My kind of food in Dubai: A Peruvian meal, anyone?

Ceviche is Dubai' s first and only 'huarique' (wa-ree-keh): a traditional, small eatery serving cheap, great food.

Peruvian restaurants are quite the 'in' thing in Dubai, but pretty much all of them are more 'special occasion' places than neighbourhood eateries. Of course, in Dubai they're more like towering skyscraper eateries, or fancy hotel eateries or extended post-modern shipping container strip mall eateries. But considering all of that, Ceviche is probably as good as it will get in terms of non-descript and hole-in-the-wall-ish (kind of like our other favourite gem, Thai Time, hidden in the Safest Way Centre on SZR). In fact, it's what a Peruvian would call a huarique, which is often where you'll find the best and cheapest food, and great company.

Located on the podium level of Emirates Financial Towers in DIFC, Ceviche's décor is simple, with plenty of typical Peruvian touches in the art on the walls and the uniforms of the wait staff, who, by the way, are just delightful. Make sure you try the Chica Morada and the Inca Kola while you browse through Ceviche's short menu of classic Peruvian dishes. You can thank us later.

For appetisers, you can't not try the Ceviche Clasico; being Peru's national dish and all. Here, it is served with crunchy white and yellow corn and sweet potatoes, which just melds the flavours and textures of the lime and the fish beautifully. Also try the tiraditos and the Causa Limeña, both light and satisfying. For the entrées, we went with the Pulpo Anticuchero (grilled octopus with baby potatoes) and the Tacu Tacu de Mariscos (a Creole influenced dish of rice and beans with fresh seafood). It's the sort of homey and delicious food best shared with good company, which is why we love this little huarique - Dubai's first and only Peruvian huarique. (To read more about this little gem, read the review in Wknd).

rohit@khaleejtimes.com; @WKNDFoodie

In the mood for a 'wow' pav bhaji?

At Shop n Save Cafein Qusais on Al Nahda Road, you get a yummy pav bhaji for Dh8. The guy makes it in front of you, with that giant tawa browning the pav. While we believe the best bhaji is actually made at home, in oil that you approve of.

Besides the usual suspects - Kamat(Dh16; they even have a pav bhaji dosa!), ChhappanBhog (Dh15 for a plate), Puranmal (Dh14), Bombay Chowpatty (Dh14), you have to trawl through the half a dozen joints on Rigga road for good, cheap, unpretentious food. We like Quick Bites on Al Muteena street (Dh8, Dh 1 for extra pav), and a few places near Naif park.

It's in these off-the-radar places, the modest eateries that you'll be surprised with good tasty bhaji, and not be over charged for the pav. Sukh Sagar is the other place that really goes to town with its five kinds of pav bhajis (Dh25-28), but hey, we're not complaining!

Wagyu beef. Steeper, but also so much better than the stuff you usually settle for.

Gourmet:

It is, in the end, all about fat. One of the most expensive meat in the world, wagyu beef is intensely marbled with softer fat, and is lower in cholesterol than commodity beef. It sells for Dh240-300 per kilo.

The reason for this price? The price of wagyu is dictated by the care that goes into breeding the cattle. Jones The Grocer's wagyu burger (Dh69) is delicious - juicy and cooked to perfection the way you want it, rare or well done, and served with a sweet and soft brioche bun with salty veal bacon. Add-ons include green salad and caramelised onions - for Dh6 extra.

The Meat Co. in Madinat Jumeirah has the 200g wagyu burger that will set you back Dh200. Their wagyu burger serving portions is large enough to feed a small family and comes perfectly cooked and delicious. As a bonus the food is served within the hour. So you don't have to wait all that long to sink your teeth into that delicious meat. Jones the Grocer (04 346 6886), Indigo Central 8 - Shaikh Zayed Road, opposite Times Square.

Street:

This is probably your last chance to try out the street food stall at Street Nights in JBR. If you want to experience something new and cool in Dubai their line up of restaurants that will be "Street - a - fied" is impressive. Out pick would be Ghaf Kitchen's Black Angus beef burger served with tomato chutney, romaine lettuce for Dhs 35.

