Critic's Review
Suviche has permanently closed their doors at this location.
Review 8/27/15
Suviche opened up this week in the space previously occupied by Mancini's. Before going, I noticed that they've gotten an SRX full liquor license, which requires a minimum of 150 seats; I thought that was interesting considering that Mancini's was only 85 seats. I wondered what they did to add 65 seats.
As I approached, I could see that he first thing they did was to add an awning. Sidewalk seats don't count towards an SRX because they're not permanent; that is you can't sit in the seats when it's raining. By adding the awning, all of the outside seats qualify for the liquor license.
Im not sure I'd want to eat on these chairs at the snack table provided, and I don't care for the stools at the bar either. I went inside to see what they'd done to the interior.
No hostess. I stood there for a minute and a server approached. "So I just sit anywhere?", I asked. "Anywhere you want". I got a seat on the side, in about the same spot I sat when I had lunch at Mancini's.
The thing that struck me was how they've downgraded the decor; Mancini's was so nice; nice furniture, nice lighting. He had that nice pizza oven in the corner. This reminded me more of Rossopomodoro, the place Mancini's replaced.
I also didn't like the floor; It reminded me of an Empire Flooring commercial. I was glad, however, that I wasn't seated at that chair in the corner.
My server came over with the complimentary semi-popped popcorn kernels, which you get in every Peruvian restaurant. I ordered an Iced Tea with extra lemon, because I always do. She brought out the tea with no fruit at all.
I asked her about the lemon; "Oh, we only have limes". Ok, some of that then. They have a full liquor bar but no lemons? I was feeling like I was in Cabo Blanco or something.
I'm not a big fan of ceviche, mainly because I don't see why I want to eat non-sushi quality fish in a sauce that isn't that interesting to me. But, I wasn't going to order the Lomo Saltado, which is Peruvian Pepper Steak. I wasn't ordering sushi; I was going to try the ceviche. I asked what kind of white fish they use; she told me "Swai", which is "Vietnamese Catfish"; just about the cheapest fish that money can buy that doesn't come in a can.
I tried to get my server to explain the sauces, which they only describe as "Peruvian". They have one that they claim to use Japanese Spices, a "Peruvian" classic, which I assumed was citrus juice, and a 3rd "Aji Amarillo", which is made with a yellow chili paste. I decided to try the combination, which is a mixture of the Classic and the Aji Amarillo. I ordered a small, and also the "spring rolls", which are stuffed with the Lomo Saltado.
The ceviche came out quickly.
I didn't realize I was getting more popcorn. So the bowl has un-popped corn, corn kernels, a slice of sweet potato and cut up Swai in a yellow sauce with some red onions (all peruvian food seems to have red onions). She told me this was spicy, but it wasn't spicy at all. It was slightly citrusy; sort of like you mixed some cream in with the citrus. The non-fish ingredients didn't interest me at all, and I didn't really like the fish. It's fish I wouldn't order or eat in any other form, and this preparation didn't change my feeling about it.
The spring roll was also disappointing; I expected something more delicately "fried" than this. These were something I'd expect to be served at Chili's or TGI Friday's.
After lopping off the end, I tasted one without the sauce. Surprisingly bland. The sauce, "home made Huacaina Sauce", which is SUPPOSED to be a spicy cheese sauce, was neither spicy nor cheesy. It did improve the rolls.
I was literally wondering if there was something wrong with my taste buds today, so when I got home I sampled something from my fridge; my taste buds were normal. The food just wasn't very tasty.
Conclusion
I've never been impressed with Peruvian food, and today didn't sway my opinion in the least. I've been to multiple restaurants and always leave wondering what these people were thinking as nobody is going to want to eat this food. Corn nuts, red onions. Lime Juice. There's just nothing interesting about it. It's like food made by people who don't know how to cook, so they just drown everything in a couple of standard sauces.
With a $7-12 price point they'll lure in some of the fake foodies who think that eating sushi and ceviche make them sophisticated; but this isn't a place I'd want to hang out. The decor seems cheap for Las Olas, and the cheap stools and furniture is unimpressive as well. Most of the people eating here today were hispanic (a couple next to me ordered in Spanish); we'll see if anyone not Peruvian will regularly eat this stuff. Or maybe it will be a place to just get some sushi as an alternative to Sky Thai down the road. Much of the sushi has the same "white fish" as the Ceviche; sorry but Swai isn't sushi to me.
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