Loving the Lomo: Chifa Delights at Flor de Mayo

The Upper West Side is a family neighborhood full of stroller moms, golden doodles, and neurotic Jews (myself included). Still, it also hosts one of the most unique culinary subcultures in New York City. Denizens of the world have come to their new homes and mixed local cuisines and their own to create a genuinely dazzling assortment of dishes. This week, Flor de Mayo specializes in Chifa, the Peruvian Chinese fusion that has come to embody the country's national cuisine. I stumbled in from the soaking rain, stomach grumbling and feeling like a dunce from taking a Citibike in a downpour. Squeezing past the busy counter to the booths, I thumb through the heavily used menus that exhibit the extensive range of dishes. My eyes darted from dish to dish, each more intriguing than the last. I reigned in my ADHD and focused on their Chino-Peruvian specialties; the ceviche, rotisserie chicken, and lomo saltado were on for the night's performance. 

The ceviche was a firework of citrus and salt that delighted the senses. The fish had been perfectly cooked tender by the marinade, which turned the raw fish into toothsome tender bites. I was taken out of the rainy Manhattan streets and daily din and placed on the Peruvian coast, swallowing bites of liquid summer. The fresh allium crunch of the red onions followed up the citrus like a warm breeze and complimented the sweetness of the shrimp. The raw seafood was elevated into a delicious quartet of simple ingredients, creating a dish that is a dazzling bite greater than the sum of its parts.

This delightful opening act was followed by the mysterious arrival of various sauces, including a zesty aji amarillo and addicting crushed garlic. I quickly took the tender chicken pieces off the bone and dipped them in the sauce. My eager bites joined a symphony of bright Chifa flavors dancing over my tongue. The garlic was carried in a light oil that coated the chicken and added some much-needed moisture and fat to a bird that seemed to have been dried under a hot light. Crisp and salty, the starchy plantains were a nice addition but only served to pull more moisture from my already-parched mouth. This rotisserie was a flavorful experience, to be sure, but one brought down by the Atacama dryness. 

Redemption was around the corner. As the national dish and apotheosis of chifa cuisine, Lomo Saltado cuts a peculiar picture. It is a mix of tender stir-fried beef, crisp onions, peppers, and tomatoes charred ever so slightly, fluffy potato batons, and the rice of your choice, all coated in an addictingly viscous ginger-garlic soy gravy that makes my mouth water as I write these lines. This dish doesn’t seem like it should work, but my god, it does. Velvety beef filled with fresh vegetables on a bed of carbs is orchestrated in a wok like a ballet, with the sauce elevating the savory chunks of beef, backed up by the chorus of carbs. Unique veggies add color and heterogeneity to the dish, creating a truly addicting combination. 

Flor de Mayo takes the uninitiated to new places, shows them new dishes, and gives them new flavors to enjoy. The kindhearted service, addicting dishes, and unique cuisine make for a special experience in the fast-moving, trendy NYC dining scene. So when work has been too hard, your weather too dark and cold, and your flights too expensive, take a trip to Flor de Mayo for a Peruvian getaway.

4 out of 5 Spoons