How to Make Ceviche

In a country where—as Gastón Acurio said—ceviche is way more than a recipe, "it's a way of life", it's pretty much a given that Peruvians take the dish pretty seriously. Javier Wong is arguably the top ceviche-maker in the country—some even call him the godfather of ceviche. He's not only well-respected in the chef community, but also amongst serious ceviche eaters.

His "secret" (although he claims there's no secret) is in the simplicity of the dish. It's almost like a minimalistic ritual; you need the freshest possible fish (he only works with sole), Peruvian limes, onions, salt and pepper. And a lot of love to mix it with.

He only works out of his own small house in the working class neighborhood of La Victoria (hence the eatery's name, Chez Wong), he doesn't have a menu, and you have to call days in advance in order to get a spot. But if you want the real deal, he's your guy. And now he's going to show you how to do it yourself.

Follow Munchies here:

[sobekflakmonkey]

"And how would you make ceviche in the US?"
"With fish. How the fuck else?"

That was unexpected and awesome.

[vintagecity]

This guy is a legend and I dont think people realize that Peruvians joke around like this. Its not rudeness, its like sass, its sort of like joking with someone to make them feel like they're part of the group. People usually only joke around like this with close friends. Even the snobbish and rich use slang like this. Its a laid back personality type social norm.

[alexiamor]

If you know spanish it makes this 100 times more funnier lol

[superbenbenhahaha]

if i get a dollar everytime this man gives a fuck, i'll have 0 dollars by now

[true-fiction]

Give this guy his own show! But no different recipes. Just come by once a week and ask him over and over again how to make ceviche and what the secret is. Now that I would watch. 

[marjolainearias]

"No te digo nada pues gringo huevon." ahahahha lmao

[JoHnFLeM]

Give this guy a show. He was hilarious.

[atticus]

"you use fish and salt, that's it." seconds later "Fish, salt and pepper-that's it." a few moments later"You use fish, salt, pepper, onions and lime-That's it!" That guy is a trip.

[MrPoppasmurf]

He's not being a dick, it's a Peruvian slang way of talking. Lost in translation.

[DavidSaintloth]

"If gringo's can't make this they're just dumb."

LOL, love this guy.

[ScottOrd]

I like this guy. He seems more 'cheeky' than disrespectful. Also like the 'keep it simple' approach to this recipe!

[chrisramirez]

“Pero no te lo voy a decir, las huevas” lmao

[robertholtz]

Firstly, his ceviche is world renowned so he has more-than-earned his sass. Secondly, anyone who doesn't "get" his humor, probably doesn't "get" a LOT of things. So be it. (By the way, the subtitles can't fully capture the sharpness lost in translation from his actual words, which are sassier still.) Third, the producers obviously enjoyed his responses. That's obviously why they left them in the final cut. Frankly, I thought this episode was perfect in every way. Thank you, Munchies! Great job.

[Skoomz]

bruh at first i thought this dude was straight Japanese i was thrown off so hard

[edwoodstock]

Chef Wong is a LEGITIMATE TASTE EXPERT. He got the best taste of Peruvian food under his sleeves.

[KarenMonge]

You guys...this is Peruvian sarcasm at its finest, sheesh.

[MrWaniskandar]

I would like to see him argue with Gordon Ramsey

[mr.ronaldreagan]

Soy de Perú y me encanta el ceviche. He probado muchos tipos de ceviches en cada una de las ciudades a las que he visitado del Perú, cada sitio tiene una receta especial y diferente de la otra pero ninguno se compara al ceviche costero, el de Chincha. Es la perfección hecha alimento. Realmente ésta comida es una de las razones principales por las que muchos extranjeros deberían visitar el Perú y por las que me encanta visitar diferentes zonas de este bello país. A cada lugar a donde voy, siempre tengo que probar el tipo de ceviche de esa zona. Ésta es una de las cosas más maravillosas creadas por los antiguos esclavos del virreinato, mi admiración eterna a esta gente por crear algo que ha sido increíblemente bien recibido en todo el mundo durante siglos.

[shadowremorse]

i am so touched, finally no hippie shits

[Bigfishday]

I had ceviche in Lima many years ago, haven’t had it matched in the many years afterwards. It was a simple ceviche with fish, stone crab of some type and seaweed. Excellent taste and texture.