LIMA DAY 8: Just What We Needed... A Buffet!

Desserts - Take Your Pick!

Friday, March 16, 2018

I was going to go to Breakfast, but then something happened and it was Lunch time all of a sudden. So I met Ed, and we we went to Tramontana, a mid-priced Peruvian Buffet joint.

They're not too fancy. I've never been, but have seen their ads and figured it was worth a try.

We got there just as they opened; not everything was out on the Buffet.

 

 

 

There were cold dishes, like Ceviche, Causas and Sushi Rolls. On the steam tables, was un poco te dodo (a little of everything): Chicken Wings (?), Pasta, Stuffed Artichoke Hearts, Lomo Saltad, Duck (!!!!), Fried Calamari, Fish, Yucca, Aji de Gallina, and plenty of other stuff.

Everything was OK; nothing was great. I had three plates. Plus some Rice Pudding for Dessert.

 

All of this, for the two of us, including drinks, was less than $30. I wouldn't do this every day, but it was worth it.

Ed & I met up in Kennedy Park to start our evening's activities. This is a really big and  popular park right in the middle of Miraflores. It has activities almost every day, and families come and there are just lots of goings-on. But what it is most famous for are the cats. There are a lot that hang out there, and the animal rescue group sets up a stand for collections and adoptions and such. So, while I was walking to the meeting point, who did I see but an Ernie-alike!

I miss the little guy!


For Dinner, Ed and I met Fernando at Saint Tropez Restaurante. It's on the other side of town (near where Fernando lives), and with traffic, what should have been a 20-minute taxi ride took an hour.

The Food there is extra-fabulous, the waiters are extra-annoying (they were told that they work in a fancy, expensive restaurant so they have to give good service, but nobody told them HOW TO DO THAT. So they spend the whole night interrupting conversations to ask if everything is OK), and the prices are high but not out of line when you look at the Food quality. They do freshly squeeze the Oranges when you order a Vodka and Orange Juice... Ed says that they are the best Screwdrivers anywhere.

The building is Huge. The main dining room must have over 100 seats. There's a second dining room below that has the same capacity, and there are at least three (that I know of) private rooms scattered about. I have been there five times, including a Sunday afternoon, which is prime Peruvian dining time, and there has never been more than four tables with people. Bertha thinks that they launder money there; I have no idea, but the air conditioning alone has to cost more then they make every night, so who knows.

This was Friday night, maybe it would be packed.

Or not. We were the only customers when we got there at 8 pm. Two more tables came during our meal. There were only four Waiters working, plus the Bartender, plus the Hostess, plus a Boss, plus whoever was in the Kitchen, so I don't know what they would do if everyone in Lima said, "Hey! Let's go to Saint Tropez for Dinner tonight!"

For our Appetizers, we shared four dishes: Ceviceh, Chicharron de Pescado (Fried Fish Chunks), a Shrimp Causa and an order of Beef Carpaccio.

 

 

 

The plates are white; the tablecloth is white... sometimes it is hard to get a good color balance on the photos here.

All four Dishes were wonderful. I was trying to think which one I could describe as 'especially good,' but no -- they all were especially good. The Fish Chunks were fresh, very lightly Breaded, and fabulous. The topping on the Causa made me think that i should just order it, bring two slices of Bread, and make a Shrimp Salad Sandwich. And the Carpaccio was topped with a really tasty Mustard-based sauce, so I'm a big fan.

For our Main Courses, I ordered the Lenguado (Flounder) Saltado with Spaghetti instead of Potatoes and Rice, both Fernando and Ed chose the Grilled Tuna.

 

 

 

 

Swapping in the Spaghetti (Tallarin is what they call it here) is a fairly standard thing. The Fish here was excellent, as is the flavor of the Sauce on the Pasta. Both Fernando and Ed didn't say much while they were eating their Tuna, so I am guessing that it went well for them, too.

All three of us ordered the Chocolate Souffle for Dessert. In a Meal full of great things, this might well have been the VIP.

It was warm, fluffy, delicious, and full of Chocolate Sauce on the inside. If only it photographed better. Well, if you want a better look, you have a link for the restaurant above.

Here's a Bonus Video. The people at one of the other two tables ordered a whole Fish. The was this one was cooked included wrapping it in aluminum foil and baking it. For either cooking or presentation purposes (or both), it was brought to their table in a blaze of fire.

That was enough for the day. More than enough.