Ceviche, steak, cheesecake

HEART OF RUMP: Argentinians take pride in their steak, and El Bodegon doesn’t disappoint. [Photo by Matt Hodges/Shanghai Star]

Enjoy a steak from grass-fed cattle for under 100 yuan on Sunday thanks to a 50 percent discount at dinnertime. Ladies get free sangria, daiquiris and other regional cocktails Thursday nights. La Coyota provides a Mexican brunch set menu on Sundays for 178 yuan.

Despite its Chinese, African and European influences, Peruvian food has barely set foot in Asia and it is hard to say why. Apart from being so hip that you can para-sail off its cliffs and surf in the briny waters below, Lima is a modern gastronomic capital without equal in South America.

One hostel owner there spent 45 minutes sketching me a food map of the city, each stop a lighthouse through a sea of culinary delights. That was his Rough Guide to Lima.

In Shanghai, Azul and Unico by Mauro Colagreco offer some Peruvian dishes. Ceviche was held as the best of the bunch and what remains of its DNA can be found at El Bodegon. The Peruvian chef has since moved on, but Ferro and his small team keep that legacy intact.

Chinese patrons may be curious to try the lomo saltado, a popular stir fry with marinated strips of sirloin and onions served on slices of potato with rice. Indentured laborers from the Middle Kingdom cooked this up over a century ago and it stands the test of time.

Some may find the dishes a little dry — we struggled with the pastry on the beef empanadas — and others may sniff at the verdigris-colored tables.

But all will be forgiven upon tasting the cheesecake moderno, which is scientifically perfect and easily accommodates two. An Oreo trail of cookie crumbs replaces the breadcrumb base, and you won’t mind one iota. The chocolate mousse sprinkled with sea salt and chili is another guilty pleasure.

Like a milkshake-thick pina colada, a good pisco sour is hard to find in this part of the world. Fail to beat the eggs long enough and it tastes like a runny nose. But get it right and it is nectar for the Inca gods. It should have at least one finger of foam, or so they say.