Shauna Eats Sunnyside

sex buzz, peruvian style

…and now that i have your attention.

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sidenote regarding the soundtrack for our whimsical mystery evening: “sunshine 2008” by de tropix, 1/2 of which is cherry b, m.i.a.’s concert partner in crime whom we first came across shakin her maker onstage at shows in nyc and detroit late last year… debut album out soon; until then, enjoy…

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now about this food.

B and i have been regular pio pio riko enthusiasts for quite some time now (on greenpoint ave at 46th st). hoping for some late-night chow on the other side of queens blvd, we pregamed at the pad with de tropix tunes and this week’s encore presentation of ANTM before making the 9:30pm trek to street cart-fabulous 46th street. look, it’s that damn taco truck:

pio pio riko is predominantly a casa de pollo, where racks of rotisserie chicken can be seen and smelled at all hours of the day roasting near the large-scale windows of their funky corner restaurant. the heavenly scents of juicy poultry flesh compete for top aromatic billing on a busy street where churros, gyros, and that bootleg taco truck’s street fare specialties regularly invade passersby’s senses.

PPR’s angular interior is quaint and mellow, with gray stone tile floors, red and white striped tables which i’ve read are symbolic of the peruvian national flag, and folksy guitar music emanating from overhead speakers. Bowls of freshly roasted oversized butter-doused corn kernels are complimentary, and fuckin tasty as hell when dipped in the casa’s signature spicy green cilantro sauce.

corona in a wine goblet. classy!

FACT: ceviche is considered a potent aphrodisiac, especially in peruvian culture where the raw whitefish is marinated in a spicy lemon broth commonly referred to as “la leche de tigre” (tiger’s milk - badass) with red onions (another natural aphrodisiac), cilantro, and ripe tomatoes so that the fish chunks, in essence, poach from the acidity while absorbing the ferocious goodness of the tiger’s milk. some say that the ultimate hangover remedy lies in swigging the excess tiger’s milk mixed with vodka from a frosty highball glass, though i have no intention of encountering a hangover so vicious as to warrant that type of commitment. this particular ceviche de pescado (fish, duh) was brought out in a lettuce bowl alongside a few ominous hunks of creamy yam, boiled potato, and a quarter-ear of super-corn meant to counter the potential heartburn of the main event.

FACT: green mussels have also been reported to possess identical, if not stronger, aphrodisiac effects than their more famous cousin, the oyster. gargantuan in table presence, topped with heaping scoops of tomato/onion/lime/cilantro/corn/celery pico de gallo and the occasional errant slab of tender squid on a half-shell, the green mussels were an immediate hit and found their way straight down the gullet without so much as a breath in between to delicately analyze the overwhelming flavor explosions in our mouths… (note to self: *spicy*tangy*fresh*)




FACT: we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into.

by the time we left pio pio riko, our legs were considerably tingly and weak. B commented that it would be ridiculous to presume that the single corona with lime that we had each consumed could have such an effect, so we chalked up our noticeable lightheadedness and carefree nature to an overindulgence in seafood that was mirroring some sort of hallucinogenic comedown. walking briskly back through the neighborhood, our giddiness only heightened, and by the time we made it home, we were quite aware of the tingle stretching from the napes of our necks straight down through the backs of our knees. perhaps it was the delectable green sauce, we mused. or those addictive corn kernels served warm to our table, lovingly basted in what could’ve been absinthe. something to bring about this kind of unsuspecting (though not entirely unwelcome) buzz.

and then it hit us. the lore of aphrodisiacs. the mussels, the ceviche. even the onions, dammit. the flavors intermingling in our systems, spinning us in their seductive webs of lustful consumption.

after a few quick google searches, our suspicions were verified. i wondered if the waitress knew what we had embarked upon. if she had smiled knowingly as we dropped her a generous 20% before floating off into the night.

B and i giggled gleefully. might as well, no? too late to recant the meal, and not that we would choose to do so anyhow… being the troupers that we are, we bucked up and went for it - B broke out a bar of our finest dark chocolate and together, we kicked back to the hypnotic beats of de tropix to savor the remainder of our unexpected fish buzz thanks to the undercover aphrodisiac apothecary masked as a delicious peruvian chicken rotisserie house nestled humbly on the corner of 46th st and greenpoint.

Pio Pio Riko Restaurant
45-23 Greenpoint Avenue
Sunnyside, NY 11104
718-361-5721