Pucquio draws its contemporary take on Peruvian cuisine from the artistry and traditions of its country of origin. The very tiny restaurant delivers favorites like aji de gallina and arroz con mariscos with unexpected details like olives, walnuts, and parmesan cheese. On the dessert menu too, riffs on Peruvian pastries like sweet potato donuts filled with dulce de leche and rice pudding brulee with purple corn sorbet are memorable deviations from the norm. // 5337 College Ave. (Oakland), https://www.pucquio.com/menu
My spouse and I love Peruvian food but menus tend to be the same in all of them. The exception was Pucquio in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. Owner/chef Carlos Moreira does traditional dishes with genuine creative flair. A simple dessert of ice cream with the booziest pisco-soaked currants ever knocked our socks off, LOL.
Sister Moroccan restaurants: Aziza and Mourad.
Absolutely DO NOT MISS the couscous at either restaurant. Owner Mourad Lahlou’s recipe for it takes 10 hrs and it is exquisite!
Mourad is more upscale, creative Moroccan preps without the overhyped belly dancing/draped walls shtick. Aziza is the equally creative but more relaxed CA-Moroccan little brother, more neighborhood/less fancy (note: parking is WICKED hard in the Richmond district where it’s at; I used to live there).
For the Moroccan tourist experience (if it’s your first time with this cuisine), go to El Mansour/SF; for better quality/impressive execution go to Mourad. For amazing fusion on an approachable level, Aziza is our choice – but do the traditional tourist route first if you’ve never tried Moroccan food.
There are only 7 countries in the world that are global food exporters. The U.S. is of course first and biggest, but Morocco is also one of them. It has a rich variety of foodstuffs and a long history of great cuisine.
Have not tried these:
Good Good Culture Club offers the flavors of SE Asia and the Pacific Islands. The colorful Mission District restaurant hosts a variety of cuisines, all wrapped up into one unique package. 3560 18th St. (@Mission), SF
https://goodgoodcultureclub.com/
5 Rare Dishes to Taste at San Francisco and Oakland Restaurants
https://www.7x7.com/rare-dishes-san-francisco-restaurants-2665754913.html
This is a rare Napa budget article!
https://www.7x7.com/yountville-napa-valley-on-a-budget-2659487529.html
It’s from March 2023, so be sure to check to make sure everything is still relevant.