The food is unbelievably good, and the live music and festival feel makes this the perfect way to stuff your face and unwind on a weekend. Besides their food stall, try out Swich's beef swich (Dhs29). Served with white saj, rocca, parsley, tomatoes, red onions and tahini, it's just the right blend tangy and crunchy in a roll.

If that's not the combination for you then you can even customise your own wrap for the same price. When you're wondering why wagyu is more expensive that the regular stuff, remember to pay attention to the difference in taste, its superior quality, and the fact that it has higher percentages of monounsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Ghaf Kitchen (056-393-3712); it's a food truck.

In Peru, everyone wanted to be a chef or a footballer!

Chef Gonzalo Alberto is the head chef at Ceviche, a traditional huarique in DIFC, Dubai. Huariques are hole-in-the -wall places in Peru that serve cheap, delicious street food and Ceviche definitely lives up to its roots.

How is Peruvian cuisine growing in Dubai?

I used to work in Qatar about four years ago. Peruvian food was almost non-existent. There was one place that had Latin American food, with Peruvian cuisine under that broad umbrella. I came to Dubai in 2014, almost two years ago. There was just The Act, serving beautiful, high-end Peruvian food, although it was not advertised as a Peruvian restaurant. There was also Toro Toro, but again, that was more Latin American than Peruvian. Now there are seven restaurants and there will probably be about 10 by the end of this year. It is definitely growing fast in Dubai. In the 90s, Peruvian food was quite popular in some of our neighbouring countries in Latin America and a few countries, like Spain, outside of Peru. Today it's the fastest growing cuisine in the world.

What was it like when you decided to become a chef?

Fifteen years ago, when I told my family I wanted to become a chef they thought I was joking. There were maybe two culinary schools, and really expensive, too. I was lucky because my father had a friend who opened a culinary school, and I got in. I finished culinary school by the time I was 18. I started working, and after 3-4 years, the chef scene in Peru exploded - there were some 50 new schools, and everyone wanted to be either a football player or a chef!

What is a quintessential Peruvian dish?

You can find ceviche in every country that's by the Pacific Ocean in Central and South America, but for us Peruvians, it is the national dish. You could ask 10 Peruvians what is the most important dish and nine would say ceviche - the other is probably crazy! Ceviche is everything for us. We eat ceviche with our friends at cevicherias, specialist places that make ceviche. We also have a ceviche day that's a national holiday. It's a very simple dish, passed down from the Incas, but it means the world to us.

A dish from the Ceviche menu that you like to whip up in your kitchen at home?

My favourite dishes are the Ceviche Clasico and Pulpo Anticuchero.

What is the best compliment you have received at Ceviche?

Ceviche (/sev-eee-chey/)is a cold, fresh dish - of raw fish - cured in citrus juices, that has its origins in the coastal regions of Latin America. It's spiced with chillies, peppers, cilantro, sometimes mango and avocado; recipe dependent.

Numerous restaurants in Dubai serve ceviche. Don't focus on the 'raw' part, it tastes divine.

There was a Peruvian lady who came in a few days ago and she ordered the Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder), which is a traditional dish that's served particularly in the south of Peru. She asked the staff to call the chef, and when I went out she had tears in her eyes and was so emotional. She said that it tasted exactly like her mom used to make before she passed away many years ago. That was the most amazing feeling.

What is the average spend at Ceviche?

About Dh120-130 for a starter, entrée and dessert. It's affordable and traditional Peruvian street food. Not everyone has to be a tycoon to come to our huarique.

Which is your favourite dish from the Ceviche menu that you love to whip up even in your kitchen at home?

My favourite dishes are the Ceviche Clasico and Pulpo Anticuchero.

Peruvian apart, which is your favourite cuisine? And where do you get eat it?

I am a big fan of Asian cuisine. I usually spend my free time eating Filipino, Indonesian or Vietnamese food in small restaurants in Bur Dubai.

When you first started cooking, what was the first dish you were proud of?

Seco de Cordero - because it was one of my father's favourite dishes and is now on our menu.

If not a chef, what would you be?

Maybe I would've been some kind of handicraft artisan.

- As told to Rohit Nair

• UAE
• Food and Dining
• Dubai