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Mama G brings saucy Peruvian flavors—and geography—to Mission Valley
Steaky pasta, yucca fries, ceviche, and more than one way to skin a potato
Tallarin soltado: fettucini topped with soy sauce and sirloin steak stir fry
Video:
FEAST!: Mama G brings saucy Peruvian flavors—and geography—to Mission Valley
There's a Peruvian flag planted in the middle of my pasta, which has been tossed with large pieces of red onion, tomato, and sirloin. And just like that, I can identify the flag of Peru. Few things teach geography better than steak.
I had to learn about Mama G’s Kitchen & Sauces online. I would never have driven past it on my way anywhere, because it's in a little dead-end corner of Mission Valley, cut off by the 163 freeway and 8 freeways, and busy corresponding onramps. Fortunately, I found the Peruvian restaurant to be worth the couple of curse words it took me to get there.
Mostly patio seating, with a small bar inside
And not only for the soy sauce and peppery steak in my fettucini. That would be the tallarin saltado, a pastafied version of the classic Peruvian stir fry, lomo soltado. Both are served here for $17 (the lomo features french fries instead of noodles).
As much as I enjoy french fries, I have my eyes on Mama G's yucca fries. They're thick, and crispy on the outside—perfect examples of the french fry alternative. You can even get them loaded (a la carne asada fries), likely a holdover from Mama G's time as a farmers market vendor. Just like the soltado dishes, loaded fries are served with a choice of sirloin, chicken, or portobello mushroom ($16).
Papa a la huancaina (left) and fish (swap) ceviche, part of the Peruvian Sampler
I tried my yucca fries as part of Mama G's Peruvian sampler ($19). Now, if it strikes you ironic that a sampler representing Peru, where potatoes originally came from, would feature yucca fries, this sampler offers an convincing counter. Basically, Mama G has more interesting ways to handle potatoes.
One is called papa a la huancaina ($6), sort of a Peruvian potato salad, with slices of boiled potato, hard boiled egg, and lettuce smothered in a cheesy sauce mildly spiced with Peru's beloved aji (pronounced ah-hee) chili pepper.
Yucca fries and tuna causa rellena
A more interesting dish is called causa rellena ($10). This is a pressed cake of cold, lime-flavored mashed potatoes, stuffed with a layer of either chicken or tuna salad. (My photo shows a smaller portion, or causita—served with the sampler) Unusual as it sounds. I enjoyed this more than the other star of the Peruvian sampler, a swai ceviche, dressed with hominy and corn nuts.
Most of the sampler provided opportunity to explore the "sauces" side of Mama G’s Kitchen & Sauces. Look in a cooler in the shop's small dining room, and you'll see bottle for sale of four variations of a spicy, mayonnaise based sauce that marketed online and around Southern California as Mama G's Special Sauces https://www.mamagsspecialsauce.com. Spiced with jalapeños, aji peppers, or another chili native to Peru, the spicier rocoto pepper.
Mama G's Special Sauces, in a cooler at the restaurant
Mama G herself is Gloria Tietjen, who on a video posted to Instagram says she started making these sauces when she moved to San Diego 25 years ago because they're one of the flavors she missed most being away from her native Lima. Which kind of makes me want to check out Lima, and glad I only need to brave the fringes of Mission Valley to experience it.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Mama G brings saucy Peruvian flavors—and geography—to Mission Valley
Steaky pasta, yucca fries, ceviche, and more than one way to skin a potato
Mama G brings saucy Peruvian flavors—and geography—to Mission Valley
Steaky pasta, yucca fries, ceviche, and more than one way to skin a potato
Tallarin soltado: fettucini topped with soy sauce and sirloin steak stir fry
Video:
FEAST!: Mama G brings saucy Peruvian flavors—and geography—to Mission Valley
There's a Peruvian flag planted in the middle of my pasta, which has been tossed with large pieces of red onion, tomato, and sirloin. And just like that, I can identify the flag of Peru. Few things teach geography better than steak.
I had to learn about Mama G’s Kitchen & Sauces online. I would never have driven past it on my way anywhere, because it's in a little dead-end corner of Mission Valley, cut off by the 163 freeway and 8 freeways, and busy corresponding onramps. Fortunately, I found the Peruvian restaurant to be worth the couple of curse words it took me to get there.
Mostly patio seating, with a small bar inside
And not only for the soy sauce and peppery steak in my fettucini. That would be the tallarin saltado, a pastafied version of the classic Peruvian stir fry, lomo soltado. Both are served here for $17 (the lomo features french fries instead of noodles).
As much as I enjoy french fries, I have my eyes on Mama G's yucca fries. They're thick, and crispy on the outside—perfect examples of the french fry alternative. You can even get them loaded (a la carne asada fries), likely a holdover from Mama G's time as a farmers market vendor. Just like the soltado dishes, loaded fries are served with a choice of sirloin, chicken, or portobello mushroom ($16).
Papa a la huancaina (left) and fish (swap) ceviche, part of the Peruvian Sampler
I tried my yucca fries as part of Mama G's Peruvian sampler ($19). Now, if it strikes you ironic that a sampler representing Peru, where potatoes originally came from, would feature yucca fries, this sampler offers an convincing counter. Basically, Mama G has more interesting ways to handle potatoes.
One is called papa a la huancaina ($6), sort of a Peruvian potato salad, with slices of boiled potato, hard boiled egg, and lettuce smothered in a cheesy sauce mildly spiced with Peru's beloved aji (pronounced ah-hee) chili pepper.
Yucca fries and tuna causa rellena
A more interesting dish is called causa rellena ($10). This is a pressed cake of cold, lime-flavored mashed potatoes, stuffed with a layer of either chicken or tuna salad. (My photo shows a smaller portion, or causita—served with the sampler) Unusual as it sounds. I enjoyed this more than the other star of the Peruvian sampler, a swai ceviche, dressed with hominy and corn nuts.
Most of the sampler provided opportunity to explore the "sauces" side of Mama G’s Kitchen & Sauces. Look in a cooler in the shop's small dining room, and you'll see bottle for sale of four variations of a spicy, mayonnaise based sauce that marketed online and around Southern California as Mama G's Special Sauces https://www.mamagsspecialsauce.com. Spiced with jalapeños, aji peppers, or another chili native to Peru, the spicier rocoto pepper.
Mama G's Special Sauces, in a cooler at the restaurant
Mama G herself is Gloria Tietjen, who on a video posted to Instagram says she started making these sauces when she moved to San Diego 25 years ago because they're one of the flavors she missed most being away from her native Lima. Which kind of makes me want to check out Lima, and glad I only need to brave the fringes of Mission Valley to experience it.
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