New York Roundup V: Ceviche at Coppelia and Subpar Hiyashi Chuka Ramen at Ramen Co.

I am always skeptical of a place that lumps all regional cuisines together as Coppelia does. It does call itself a Latin diner but would you go to a spot that had sushi, pad thai and bibimbap? Me neither. I was pleasantly surprised at two out of the four things we ordered. Thumbs up on the ceviche and lomo saltado. 

The meat in the classic Peruvian dish, lomo saltado, was tender and the fries blended just right into the mix. It was very hearty with generous portions. It included the classic mix of meat cubes, fries, tomato chunks, green onions and red onions. The meat is usually rather tough because they often use cheap parts but this meat had the texture of slow-cooked meat that was tender but also browned on the outside. Rico.

The ceviche was very refreshing in the New York summer heat. The fish was fresh and paired with sweet potato cubes, crunchy roasted corn and giant hominy kernels, it was the perfect summer appetizer with an eclectic mix of citrus and sweet flavors as well as crunchy and soft textures.

Now for the bad. The pernil, or slow roasted pork over a bed of steamed yuca was far too dry. The meat itself was flavorful and didn't have an overly porky smell. It was well seasoned but it tasted like it had been roasted a long time ago or for too long. The beauty of slow roasted pork is the juiciness that come from the super tender chunks that melt in your mouth. But these were like shredded fried bits of pork. Not too satisfying.

And last but not least, the mojito cocktail I got was basically ice sugar water with mint leaves. Awful.

As long as I avoid some drinks (maybe get the beer next time as my wise dining companion MN did), I may just return for some comfort food of my alter-homeland.

I was stoked to see Hiyashi Chuka, a cold ramen, offered at Ramen Co. in the financial district. However, I was oh-so disappointed when I got my dish. First of all, it had fake crab meat, which I dislike. Second, it had slices of chashu, which I'm not used to having with this dish. Third and perhaps most egregiously, it didn't offer a dollop of spicy mustard on the side of my bowl, unlike at this more authentic local favorite joint in LA, which always did. Not only were the toppings off, but the flavors were off too. I may or may not return for a hot bowl, not least because there are so many better spots to choose from.