Monday, November 10, 2008

Always happenin' at Jaimito's!

Under food:

Jaimito's
389 Lexington Avenue
Clifton, New Jersey 07011
(973) 546-2549

Jaimie's, as we fondly refer to this place, serves awesome homestyle rib-stickin' Chinese-Peruvian food. It has been a mainstay of our rotation for quite a long time.

The Clifton-Passaic area has seen an influx of Peruvian immigrants the last couple of years or so. A lot of Peruvian restuarants have sprouted up in the area to cater to the increased demand. Jaimie's predates most of 'em, and still brings in the crowds. The space is pretty small, but over the years, they have updated their decor. This week, we notice that they have a flat screen tv now!

Apart from the dishes we picked this evening, our top picks also include pollo a la brasa, fried maduros (sweet bananas), lomo soltado (stir-fried steak with tomatoes and potatoes) and papa a la huanica (potatoes and chili-spiced cheese). I swear there are quite a few more on our roster, but I forget them at the moment.

For some reason, we do not seem to order the Chinese entrees as much. Which is really too bad because the kitchen makes those dishes Chinatown-style.

This evening, we got seco de res, tacu-tacu and jalea.
Jalea. It's a healthy-sized mound of fried shrimp, fried white fish (whiting?), fried squid, fried mussels and half of a crab. This comes with a red onion salad and a roasted potato. The mussels and crab are not always fresh, and I think they add it there just for looks. The squid and fish comprise majority of the dish and are deftly fried and crispy.
Seco de res combinado. This is beef stew cooked in a cilantro sauce, I think. Comes with a side of the onion salad, white rice and white beans. Note the house picante (pepper pesto at the upper left of photo), which is a must for this cuisine. Picante brightens the flavors of fish and meats and also adds a nice touch of heat.
Tacu-tacu. Fried rice and white beans with paprika andseasonings. I love how they give the rice a nice smoky char. Likewise excellent with picante.



Jaimie's also carries special drinks and desserts. Do try the chicha morada, a drink made from purple corn. DJKung likes the bubblegum flavor of Inca Cola. Check the counter to see if they have alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich), which they keep in a big glass jar.

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