Mo-Chica to open May 30: Here’s the menu

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Ricardo Zarate says he’s looking forward to grilling paiche, an Amazonian river fish that can weigh up to 500 pounds, in his new kitchen at downtown Mo-Chica, set to open May 30. The original Mo-Chica located in the Mercado de Paloma closed on Thursday, and its new incarnation on 7th Street is a more extensive vision of Zarate’s take on traditional Peruvian dishes and ingredients.

‘I want to cook with ingredients that are meaningful to me,’ he says. Expect alpaca stew and an alpaca-lamb burger, and sometime in the not-too-distant future, guinea pig. ‘Maybe with a peanut sauce.’

Pan con atun is a take on a traditional Peruvian breakfast dish -- grilled bread with tuna. ‘I remember eating it [as a kid] before going to school,’ Zarate says. ‘There are a lot of traditional dishes that I try to modernize just a little to introduce them to an American audience.’ So far, the new menu is twice as big as the original Mo-Chica menu (click on the jump for the full list.)

Meanwhile, Brian Summers and Deysi Alvarez have created a concise drinks list of cocktails with names that riff on pop songs: Papa Don’t Peach with peach-infused Calvados, rum, lemon juice and peach syrup; Oaxacalifornia Love with mezcal, blanco tequila, Alvarez’s house-made pineapple-rocoto gomme syrup and lime juice; and Tha Doggfather, their version of a Pisco sour.

514 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, (213) 622-3744, www.mo-chica.com.

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MO-CHICA MENU

BETERRAGA roasted beets with burrata and orange aji amarillo dressing

ARROZ CON MARISCOS Peruvian seafood paella with salsa criolla.

YUQUITAS RELLENAS stuffed yuquitas, eggplant stew, Peruvian olive aioli.

TALLARINES VERDES CON CAMARONES grilled black tiger prawns, tagliatelle, peanuts, Peruvian black mint pesto.

LOMO SALTADO sauteed beef filet, roma tomatoes, red onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Banyuls vinegar, Kennebec fries

QUINOTTO quinoa risotto, wild mushrooms, parmesan, parsley infused oil

PAN CON ATUN grilled bread, spicy tuna, rocoto sauce, yuzu mayo

TIRADITO DE JUREL Spanish mackerel tiradito, ginger amarillo sauce, garlic chips, sesame oil

ANTICUCHO DE PULPO grilled octopus, roasted potatoes, jalepeno sauce

CEVICHE CARRETILLERO seabass, rocoto, red onions, leche de tigre, choclo, yuyo

PAPA TERRINE ALA HUANCAINA potato terrine, bacon, fried quail egg, huancaina sauce

CARAPULCRA roasted pork belly, Peruvian dried potato stew, chimichurri

SECO DE CORDERO lamb shank, canario beans, cilantro beer sauce

ALPACA ESTOFADO alpaca stew estofado, tagliatelle, aji amarillo sauce, fried organic fertile egg

CESARIN Peruvian Caesar salad, grilled baby romaine, parmesan, huacatay anchovy dressing

CEVICHE MIXTO halibut, prawns, scallops, squid, red onion, rocoto, leche de tigre, camote

CAUCAU Peruvian potato and tripe stew, grilled bread, cumin yogurt, mint chimichurri

COLITA DE REZ oxtail, trigo de mote, huancaina, salsa criolla

SOLTERITO vegetable salad from southern Peru, lima beans, choclo, feta, olives, English peas, queso fresco, rocoto vinaigrette

RAVIOLI DE LANGOSTA lobster ravioli, huacatay, chicha de jora dressing

CHORITOS A LA CHALACA chilled chopped mussels, prawns, squid, tomato choclo salsa

PAICHE Amazonian fish from Peru, ajiaco de arroz, cherry tomato escabeche

AJI DE GALLINA chicken stew, aji amarillo bread sauce, boiled quail egg, confit pee wee potatoes, walnuts, parmesan

CAUSA DE CANGREJO aji amarillo mashed potato, fresh crab, avocado

SANGRESITA morcilla crostini, fried egg, jalapeno salsa

HAMBURGUESA alpaca and lamb patty, pickled cucumber, aji amarillo yogurt