Peruvian seafood that shimmers

OUR boisterous group falls silent as soon as the waiter sets down the \o7piqueo marino\f7, a stunning arrangement of Peruvian-style seafood appetizers that's a house specialty at Jose Antonio in La Mirada. Piled high with ceviches and cooked seafood, the crowded platter -- a Peruvian equivalent of the French \o7plateau de fruits de mer \f7-- has even the jaded food lovers at the table beguiled.

Warm gratineed scallops are presented on their half shells under a bubbly veneer of cheese. \o7Tiradito\f7-style ceviche, sashimi-like strips of lightly marinated fish, is veiled in a daffodil-yellow puree of mild Peruvian \o7amarillo \f7chiles. A dreamy coral-colored ceviche gets its shade and peppery kick from red Peruvian \o7rocoto \f7chiles.

Next to these are arranged micro-thin slices of tender young octopus served with a violet-hued olive dipping sauce. Finally, there's a salad of \o7causa rellena\f7, an only-in-potato-loving-Peru construction of cold, lemon-seasoned mashed tubers stuffed with shrimp and ripe avocado.

As we fill our plates again and again, there is talk of the higher prices these dishes might command if served in the hipper precincts of the city. We speculate that the chile-lime-laced ceviches were forebears of the popular spicy tuna roll and jalapeno-spiked sashimis that likely trickled down from the creations of Nobu Matsuhisa, who spent his training years in Peru.

Housed in what was formerly a spacious Asian seafood buffet, Jose Antonio opened last summer in this quiet suburb. But the restaurant might have remained a hidden neighborhood jewel were it not for a fan base of Peruvian ex-pats, aggressively touting the kitchen's skills.

Proprietor Victor Ricaldi, who for years had made his living as a deli owner in the jewelry district, has hired Peruvian chefs whose resumes include stints at Las Brujas de Cachiche restaurant in Lima's chic Miraflores district and from the well-regarded \o7cevecheria\f7, Punta Arenas, also in Lima.