Sazon, the new Peruvian flavor around the corner

I have to say that we have been waiting for this restaurant, Sazon Peruvian Cuisine, to open its doors for a few weeks. One day, my wife drove by and noticed a sign about it, you know, that kind of sign that says “Coming Soon” or something like that. Anyway, the point is that living in the North Bay Area has the disadvantage of not having local restaurants with Peruvian food at all, in particular, if you are a Peruvian like me. So, I was excited about the possibility of finally having one around the corner. Ergo, I might not be 100% objective, but com’on! Who can really be objective about food?

Having said that let me add that I will try not to be too hard on this review since they just open this Monday. So, let’s get down to business. First impression was good, not fancy or a hole in the wall, although a few more paintings on the walls might have been nicer. Everything looked very clean, organized with just some tiny little details in the paint work, but everything else was OK: tables, chairs, silverware, candles, music, etc. The service was a lot better than what I have experienced in other Peruvian restaurants in the Bay Area. No complains; my wife was also happy with it. The people working there were dressed professionally; greeting us with a sincere smile was a nice gesture not very common any more.

We decided to play it safe this time, therefore we shared an appetizer and we did not have dessert. The appetizer was a good “Causa Limeña”, well done and the presentation was an A. Its size was more than enough for the both of us, given the fact that we also shared a side dish of “Yuca Frita”. We wished the side dish had more pieces of yuca, but we can’t complain since it was only $4.00. I was tempted to ask for a Peruvian soda, Inca Kola, until I noticed it is the one produced in New Jersey. Thank you, but no thank you; it just doesn’t taste the same as the one in Peru. Instead of it, we asked for “Chicha Morada”, not bad, but it was watery. On the good side, they refilled it several times, so again we can’t complain.

As far as the main dishes go, just one word: Sabrosos! Still playing it safe, we ordered “Ají de Gallina” and “Lomo Saltado”; both were perfect. It is hard to mess up these dishes. That’s why they are a safe bet on any menu, and also you can easily judge a place based on these two dishes. My wife had the “Lomo Saltado” which she really enjoyed and noticed that the meat was tender as it is supposed to be. This is a big difference with other Peruvian restaurants in the Bay Area. My “Aji de Gallina” was a little bit spicy but just enough to enhance the flavor. If you can’t stand any spice or hotness, you better stay away from it. The rice in both dishes was kind of bland. My guess is that they want to appeal to all kinds of people, not only flavor-intense driven people like me.

Finally, as my wife pointed out, it would be hard to accommodate a party of 6 or more. But it’s OK, this is not a big restaurant; it is a local restaurant that is just starting out. If things go right, they might move to a bigger place later on. Let’s not forget that given the current economy, it is a big bet to open a restaurant anywhere in the Bay Area. At the end, we enjoyed the ambiance; the food was delicious, great service and fair prices ($44.25 without tip). I do recommend this place, drive up north and try it, you will not regret it. We will definitely be back, especially once they finally get their liqueur license so we can try their Pisco Ice Cream.

Yummy.