it was awesome.  Meat, rice, corn, potatoes - so many potatoes - fruit, and such huge quantities.  But we walked a lot, and over so many steps, that luckily my clothes still fit alright...kind of.

We had so many delicious meals at so many different places, that I've decided to make this a series, instead of trying to cram everything into one post.  Plus, me and my cousins were lucky enough to get a reservation at the number 4 restaurant in the world, Central (http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners), and it definitely needs it's own post (prepare for a lot of adoration and fawning over..).

So there are some foods that I wasn't crazy about before, but Peru changed that.  Like quinoa.  I wouldn't say I hated quinoa, but it was definitely something I avoided when I saw it on menus.  Not my favorite.  UNTIL! We had the world's greatest quinoa soup at a little mountain village, and my stomach was forever changed.  At some restaurant, there was like a quinoa pudding?  Some didn't like it, but I thought it tasted like the world's greatest, healthiest marshmallow.  I'm not sure if that's the most appetizing description, but I dig marshmallows.

And cheese.  I didn't love cheese before.  Unless you pair it with meat and wine and crackers.  But I ate so much cheese in Peru.  Every hotel breakfast had at least three different cheeses.  I think the queso fresco was my favorite. But mostly everything at the breakfasts were my favorite...

The breakfast beverage options were pretty awesome.  I always had to have a cup of cafe con leche -- partly due to the early morning wake up calls, but mostly due to it being absolutely delicious.  And then always a glass of water or coca tea to try and alleviate any altitude sickness....followed up by a glass of fresh fruit juice (pineapple and papaya were my favorites).

The food generally remained the same at the hotels we stayed at -- different bread and pastry options, an omelette station, hot foods, fruits, etc., but some places had some items that definitely stood out.

One location had french toast, which was standard, but one of the condiments was CONDENSED MILK.  My sister found this awesome little combination (where has this been all my life?!) and it was life-changing.  Other places had french toast, but we didn't find any condensed milk, which may have been for the better.  My health conscience tells me this should be a special occasion kind of meal...

I believe the same location had something called chifa rice with chicken stew.  The night we landed in Lima, I remember being in the car and going past so many placed with "Chifa" in the name.  These are Chinese-Peruvian restaurants, which I imagine are so good.

Side note: I LOVE THE RICE IN PERU. It's the best texture....it's a little sticky, and it's awesome for sauces and stirfry -- it just sucks all the great flavor up.  Part of the reason the lomo saltado is so amazing.  Also why I think Chinese-Peruvian must be the jam.

So back to this chifa rice -- essentially it's their version of fried rice, which covered in this amazing yellow chicken stew with potatoes....my type of breakfast. (I don't usually prefer breakfast foods).

So that's breakfast. It's funny, I thought that after eating large breakfasts every day in Peru, I'd be needing it back home, but I haven't really.  Perhaps if there was some condensed milk french toast or chifa rice up in here....

We were able to get some really great coffee -- my sister went to Ecuador before Peru and picked up a nice bag, and then my sister-in-law got another bag in Peru.  Have you ever heard of poop coffee? I'd seen something about it on probably an Andrew Zimmern show, but didn't realize they had it in Peru.  Basically there's this animal that eats coffee berries and then poops out the coffee beans.  It's then made into one of the most expensive coffees in the world.  We had been told that it was called Tunki coffee, but I think that may just be the farm that makes it.  So non-poop coffee was accidentally purchased, but we tried an espresso shot of the poop coffee later, and I think we're all pretty happy about the purchase.  It wasn't BAD, it was just pretty unique.  And I definitely preferred the non-poop coffee.

I'm sure there's a better term than poop coffee...but that's the best I can come up with, at the moment. Appetizing, I know.

So that's part 1! Stick around for lunches, dinners, more beverages, and CENTRAL :)

BuHi Eats: Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl

I love living where I do.  I moved from the burbs about a year or so ago, and there are many things that have the made the move awesome, but on the top of my list?  Shortening the drive to Buford Hwy down 15 minutes.  I looove my asian food, and Buford Hwy's got a lot of the good stuff!  Plus, the farmer's market there has pretty much got everything a chubby Taiwanese girl could possibly want (except for maybe safety...).

One of my favorite places there? Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl.  I first heard of it from my siblings after the mushroom bibimbap was put on the Creative Loafing's 100 Dishes to Eat Before You Die list -- and you already know my first reaction was, "Mushroom bibimbap? No meat? Mehhhh".  But you know what?  It. Is. Amazing.  As is all their other bibimbap variations, such as the spicy squid, kimchi pork, even just the traditional beef one.  I haven't tried their eel one, but must do so at some point.  Just let the rice sit for a bit when you first get the bowl, and you get that amazing crust on the bottom.  Mmmm.  PS, their seafood pancake is pretty much on point.  

But the BEST DISH THERE, and totally worth of all caps, is the Dolsot Bulgogi.  A picture doesn't even do this thing justice.  They set it down for you and it's bubbling, like a witch's cauldron, but of something amazing and good.  And it stays hot for the entirety of your dinner (not for sensitive tongues, unless you want to put some ice cubes in it, or something).  AND you just dip your spoon with some rice and get that sweet, salty, spicy soup, accompanied with some bits of beef or rice cake or glass noodles or pepper and life is good.  Also, you'll definitely have leftovers (unless you have a monstrous stomach), so even at $19.99, it's not a bad deal.  

You have to try this place!  But don't go on Wednesdays, Grandma has to rest...per the sign on the door :)