Review of Dr. Limon Restaurant & The Best Ceviche Recipe EVER!

My husband and I finally had a date night after almost 6 months of having no time for each other. Dinner was a definite item on the schedule, but where could we go that would be somewhat different from the norm?  While getting ready, my husband suggests that we go to this little whole-in-the-wall restaurant that we have always wanted to try.

Dr. Limon is a small Peruvian restaurant that specializes in ceviche.  For those of you that don't know what ceviche is, it is raw seafood that is marinated in citrus and spices and essentially served cold and raw in this spicy juice. I don't want you to be intimidated by the word "raw".  The seafood is "cooked" by the citric acid and the spices that is used to marinate it.  I have personally made ceviche before (and very successfully i might add), but THIS ceviche has to be the BEST ceviche i have ever had!

First, let me talk about the restaurant itself.  From outside, it looks completely unassuming. Located in the back recesses of a tiny strip mall, it has the drab exterior of sand painted concrete with nothing but a neon sign and vinyl displays on the floor to ceiling store front windows.  But inside is where the magic starts to happen.  Before I could reach for the door, a lovely young hostess greeted us and offered to either seat us at the bar or to wait 30 minutes for a table. (30 minutes!)  I could see by the 20 or so people waiting outside, that would be the case.  Needless to say, we took a seat at the bar.  As we walked in, the space opened up to this ultra modern and really fresh looking place. The furniture looked clean and modern. (Think IKEA). And everything was accented with pops of citrus colors! Bright green, yellow and orange chairs and decor enhanced the slate and glass.  Pumping over the speakers, there was music reminiscent of old drum and flutes from Peru but realized shortly after, that we were listening to remakes of our old 80s and 90s favorite tunes made to sound like something native.

The bar was colorful and clean and lined with trays filled with fresh peppers and onions, squid and shrimp, and piles of fresh chunks of snapper and tuna. Each place setting was beautifully accented by a single green lime that completed the feel and look of the whole set-up. The wall behind the bar was probably my favorite part of the decor.  It was one gigantic chalkboard wall filled with colorful written quotes & drawings!  From top to bottom of this wall, it probably took me the entire time we were eating to read all the great stuff that filled the display.

 And speaking of eating (which is what we were there for, right?)...
The menu is primarily in Spanish, but with words, that even a Latin girl like me, could not understand. So of course, to go with the colorful atmosphere, we had an equally colorful waitress that was all too willing to explain everything for us in detail and make some great suggestions.

We started our meal with roasted Indian corn kernels.  these light and salty and oh so tasty morsels of goodness would crunch and pop in my mouth and quickly became highly addictive.  It didn't take long for our appetizer of grilled octopus to get to our table on a sizzling skillet. The moment it arrived, the herb and spice aroma filled the space. Normally octopus is very chewy, but this octopus was tender and almost buttery in texture and the1 taste...truly unparalleled.  The serving was fairly generous and accompanied by skillet grilled potato slices that were crispy on the outside and soft and starchy in the inside. What a great combination.

Before we could finish our "Pulpo" The main course of three different types of ceviche came out in this gorgeous presentation of color and an intense citrus aroma that we can taste even before taking the first bite.  The plating was done in a triple bowl ensemble. Each bowl was filled with the same combination of huge chunks of snapper, squid and shrimp.  What was different were the juices they were cooked in.  The traditional ceviche was anything but.  The juices included fish stock with loads of lemon and lime, salt and red pepper.  Wonderfully lively and had just the right bite.  The second bowl was the "yellow fire" concoction. It was not only citrus but creamy as well. Almost like if the chef blended heavy cream with the traditional ceviche juice and kicked up by adding ground red pepper.  The third combination also had the traditional taste but with a hint of coconut that quelled the bite of the spices.  This was like nothing i have ever tasted in a ceviche marinade.

In the progression of our meal we started making small talk with the chef that was working behind the counter. Although busy making his amazing creations, he took the time to answer our questions about the meal. He even took the time to let me take a photo of him of the blog. Little did we know that the person we were talking to was not only the head chef, but the owner of the restaurant, Carlos Brescia, recently named the leader of the Peruvian food revolution by El Nuevo Herald.

By the end of our meal, we were happy, we were full, and so pleasantly surprised by the whole experience that we almost didn't want to leave.  Kudos to Carlos for having an amazing little gem right in the heart of Kendall (and literally across the street from our home). This place is definitely going to be part of our list of great go to local hang outs.


Now for the moment you have all been waiting for... The BEST ceviche recipe you will ever make!

Here is what you will need:

First off, all good ceviche starts with the freshest and highest quality grade of fish and seafood you can get your hands on.  I personally like to use fresh snapper or yellow tail.  The sweet taste and smooth texture of this fish really lends itself to soaking up the juices and allowing for a great combination of the flavors. Choose 2 fillets of either fish, and add about 1 cup of peeled and deveined shrimp and 1 cup of calamari tubes (pre-sliced or you can cut up the whole squid to your liking).

You will also need...

1 whole red onion (julianned)
Yellow and orange bell peppers (1 of each, also julianned)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of sea salt (fine milled)
2 teaspoons of ground red pepper

And here comes the important part... The Juice!

1 cup of pure lemon juice
1/2 cup of pure lime juice
1/2 cup of fresh orange juice
1 cup of fish stock
1/2 cup of coconut milk

To prepare this is fairly simple.  Grab a nice BIG mixing bowl and put all the seafood, veggies and seasonings in.  In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients to make the juice, adding the coconut milk at the very end.  Then add the juice to the seafood mixture and toss lightly making sure that all the seafood is covered.  At this point you can do one of two things... you can chill it for about 30 minutes and serve it up in pretty bowls with plenty of the seafood and juices, or if you don't like the texture of sushi, but more along the lines of cooked fish, wait about 1 hour till you plate it.

If you are ever in Miami (specifically in the Kendall area) and want to try something that will make your palate sing with delight, check out Dr. Limon. You will definitely be missing out if you don't!