Ricardo Zarate

More Events: Best New Chef Dinners, Italian Passover Dinner Sandwich Deal

Best New Chef Dinners For two evenings, Ricardo Zarate, Stephane Bombet, Food GPS and Food & Wine will be hosting a collaborative multi-course dinner to celebrate the magazine's Best New Chef honorees at Paiche in Marina del Rey restaurant. Each night will feature a tag-team effort with Tuesday show ... More >>

Vote for Food & Wine's Best New Chef in California: Four L.A. Chefs In The Running

Food & Wine magazine's annual Best New Chef competition is up and running, and while in some ways it's just one more meaningless popularity contest aimed at garnering huge pageviews for the magazine's website, it will certainly help the chef who comes away with the title. (See Ricardo Zarate, who wo ... More >>

Picca: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

Mo-Chica: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

Where Chefs Eat: The Hardcover Version Where Michael Voltaggio Goes for "Stoner Sushi"

Where Chefs Eat, a new book from Phaidon, is a compilation of the eateries worldwide where 400 chefs like to dine (David Chang, Rene Redzepi Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Anita Lo, Fergus Henderson, among them) what they order, and when they like to go (very early, or very late, most likely). Sound fa ... More >>

December Restaurant Openings & Closings The Last Matzo Ball at Junior's

It's Saturday afternoon and there's a line forming out the door of Junior's Deli on Westwood Boulevard. Toddlers fumble around the deli case, seniors clutch their canes while patiently waiting for a table. New York accents float through the air. The scene would make any restaurant owner proud. But i ... More >>

Food GPS "Ceviche Nights" to Continue in 2013

For those who missed out on Food GPS' Ceviche Nights, which ran last weekend and this past Sunday, it looks like you'll have another shot to sample raw creations from guests chefs next year.

Food GPS Hosts Ceviche Nights with Ricardo Zarate, Bryant Ng, Josiah Citrin Kris Yenbamroong

Only in Los Angeles could you get away with two ceviche dinners at the start of December. Fresh off recent events such as the Fried Chicken Fest and the Beer Float Showdown, Food GPS' Josh Lurie is teaming up with chef Ricardo Zarate and business partner Stephane Bombet for two chef-stacked nights o ... More >>

Top 10 Los Angeles Chefs to Follow on Instagram

Sure, you can see the beautiful dishes that your favorite chefs spend hours making in real life. When, perhaps you go to their restaurants and actually eat their food. But since we often spend more time looking at pretty pictures of dinner than we do consuming it, the tech gods have given us Instagr ... More >>

Paiche Preview: Ricardo Zarate's New Restaurant Coming to Marina Del Rey

It looks like the MDR dining scene is getting a much needed shot in the arm in early 2013, thanks to chef Ricardo Zarate and business partner Stefan Bombet. The duo behind Picca and Mo-Chica are planning a new concept called Paiché [pronounced pie-chay ] set to open in the Waterside complex on Linc ... More >>

The Undercover Vegetarian: Mo-Chica

Peruvian cuisine is heavy on meat and fish, and Ricardo Zarate's downtown hot spot Mo-Chica is no different. Much of what's on offer consists of stewed meats and bright ceviches, but there is hope here for a diner looking to enjoy the restaurant meat-free. One of the staples of Peruvian food is th ... More >>

Peruvian Chic

Is Ricardo Zarate's Mo-Chica deserving of the hype?

The 5 Things You Need Know About This Week's Review of Mo-Chica

Our restaurant review this week is of Mo-Chica, Ricardo Zarate's new downtown incarnation of his super-hyped Peruvian street food joint. We'd love it if you'd give the full review a shot, but for those short attention spans out there, here's your Cheat Sheet.

Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival: The Wine Part of the Equation

The second annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival concluded Sunday, a slickly produced, three-day debauch mostly held in and around the capacious digs of L.A. Live and its Marriott property -- though neither conference room nor rooftop exhibition tent could adequately contain the assemblage of whit ... More >>

Los Angeles Chefs Discuss Downtown L.A. at ALOUD

"We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares and go downtown ... everything's waiting for you!" When Petula Clark sang this line in 1964 -- albeit about New York -- who could have known she was she forecasting the future of downtown Los Angeles as a culinary destination? Numerous chefs have ... More >>

Vendors Announced for 2012 L.A. Street Food Fest

One of the year's biggest food festival has gotten even larger this year. The L.A. Street Food Fest, which takes place on July 21 inside the Rose Bowl, just announced that it has upped its vendor counts to a staggering 100 participants, far exceeding the count from last year. The cast includes man ... More >>

15 Great Peruvian Restaurants in Los Angeles

You won't find "Perutown" or "Little Lima" in Los Angeles. The Peruvian and Peruvian-American population is spread out around greater L.A., and so are our Peruvian restaurants. So maybe you haven't noticed these eateries -- often small and unassuming spots, tucked in strip malls far from trendy rest ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate's New Mo-Chica: Sangrecita, Paiche More Ceviche

