Percy Mendoza Huallpa (47) was born in Cusco, but at the age of 9 he went to work at Puerto Maldonado. From there it doesn’t stop. He has worked walking tourists on tricycles and selling sweets, pineapple slices and ceviche in a wheelbarrow
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As we would say in Creole, Percy has ‘taken the dirt off’ for his wife and two children, and when he talks about everything he’s been through so far, he gets emotional and his eyes glaze over. It is not for less, at the tip of lemons, squid, fish, rocotito and his good black shells, this cusqueño has won the hearts of all Lima. His landlords queue up to get a ‘cebichito’, some call him by cell phone to ask if there is still a portion left and others ask for ‘yapita’, arguing the effort required of them to come from other districts such as San Juan de Lurigancho, Ate, Los Olivos or San Martín de Porres.
‘Uncle Percy’ knows no borders. Trome found him at his usual post for about 10 years, at the intersection of La Marina and Faucett avenues, in San Miguel, and talked with him.
‘Uncle Percy’ has thousands of fans, and although he doesn’t have social networks, they always record him on TikTok. Photo: Jesus Saucedo.
Uncle Percy, how long have you been selling ceviche?
For 10 or 12 years or so. Always in this area. It was my younger brother who taught me, he came to Lima first and dedicated himself to this. We are from Cusco. Before, I used to sell candies or slices of pineapple or fruit here in the market.
People queue up and come from everywhere, what is the secret of your success?
If I tell him it’s no longer a secret, ha ha ha. Look, the truth is there is no great formula. The only thing is to do things with love, sacrifice, with a lot of affection. Whatever you do, you have to do it with passion, because you really want to do it.
Clients come from San Juan de Lurigancho, Ate, San Martín de Porres, Los Olivos, from all districts! Photo: Jesus Saucedo.
But its seasoning is incomparable, according to many…
What happens is that my products are fresh. I get up at 3 in the morning and go to the fishing terminal to buy tollo, squid and black shells. There is nothing frozen here. And people realize that, of course.
Your diners say that you get angry when they ask for cebiche without chili…
It is not true! LOL. I just make a ‘what!’ face. If my son ate chili since he was five years old… Cebiche without chili is not cebiche. One meets everything. There are people who ask me for cebiche without onion too… can you believe it? LOL.
Every time a customer asks for cebiche without chili, he makes a sour face and then laughs. “Ceviche without chili is not cebiche, then,” he says. Photo: Jesus Saucedo.
Are you encouraged to put a local?
Sure, it’s my dream. A small one here, just close. It doesn’t happen this year. They will all be invited. In addition to my cebiches of squid, fish and black shells, there will be pork rinds, jelly, rice dishes, sweaty, everything.
Uncle Percy, where do they find you?
In front of Cassinelli on Faucett Avenue, here in San Miguel, from 12 noon to 3 in the afternoon. I am from Monday to Saturday.
Its cebiche comes with everything: sweet potato, corn, cancha serrana, and a lot, but a lot of rocoto. Photo: Jesus Saucedo.
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