Once you try Mission Ceviche, Its food, service, ambiance and music creates an ongoing desire in you to keep going back! At least, that’s what it did to me two years ago. I Highly recommend it!
Dined there tonight and was greatly disappointed. A very wonderful server who tried his best, but with the horrible management we had to wait over an hour for our meal and had long delays getting drinks. I would understand if they were understaffed, being a Monday evening, but there were employees just chatting about as all the tables about waited for food and drinks. In short, it wasn’t from a shortage of employees, it was incompetent management. The food was delicious, but not worthy enough to risk of another horrible experience.
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There is queso and there is cheese dip.
Love how Pete tosses off recyclable bowls as something dirty, beneath his entitled self, worthy of only people concerned with the enviroment. Pete told me that spelling, I think it might be wrong.
Those raw fish bowls are disgusting.
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No self-respecting Peruvian or person of Peruvian ancestry would eat ceviche with rice. or quinoa. Yuck! Those of you that have never had ceviche, please do not have this or think that what Mission serves is Ceviche. If anything, what Mission sells is kind of a bastardized version of one of the most famous and delicious Peruvian dishes. Ceviche is a dish to be enjoyed with a small side of potato or sweet potato and corn not overpowered by rice.
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@Rosie The article doesn’t say this is traditional ceviche. I’ve had it many times and always liked it. And I’m 1000% perucho.
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And I love Oreos too!!!
Thanks goodness for Pete Wells.
I'm in sore need of a little 'extra topspin', even if it comes only on a Wednesday.
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Why do Americans need to turn everything into a salad or a bowl? Ceviche is best eaten by itself. Leave it alone!
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@ Judy NYC
You are raising a very good question. Similarly, why do people hold in the hands hamburgers or cheeseburgers?
I think that predilection for salads in a bowl is to expiate the sin of carnivorous gluttony by turning to herbivorous food.
Hmm. A largely favorable review, yet no stars. I wonder what that’s about? (Also, why review a relatively unknown restaurant in order to give it no stars? Isn’t that a bit mean?)
@Paul O’Dwyer It got one star, which means "good," not zero.
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This is the first time I've ever wished that I lived in NYC. It's impossible for me to get real ceviche or any Peruvian food without driving at least an hour and a half away. And chicha? Oh, my, what I'd give to drink some. You folks in the city don't know how lucky you are - or maybe you do!
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I'm glad Pete is broadening his horizons in his reviews, but three of these types of reviews in a row seems excessive, no?
We cannot see the rating or summary on this review . It is nice to see a sit down restaurant reviewed in a rarely covered area of the city. This column has moved far from its original focus on fine dining. So many eateries covered are a step away from take out joints . What happened to the occasional out of town review?
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We went last night. The food was really great, but our iPhone SoundPrint app registered a sound level of 94 db: it is really incredible that everyone working there hace any hearing left. It ruined what should have been a most delightful experience.
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@Angella was that because of background music or just people talking loudly? Or people talking loudly because of loud background music?
Looks great. In the last year, I've become a believer in blue potatoes, pisco, and ceviche (stumbled upon in that order). Without the wood barrel aging most brandy goes through, the grapes are allowed to peek through and be the flavor of pisco. I do prefer the tartness of fresh lemons over limes, however. Since I don't add sweetener (other than maybe a splash of orange juice), limes seem to make it too bitter. I'm not exactly sure how scoop up or incorporate the ceviche at Mission. I guess I'd have to look around. No oreos for me, though.
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I agree that the one star conclusion seemed odd. Is Mr. Wells implicitly saying that a "casual" restaurant can never receive four stars? Why not? Isn't it really about the food?
[repeated questions an homage to the Fieri review.]
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@Robert Knuts I would call Nakazawa "casual." I can show up in shorts and a t-shirt. Perhaps you mean inexpensive? No. The restaurants that get four stars are serving the epitome of haute cuisine and charging accordingly.
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i am of Peruvian ancestry and have eaten there couple of times. They serve a ceviche bowl which is way too much rice or quinoa and too little ceviche for what they charge. Kind of a gimmick as real ceviche is not a "bowl" dish. it is to be enjoyed without so much starchy filler.
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BTW, Pete Wells' rating right on target. Food is o.k. one star, not great, 4 stars. I have had Ceviche at many other places and Mission's is o.k.
I'm surprised they only gave one star - the only thing they didn't like was the somewhat pushy service and one dessert special. Frankly, doesn't seem fair. (I know Jose Luis' food well - since he opened his first place - and it is creative, delicious and generous.)
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I was somewhat disappointed by very few photos of ceviche dishes. I mistrust raw fish anywhere and everywhere, except for in reputable Japanese restaurants.
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The strong lime juice actually breaks the cell walls of the fish, inherently cooking the fish.
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Oh man. If you distrust raw seafood thy isn’t Japanese, than you’ve obviously never been to Peru. The ceviche is incredible. Though all these high end Peruvian places always disappoint me. Nothing matches the real deal, a big communal plate, rimmed with Yucca and Cancha, eating in shifts with shared spoons and washed down with Cristal. Preferably within view of the Pacific. Ricisimo!
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@Tuvw Xyz I distrust raw fish anywhere, so I'm afraid I'm not very interested in more photos.
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This feels like a first. A review of a restaurant on the Upper East Side. It’s hard to remember the last time that happened even though there are plenty of places to go to. Many of them that should be at least two stars. PB
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@pbilsky I agree. Every review seems to be about a new restaurant in Brooklyn and they all sound good but I live on the upper Eastside so appreciate hearing about a new neighborhood place to eat. My new favorite Italian is Siena on 3rd and 89th but I have not seen a review in the Times and it deserves one after two years.
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@Michael. I’ve written to Pete suggesting he do a piece on UES Italian restaurants. There are so many and they are generally filled every night. We love Nicola’s at 84th and Lex, but also Paola’s, Elio’s and probably a few more that don’t come to mind that I wish he’d talk about rather than a storefront with six seats and no reservations in Bushwick.
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@Michael
I have eaten at many UES Italian restaurants and love most of them. These are my absolute favorites: Caffe Buon Gusto at 236 E. 77th Street, Due at 1396 Third Avenue, Zucchero e Pomodori at 1435 Second Avenue, and Mezzaluna at 1295 Third Avenue