ShopEatSleep

Tucked away in a corner of the Mercado La Paloma just east of USC, Mo-Chica is nothing to look at, really. It looks like just one of the less than 10 stand-like businesses in a warehouse-like space. But if you look closer, you’ll see it’s a unique space that serves Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, perhaps best demonstrated by its take on ceviche.

Mo-Chica’s ceviche is pretty amazing, mostly because it has gotten me to like ceviche at all. This version has a ton of vinegar, chile and citrus, and a nice balance in texture with the inclusion of crunchy popped corn and huge fresh Peruvian corn kernels. The seaweed and sliced red onion are a nice touch, too.

Ceviche

I also really like the lomo saltado, that well-known Peruvian staple of steak and french fries. The meat is flavorful, and the fries are perfectly cooked, despite being so thick — that’s no small feat.

Lomo saltado

The arroz con mariscos, or seafood paella, is a decent dish, though it isn’t a favorite of mine. Looks pretty, though.

Arroz con mariscos

There’s also a causa, or potato salad, of the day. I like the crab version, which layers potato, crab and avocado. The texture is a bit thick, but the flavors are good.

Crab causa

One dish that I definitely don’t like at Mo-Chica is the aji de gellina, which consists of shredded chicken in a bread sauce (made by soaking cubes of bread in broth and evaporated milk and blending with walnuts and parmesan cheese) and topped with hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. It’s a really heavy dish, and I just can’t handle the taste of the aji amarillo peppers, which seems familiar but isn’t very pleasant — at least not to me. Since this was my only experience with this dish, I don’t know whether Mo-Chica’s version is any good, but it’s not something I’d order again.

But I’m willing to forget that dish in the overall scheme of things. There are many more dishes that are worth the trip to the Mercado. Oh, and there’s a cute waiter who works the dinner shift!