Coast Global Seafood

SIMPLE MINDS: Coast Global’s Honolulu swordfish on ratatouille is indicative of

chef Joshua Laban Perkins’ “stripped-out classicism” menu.
photography by Kevin Hunter Marple

There are those in Dallas who have a snooty attitude about where they eat. “There’s no
restaurant,” they say, “that’s worth a drive farther north than 635.” To these people—
and you know who you are—I present Coast Global Seafood. All 8,000 square feet of it.
In Plano.

Granted, the place isn’t easy to find. It’s in the Shops at Legacy, but it’s tucked behind
the first block of new shops and restaurants on the north quadrant. If you get lost, ask
someone to direct you to the fountain. It’s a real Bellagio-style bobbydazzler. Getting to
Coast would have been a whole lot easier if the economy hadn’t collapsed while the
newest expansion north of Legacy Drive was under construction. The aforementioned
fountain is intended to be the center of a bustling mixed-use area of restaurants, shops,
offices, condos, and a hotel. Instead, the fountain’s colorful water dance is backed by an
empty lot where construction on the hotel has been halted. The office building to the
west is filling slowly. Coast sits on what might be the most expensive real estate in
Plano, and its future depends on the completion of the surrounding projects—and on
some folks’ willingness to venture north.

Coast is worth the trip simply to see the restaurant. You enter the underwater world of
Coast through a glass corridor studded with sparkling back-lit seashells from the
Philippines that have been laminated into the glass. You emerge at a hostess stand
shrouded by a stunning sculpture. The piece by Dallas artist Sherry Owens is made of
tall, twisted, red-lacquered crape myrtle branches that mimic a coral reef. In the
spacious dining room to the right, two large fixtures hang over two circular banquette
areas. From a distance, they look like schools of fish; up close, you realize the light
reflects off hundreds of fly-fishing lures strung out on monofilament and looped into 6-
foot arrangements. The wizard behind the décor is veteran interior designer Paul Draper,
whose former restaurant designs need no introduction (Central 214, Seventeen
Seventeen, Lombardi Mare—oh, those hanging goldfish bowls).

If you are looking for a place to pop the question, reserve a high-backed booth in the
dining room. If you’re going with a group of friends and want to take in the magnificent
fountain and the chic bar filled with casual but well-heeled customers, get a table
between the bar and the patio, and soak up all the action. The wall behind the bar has
huge cut-out circles of glass lined with Japanese silk and lit with LEDs that change from
dark pinks to deep purples. Look up and you’ll delight at the sight of glass jellyfish
lights hanging from the ceiling. If the weather is right, you can dine on the patio
overlooking the fountain.

Roasted Eastern Long Island skate wing.

photography by Kevin Hunter Marple

The striking setting would compensate for nearly any culinary shortcoming, but the
food at Coast is as stellar as the restaurant in which it is served. Executive chef Joshua
Laban Perkins, 35, is new to town, and he comes with an impressive résumé: he studied
at the Italian Culinary Institute in Piedmont, Italy; he was a poissonier at the one-star
Michelin restaurant La Locanda Di Piero in Montecchio Precalcino, Italy; and he
cheffed at di Paolo in Atlanta. In 2002, he was named executive chef at Brasserie Le
Coze in Atlanta, sister restaurant to Le Bernardin in New York City, and he worked
closely under superstar seafood chef Eric Ripert. In 2005, he opened the Globe, a
successful contemporary American bistro that he sold last fall.

Perkins’ “stripped-out classicism” menu translates into a short, innovative seafood-

centric mix of old favorites, such as ale-battered fried shrimp, and quirky takes on
classic dishes, such as a Peruvian causa. Perkins picked up the recipe from a Peruvian
line cook at Le Bernardin. “We worked on it for four or five months,” Perkins says.
“We couldn’t get potatoes to work because the U.S. potatoes were too waxy. So we
mashed them. It’s an out-there dish because it’s so different from a real causa, and it
isn’t easy to prep.” He layers dense mashed potatoes, avocado, and peeky-toe crab and
sets it atop an aji amarillo sauce, and a house-made mayonnaise with a little Dijon
mustard and pepper paste folded in. “In Atlanta, I sold maybe five a day. At Coast, I’m
selling over 25,” Perkins says. A sign, perhaps, that Dallas—excuse me, Plano—is
becoming a sophisticated dining city?

