Tasty and tasteful indeed

On the recommendation of my Spanish teacher, Sylvia, I tried Cala last night – Sylvia had said it was a “great restaurant” and it certainly was nothing less. When I asked the lady at the front desk for a taxi, within a minute she had someone from the hotel take me there.

Cala is right on the cliff of the Pacific somewhat near the GIANT lit-up cross that you can see from almost any place in Miraflores so intermixed with very smooth music, you can hear the thunderous waves crashing against the shore. Against that aural backdrop,I was served some of the best food of my life. In stepping out, I tried the octopus tiradita (which is raw but fixed something like sashimi and it tasted cooked to me) and then a lovely tuna with pesto rissota. Before the meal, I was served the Cala version of the ubiquitous Pisco sour but I got two because the waiter did not think I was eating alone. In between the courses I actually ordered, the waiters would bring by little offerings, such as a crab and red peppers on toast. The patrons appeared to be mostly Peruvians with some tourists like me interspersed.

I took as a compliment that everyone first talks a very rapid Spanish to me, and then faced with my lame Spanish, we mostly communicate with hand gestures and them speaking muy despacio (very slowly).

I join the group this afternoon for a guided tour of downtown Lima and the Larco museum but in the meantime, I’m off on foot again among the locals for a walk in Miraflores.

Tonight I eat at one of the top rated restaurants in Lima if not the world, the Central