Ricardo Zarate wants you to know something before checking out his new Mo-Chica. Slated to open Wednesday, May 30, it replaces an earlier version of the same name that closed yesterday. "Peru. It's in South America," says Zarate, mock-serious. "Its limits are Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and C ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate Closes One Mo-Chica May 24 Opens Another May 30

This Thursday probably won't be your last chance to try chef Ricardo Zarate's renditions of Peruvian staples such as aji de gallina or lomo saltado. But it could be your final opportunity to eat them at Mercado la Paloma -- the colorful warehouse-turned-marketplace just south of downtown. Zarate has ... More >>

Chefs' Worst Kitchen Injuries: More Fun Behind the Stoves

Cooking can be dangerous, as anyone who has spent much time in a kitchen can attest to. Now consider the hazards of a career surrounded by flames, super heated liquids and sharp objects. So we queried some notable area chefs (Ricardo Zarate! Michael Voltaggio! Eric Greenspan!) for the stories behin ... More >>

Picca: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Mo-Chica: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Jonathan Gold Reviews Picca

At Ricardo Zarate's restaurant, Peruvian meets the Japanese izakaya

Your Counter Intelligence Preview: In Which Mr. Gold Considers Picca

Anne FishbeinPicca​ This week, Jonathan Gold considers Picca, Ricardo Zarate's bright red new restaurant on Pico Boulevard (the alliteration is purposeful), the state of Peruvian cuisine and -- albeit briefly -- the culinary dream team recently assembled in Lima. Any good chef in town is lik ... More >>

Test Kitchen Alumni Return for Anniversary

Guzzle & NoshSotto's boscaiola pizza; the exterior of the two restaurants; Picca's mollejita.​Next Monday, the former Test Kitchen space celebrates its 1-year anniversary with the return of several high-profile TK alumni to the kitchens. Upstairs at Picca, chef Ricardo Zarate will host Kogi im ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Lots of Pie, 200 Year-old Desserts Teaching Kanye West to Cook

-- Gordon Ramsay teaches Kanye West how to cook. [The Mirror] -- How to make a 200 year-old dessert. [Zester Daily] -- How to open your own pop-up restaurant. [Forbes via food52] -- Pie-a-day #45, or white peach-brown sugar tart. [Good Food] -- Ricardo Zarate and Gary Menes cook a dinner ben ... More >>

Jonathan Gold Reviews Chimu

LA Street Food Fest: Photo Gallery

Carmageddon? Where? The traffic-nightmare-that-never-was (westside to Pasadena in under 30 minutes!!!) may have kept cars off the road and eaters from attending LA Street Food Fest, but their loss was our gain. With few lines, we managed to sample from EVERY vendor at the festival. Yes, every v ... More >>

Jonathan Gold Reviews Picca

First Bite: Picca Mixes Peruvian Flavors With Sushi Aesthetic

F. FriesemaJonagold apples​ If you look at restaurants as movies, and sometimes it's hard not to, Picca is one of those places whose trailers seem to have been running forever. There's Mo-Chica, of course, where Ricardo Zarate first came up with his concept of modern Peruvian food, and his gue ... More >>

Picca: A Sneak Peek into Ricardo Zarate's New Restaurant

Picca, Ricardo Zarate's west LA version of a Latin American cantina, opens June 25th. Where Mo-Chica is classic Peruvian food, Picca is decidedly modern, driven by small plates with a heavy Japanese influence. The menu is split into five sections, weighted toward causas shaped like sushi nigiri ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate: King of Ceviche

Kevin ScanlonRicardo Zarate​ Ricardo Zarate's path has been a little more circuitous even than most chefs', a peripatetic lot in general. His life in the kitchen began in his native Lima, Peru, where as a teenager he cooked banquets for hundreds and learned from a friend's mother how to make s ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate: King of Ceviche

Rustic Mondays Return to Fraîche with Chef Jason Fulilove

​The second iteration of Rustic Monday hits Fraîche on May 30th and features chef Jason Fulilove (Da Vinci, Desert Rose), who's preparing to open the Curious Palate at The Market in Santa Monica Place. He joins Fraîche chef Ben Bailly this bit of friendly rivalry. It's a three-course, prix ... More >>

Grilled Cheese Invitational: We Came, We Saw, We Curdled [Photo Gallery]

Guzzle & NoshScenes from the 2011 Grilled Cheese Invitational. (Photo Gallery after the jump.)​The griddles have grown cold, the butter has congealed. As the 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational (a.k.a. the 2011 GCI) recedes into memory, the losers bandage their burned fingers and the v ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate Wins Food & Wine Best New Chef The Rest of the Winners

Anne Fishbein​ Last night Food & Wine announced their awards for this year's Best New Chefs. The ten winners, picked from around the country, included one chef from Los Angeles: Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica, who can now add this award to his accolades, which include showing up on Coca-Cola billb ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: What's The Big Deal With Quinoa?

