La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

[Joe Gerard]

I had an opportunity to have lunch at La Mar on their third day of operation, and was surprised both by the explosive flavors and the kitchen's ability to hit the ground running. It indicates that Acurio is serious about introducing refined Peruvian cuisine to the masses.

More comments and lousy pictures (the drinks are strong) on the blog.

[Chris Amirault]

Portfolio.com did a piece on Gaston Acurio and La Mar:

Acurio admits that his biggest challenge is yet to come: making Peruvian the new Japanese in the U.S. His first beachhead: A La Mar outlet on San Francisco's Embarcadero that opened in early October and has been packed ever since. "Thirty years ago, there were no Japanese restaurants in the U.S.," Acurio says. "Then one day Americans started eating seaweed and raw fish. Now there's a sushi restaurant on every corner. Why can't we do the same with Peruvian cooking?"

Acurio's plan is to conquer America by using top-end restaurants to brand Peruvian cuisine, then introduce some of his mid-market and fast-food outlets. "The mission is that all these brands will become global," Acurio says. "They all can't do it at the same time—we want to present Peruvian food at the highest level first, and if there's a good reaction, we can put more democratic restaurants in the market."