Perkins’ cooking style is clean, simple, and seasonal. For his version of a crab cake, he
binds a fistful of jumbo lump crab with a dab of mayonnaise, pan-sears it until golden
brown on the outside, seasons with salt and pepper, and serves it with ever-so-thinly
sliced fresh fennel. He tweaks his Caesar salad, going eggless to keep the usually heavy
dressing from overpowering his food. He tosses Romaine in a tasty anchovy vinaigrette,
garlic, shallots, and grapeseed oil. I loved the lightness of the salad; my Caesar snob
friend didn’t care for it one bit. Perkins keeps his kitchen staff small, and he does all his
own sauce work. “I don’t do molecular gastronomy,” he says. “When you order cod,
you see cod on the plate.”

SEE, FOOD: Coast Global’s Paul Draper-designed interior.

photography by Kevin Hunter Marple

Or skate. If you order skate, you will thank me after you have devoured a lovely slab of
roasted white, fleshy fish with a sweet flavor and a delicate texture. The fish, served on
a pile of slightly wilted spinach, is surrounded by a sauce made from puréed guajillo
peppers blended in a lime broth.
But the best reason to risk getting lost on your drive to Plano is to eat the snapper. The
pretty pink fish sits on jasmine rice scented with lemon grass and red curry and appears
uncomplicated. But Perkins’ prep is tedious: he boils 100 pounds of oxtails and reduces
them to two quarts of sauce. He spoons the broth sparingly around the outside of the
rice.

The first night I dined at Coast, I flashed back to the defunct AquaKnox, Stephan Pyles’
sexy seafood spot on Knox. Maybe it was Coast’s décor, but more likely the flashback
was triggered by Michael Cox, the VP of Coast and Pyles’ former partner in AquaKnox
and Star Canyon. Cox quit the restaurant business in 2001 to oversee the expansion of
Central Market in the Dallas area. But now that his kids have left the nest, he’s ready to
roll up his sleeves and get back into the business. Cox was recruited last January by
Richard Gussoni, the founder of Culinaire, a major national player in the hospitality
business and owner-operator of Nicola’s on the south side of Legacy Drive. Cox and
Gussoni have assembled a dream team of a staff, which also includes GM Michael
Bratcher (Tom Tom Noodle House, Nikita, Fuse), and set them up in a glorious spot.

With Coast Global Seafood, there’s no question that Plano has hit the big time in fine
dining. Now let’s hope that adjacent hotel gets built and those snooty folks in Dallas
learn to operate their cars’ GPS.
PERUVIAN GASTRONOMY
Here, people of all races do not hesitate to call themselves “Peruvians” and make
their accents and flavors part of what is ours. The land has taught us generosity by
placing endless delicacies in our hands for centuries now. Children learn the colors
by seeing all types of chili peppers and fruits, and our mothers at home make the
kitchen a laboratory of flavors and love. For of all this, I dare not venture to give
one reason why our country is so rich or where this inexhaustible source of flavors
starts. I simply introduce myself. Peru, mucho gusto.

Good cooking and an understanding of a finely spread table is maybe the most
widespread habit among Peruvians. We eat all things and for every occasion: when
babies are born, when the old die, when children turn into adults, when we want to
tell the truth or a little, white lie in order to seduce, convince or love. A well spread
table witnesses every occasion without exception.

Whenever hearing from a Peruvian that ours is the best cuisine, always remember
that this not one hundred percent naïve bravado;this is due to the belief that, if
there is such a thing as a sixth sense, then we, the Peruvians, have received ours
to double the sense of taste.

Our identity is shaped in the kitchen. As dinner guests, we are not easily satisfied
and a lot of us are magical cooks. Our tables are a shining example of pluralistic
democracy; there will always be room for a cebiche of fresh flounder, a Pisco Sour,
or rice with duck Chiclayo style.

