better late than never at mo-chica

"better late than never"....like the 40 year old virgin when he finally got laid. "hey, better late than never" when i show up 2 hours late to my friend's birthday party. oops...."better late than never" when heidi montag finally realizes spencer pratt is nuts. yes, some things in life are definitely better late than never, like me FINALLY going to mo-chica contemporary peruvian restaurant located in downtown's mercado la poloma to FINALLY get my grub on. sheesh.

for one who was late to the mo-chica game, the urge to order everything was hard to resist, but i reigned in my urges because i was being treated to a fine meal there and i am not one to take advantage of the situation....though i will if you allow me to. just let me know ok, i am open to it.

i started off with mo-chica's blood red chicha morada ($2) which is purple corn tea. it's a tad too sweet for me and after sipping my friend's maracuya (passion fruit juice), i thought his drink was the better choice. shucks.

i started the grub fest with the ceviche del dia (market price). the huge kernels of peruvian corn and the hard stone-like toasted corn added great texture to the dish. the limey sauce and the sweet sting left on my tongue by the ribbons of raw red onion was a loud gustatory wake up call for my belly. yummy! nothing like good ceviche to start the meal off right.

although there were a ton of intriguing dishes to choose from, the choice was an easy one as i decided on the oxtail risotto ($13)...something about that beefy tail makes me weak in the knees. the small mound of meat heaped in the middle of the cheesy risotto pool was tender to the touch and literally melted in my mouth. the risotto was rather smooth and uber cheesy, requiring a slow-down-and-savor approach to the meal. i was quite satisfied with this dish and burped a loud appreciation for it to the dismay of the well mannered folks that surrounded me.

although i did not wreck havoc on the menu, the two dishes i've tasted thus far at mo-chica has given me more than enough reason to head back for a second tasting. i am glad that i was "better late than never" rather than "a day late and a dollar short." there is something seriously tasty going on in that food court and oh you lucky usc students, it must be crazy busy when school is in session for y'all.

Mo-Chica Contemporary Peruvian Restaurant
3655 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 747-2141

www.mo-chica.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!