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​ Dear Mr. Gold: What's the big deal with quinoa? I couldn't even pronounce it right when I first saw it on the menu at Hugo's in Studio City. Then I saw it at Trader Joe's and then I saw it everywhere. It has probably been around forever, but has on ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Tabasco Reports, Tips Reflect Breast Size Mad Men Cocktails

-- Matt Armendariz reports from Avery Island and the center of the Tabasco universe. [Matt Bites] -- The larger the breasts, the bigger the gratuity. (This is not a surprise, is it?) [LA Observed] -- America's Weirdest Restaurants. [CNBC] -- Ricardo Zarate fights hunger in his native Peru via ... More >>

What's in Season at the Farmers Markets: Spring Artichokes A Recipe for Ricardo Zarate's Grilled Baby Artichokes

Felicia FriesemaArtichokes from Tutti Frutti Farms at the Hollywood market.​ We're hard-pressed to think of a more primal springtime food than the artichoke. Favas, maybe, with their gravid bean-filled pods, which showed up this week at the Hollywood market (Valdivia Farms). But after a wint ... More >>

Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011, The People's Edition: Ricardo Zarate Wins Pacific Region

​ The results are in for Food & Wine magazine's "The People's Best New Chefs" awards, and Ricardo Zarate has won for the Pacific region. Congratulations, chef. Hope you're back from Peru for the party. Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa in Boston is the overall winner. Zarate and the other finalists ... More >>

Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011, The People's Edition: Vote Now

​ 2011 may well be the year of the grassroots movement, whether that be in politics abroad or in considerably less important matters here at home. Food & Wine, which has annually named the best new chefs in the country since 1998, this year has given the vote to the rest of us. Starting today, ... More >>

Test Kitchen's Final Night: Alums Come Together To Feed You For A Good Cause

Flickr/Muy Yum​ Monday, December 13th, may be Test Kitchen's final dinner service, but Bill Chait and Brian Saltsburg's restaurant experiment is going out with a big-time culinary (and charitable) bang. For $150/person, Test Kitchen and non-profits Share Our Strength and Gettlove, are bringin ... More >>

[Updated] Mo-Chica (Not Yet) Moving to Downtown

Anne Fishbein​ Update: I spoke to Ricardo Zarate, who says he has absolutely NOT signed a lease on a new location for Mo-Chica. When he does, it will probably be to open a second location but not to close down the first. The leak was the work of an over-eager real estate agent. Zarate tells me ... More >>

Sotto & Picca Opening in Test Kitchen Space

As Test Kitchen, LA's experiment in musical chefs, takes its victory lap and bids farewell, the concept is already being transformed into something less temporal featuring two (semi-)permanent restaurants and a bar. In late January, Steve Samson and Zach Pollack will open Sotto, their Italian res ... More >>

Will Work For Food: Your Labor Day Food Festival Weekend

Good thing that Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the end of wearing white -- although here in Los Angeles, many restaurants are lucky if diners wear pants, white or otherwise -- as this holiday weekend has turned into one giant food festival. Between all the food trucks, food demos, cooking com ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 6/21-6/25

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Do I ever feel like giving alternative advice, suggesting you pick up Thai barbecued chickens at Sapp Coffee Shop, an armful of barbecued goat ribs at Phong Dinh or a sackful of barbecued quail at Marouch? Sure, all th ... More >>

A Recipe From the Chef: Ricardo Zarate's Aji de Gallina

On the current menu at Mo-Chica, along with risotto made with quinoa instead of the customary arborio, and the absolutely stunning ceviche, you'll find Aji de Gallina, a homey dish that Mo-Chica chef Ricardo Zarate says dates to when the Spanish brought African slaves to Peru. The slaves were instal ... More >>

Q & A With Mo-Chica's Ricardo Zarate: Moche, Ditching the Venice Commute A New Anticucho Bar

Go slightly south of downtown, to a concrete and warehouse neighborhood just off the 110, inside the colorful market of La Paloma Mercado, and you'll find, in addition to the last remaining outpost of Chichen Itza, Mo-Chica, undoubtedly the best Peruvian restaurant in Los Angeles. Behind the casua ... More >>

BreadBar Hatchi Series Heats Up Through Winter

Seats are filling fast for the Century City BreadBar Hatchi series, dinners featuring 8 gourmet dishes for $8 dollars each (with a 3 dish minimum). The event, created by BreadBar and chef Noriyuki Sugie invites different guest chefs every month to cook up their own stylized small plates. Tonight's ... More >>

Mo-Chica: The Best Peruvian Ceviche Might Be in a Warehouse South of Downtown

Raw deal