Our capacity of integrating ourselves is expressed by eating Chifa, the proper name
of Chinese cuisine in Peru. Endless and colorful banquets that demand silence and
discipline after each and every bite allow us to appreciate what diversity really
means.
How about geography? Eating in Peru, ladies and gentlemen, is a journey in itself.
Starting from the bountiful Peruvian Sea, where our cebiches come swimming out,
and passing through the Andes with the hundreds of varieties of potato, and
moving on to the Amazon, loaded with the exotic for a natural and mysterious
cuisine, we have just one great route that makes Peru a unique territory; it is the
road that outlines our flavors.

PISCO, NATIONAL DRINK

The first grape stocks were brought from the Canary Islands to the Ica oases south
of Lima in 1551. Local winemakers soon started making a grape brandy they
shipped to other Spanish colonies from the port of Pisco that eventually gave its
name to the local grape brandy. Now, outstanding quality “pisco” full of flavor,
bouquet and body is made in the warm oases dotting the dry coastal desert, all
along the Southwestern Pacific coast of Peru, from Lima to Tacna.

Pisco is Peru’s national drink and is made in traditional distilleries in the Mala, San
Antonio, Santa Cruz de Flores, San Vicente de Cañete, Pacarán and Lunahuaná
wineries south of Lima. Further south, in Ica, over 80 wineries in the Chincha,
Pisco, Ica, Palpa and Nasca valleys distill outstanding pisco, as well as further
south, in the Arequipa valleys of Majes, Vítor and La Joya. Closer to the southern
border in Moquegua, about some 10 wineries produce not only pisco but also
“mistela”, a mix of pisco and wine. Fine pisco brandy and apricot fruit brandy is
typical of the 35 wineries in Tacna, in the southern end of Peru. At several wineries
visitors can stay on the premises and take part in pisco making during their stay.
The grape* harvest in February and March is a truly popular celebration and
February 8 is Peru’s Pisco Sour cocktail day. Pisco brandy made from “Italia” and
“Quebranta” grape stocks are most popular while “acholado” blends a variety of
grape stocks. All “pisco” is made 38° to 46° proof. Renowned “pisco sour cocktail”
one of the world’s most delicious is made by shaking 3 oz. pisco, one oz. lime juice,
one oz. gum syrup, a half egg white, and four ice cubes. Sprinkle 2 or 3 drops bitter
on top after pouring.

*“Pisco grape” types: Quebranta, black, Mollar, Uvina, and the aromatic ones:
Italia, Torontel, Albilla and Moscatel.

MUSIC
Peruvian music is an amalgamation of sounds and styles drawing on the Peru's
Andean musical roots and Spanish musical influences. The coast has a different feel
to its music than its Andean counterpart. It is called musica criolla and it's rooted in
a fusion that evokes to traditional Spanish, Gypsy (Roma People) and African
influence. It combines traditional European rhythms, strong gypsy emotional flair
deriving from Flamenco and eastern European Zards, and also African based chorus
and percussion.

This mixture is rooted especially in the central and northern coast, and has
provided the wide range of dance and musical styles we hear today. Lima for
example, is most well known musical style Peruvian Waltz known elsewhere as vals
peruano and valsesito peruano. The rhythm involves a singer, a chorus, Creole
Guitar, Peruvian Cajón and spoon players. It is widely popularised by the great
Chabuca Granda, who is considered the most important composer of coastal Creole
music, with such songs as La Flor de La Canela, Fina Estampa, and José Antonio.
Other commonly known Peruvian valse tunes are Alma Corazon y Vida, Odiame,
Propiedad Privada, El Plebeyo, and El Rosario de Mi Madre, some of these songs are
twisted to Bolero or Salsa version by Caribbean artists.

