restaurant review: chimu

chimu in williamsburg, brooklyn

the other night, my significant other and i dined at a wonderful local eatery, chimu (a peruvian steakhouse). i had never been, but she had been numerous times and that was enough to convince me to go. and besides, i love steak in all forms.

the place was packed and i really didn't get much of a feel for the decor other than "welcoming." it's a small space, but they manage to pack the people in, without feeling like you're eating on top of your neighbor.

instead of the chips and salsa you might receive at a mexican restaurant, as we sat down we were given a small bowl of crunchy corn kernels (i'm not sure how they were prepared). somewhere between a "corn nut" and an unpopped kernel at the bottom of a bowl of popcorn, they were salty and crunch and completely addictive.

next up, a pitcher of sangria. refreshing. fruity.

an order of tostones, with a garlic & butter dipping sauce was the only appetizer needed. and good thing too because the entree portions were huge. with encouragement from my date, i ordered the "tacu tacu de carne" (rice and beans risotto topped with grilled steak and creole sauce). side note: peruvian risotto is completely different from italian risotto. and "tacu tacu" is apparently "grilled steak" but it didn't come as risotto topped with steak, it came as a mound of risotto (the size of half a cantaloupe) with a slab of steak (the size of an ipad) next to it. it could have easily fed two people. over the past few weeks/months, i've often felt like a competitor at an eating competition, and this was no different. i ate the whole thing by myself (minus a bite given up to my companion... in exchange for a bite of her grilled chicken).

not to be overlooked, my companion's grilled chicken was tender and flavorful, but i only had eyes for my tacu tacu.

there was no room for dessert.

restaurant review: five leaves

i've been meaning to try five leaves ever since i initially passed by its humble exterior advertising oysters (i love oysters). but even more intriguing was a review i once read touting the ominous "five leaves burger" which includes pickled beets and a fried egg (reminiscent to the simpson's "good morning burger"). lured by its siren call, i had to try the burger, there was no choice (despite a menu full of appealing choices). when the burger arrived at my table, i could hear the people at neighboring tables gasping in horror/awe at the abomination that had been set before me. i could hear them whispering under their breath about its shear size (comparable to an ipad). not to be outdone, i quickly dispensed of the burger. sometimes i even surprise myself.

my companion ordered the pork chop which was juicy and equally huge. i think it had some sort of molasses glaze, but, honestly, i was focused on the burger and little else.

as an appetizer we tried the "devils on horseback" an interesting combination of dates wrapped in bacon, served with a spicy mustard. they were tasty, but a bit cumbersome (served on toothpicks that didn't quite allow for easy eating... as they were both too large and too hot to eat in one bite). that being said, the combination of sweet from the date and salty from the bacon made a delicious snack, and once again shows that bacon goes with everything and makes everything better.