Afro Peruvian music is commonly performed by duos of Creole guitars, the Cajon,
Cajita and the peculiar Quijada de Burro. Examples of these dances are the Festejo
and Landó, which are common to Afro-Peruvian communities of the southern coast.
Susana Baca is a renowned singer and composer of Afro Peruvian music. She won a
Grammy award in 2002 for her album Lamento Negro. Another very famous singer
in this genre is Eva Ayllón. She has a career that spans over 35 years and still
performs.

The Marinera or Zamacueca of the central coast Lima is the current National Dance
of Peru, named in honour of the marines who fought against the Chilean military in
the War of the Pacific. Among Peruvians of the coast, it is considered as traditional
and representative as the Tango is to Argentina. The dance evokes from a mixture
of Eastern European gypsy, flamenco and the elegance of the Peruvian Paso Horse.
Many people take classes and look forward to the annual Marinera Festival held in
the city of Trujillo every July, with thousands in attendance.

In the northern coast especially Lambayeque and Piura, the people are most
famous for the Cumananas and the Tondero dance. These are the oldest and most
mestizo expressions of Peruvian music and derive from the encountered mixture of
the Gypsies, Africans slaves and migrant Andean cultures.

Peruvian coastal music has in its rich structure the participation of a local
instrument called the Cajon. This instrument has been mistaken very frequently
with a Spanish origin (the Cajon was introduced in Spain around the 1980s by Paco
de Lucia), but the truth is that the Cajon has been utilized in Peruvian music since
the colonial times. Although it might also have gypsy influence it has been proved
that the instrument is strictly of Peruvian origin since it is rooted in the Tondero,
the Zamacueca, the Resbalosa and Peruvian coastal Creole rhythms before any
other expressions.

Andean music is rooted in the traditional native music, the Spanish orquesta and
European Church music. The southern Andean region is famous for the Huayno, a
mestizo happy chant that involves Charango guitar, beautifully-toned lamenting
vocals and sometimes the Andean Harp. The Huayno Ayacuchano is probably the
most famous of its styles since it is played on Creole and even Spanish guitar,
adding to its feel an even a more soulful and romantic expression

HISTORY OF PERU
The earliest evidence of human presence in Peruvian territory has been dated to
approximately 11,000 years BCE. The oldest known complex society in Peru, the
Norte Chico civilization, flourished along the coast of the Pacific Ocean between
3000 and 1800 BCE. These early developments were followed by archaeological
cultures such as Chavin, Paracas, Mochica, Nazca, Wari, and Chimu. In the 15th
century, the Incas emerged as a powerful state which, in the span of a century,
formed the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. Andean societies were based
on agriculture, using diferents techniques such as irrigation and terracing; camelid
husbandry and fishing were also important. Organization relied on reciprocity and
redistribution because these societies had no notion of market or money.

In 1532, a group of conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro defeated Inca Emperor

Atahualpa and imposed Spanish rule. Ten years later, the Spanish Crown
established the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of its South American
colonies. Viceroy Francisco de Toledo reorganized the country in the 1570s with
silver mining as its main economic activity and Indian forced labor as its primary
workforce. Peruvian bullion provided revenue for the Spanish Crown and fueled a
complex trade network that extended as far as Europe and the Philippines.
However, by the 18th century, declining silver production and economic
diversification greatly diminished royal income. In response, the Crown enacted the
Bourbon Reforms, a series of edicts that increased taxes and partitioned the
Viceroyalty of Peru. The new laws provoked Túpac Amaru II's rebellion and other
revolts, all of which were defeated.

In the early 19th century, while most of South America was swept by wars of
independence, Peru remained a royalist stronghold. As the elite hesitated between
emancipation and loyalty to the Spanish Monarchy, independence was achieved
only after the military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. During
the early years of the Republic, endemic struggles for power between military
leaders caused political instability. National identity was forged during this period,
as Bolivarian projects for a Latin American Confederation foundered and a union
with Bolivia proved ephemeral. Between the 1840s and 1860s, Peru enjoyed
stability under the presidency of Ramón Castilla due to increased state revenues
from guano exports. However, by the 1870s, these resources had been
squandered, the country was heavily indebted, and political in-fighting was again
on the rise.