Transferring to Bay Space to play soccer, Peruvian brothers change course and open eating places, the newest in Mountain View | Enterprise
Martín Castillo immigrated from Peru with one goal in mind: soccer.
He was 19 years old, barely spoke English and had no family living in the Bay Area. Yet his passion for soccer compelled him to leave Lima, his parents and four younger siblings to try out for the pro team that would later become the San Jose Earthquakes.
“We came (to the Bay Area) with a conviction of trying to change things for us, so it came with a vision for all of us to pursue a career, pursue a dream,” said Antonio Castillo, Martín’s younger brother, who immigrated from Peru more than two years after Martín to also pursue a Major League Soccer career. “Soccer didn’t work out, so we started working on the next. We are here right now with a new dream, and the hard work is still happening.”
The new dream began in 2002 when Martín, Antonio and Eduardo Castillo opened a Peruvian restaurant in San Francisco. They named it Limón, which translates to “lime,” to pay homage to a staple ingredient in Peruvian cuisine and to their hometown of Lima. Limón has since expanded to Walnut Creek, Oakland, Burlingame and, now, Mountain View. As a testament to its influence in the Bay Area, late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee declared Oct. 25 Limón Day in 2011.
The downtown Mountain View location opened its doors last month at 800 California St., at the corner of Castro Street. It was nearly three years in the making, according to the Castillos, largely due to the lengthy permit process.
Band of brothers
The Castillo brothers’ journey to success wasn’t easy.
“Leaving my house in the beginning was hard,” Martín said. “At one point … I wasn’t sure I was going to stay because here I was by myself, barely speaking English.”
But when Martín learned his brother Antonio was also joining him in the Bay Area, he knew he would stay. And a few years after Antonio arrived, their brother Eduardo joined as well.
“I was a dishwasher, a janitor,” Antonio said. “My brothers were cooks, bussers, bar backs.”
And on weekends, the brothers continued to play soccer recreationally. After the games, it became a tradition for the players to come over to the brothers’ house in Daly City for a feast. The brothers prepared dishes inspired by their mom’s cooking, with techniques they picked up working in American restaurants.
“In our house, our mom was the chef of the family,” Antonio recalled. “Every large event that we had, my mom was always the one who made the food and created a menu. She was a really great, creative cook. So, since we were little kids, we were introduced to the cuisine and the flavors without knowing it.”
The after-soccer gatherings gained traction, becoming larger and more elaborate. Guests suggested the Castillo brothers start their own restaurant, noting that quality Peruvian food was hard to come by in San Francisco.
They soon opened Limón in a small space of approximately 25 seats on 17th Street in San Francisco. And it was a hit.
“A lot of our menu is inspired by our childhood,” Martín said. “The flavors are what we grew up with, and that’s what we try to do here. We like to play with the food. We collaborate on ideas. That’s how we come up with something unique.”
Much of the menu at Limón is inspired by the owners’ childhood.
Limón serves modernized versions of traditional Peruvian food. Many of Limón’s dishes use chimichurri, a bright and herbaceous Argentinian sauce. The plating for Limón’s Arroz con Mariscos, or “rice with seafood,” is inspired by Spanish paella. And Limón even incorporates crispy calamari into ceviche in its dish called Carretillero Travieso.
When asked what it’s like to be in business with his two brothers for more than 20 years, Antonio said, with a laugh, “I mean, we haven’t killed each other.” He went on to explain that the three brothers have complementary talents.
“Martín is the brain and the creative in the kitchen, I run the dining room and the numbers, and Eduardo is in the kitchen also being right next to him,” Antonio said. “We are super invested in the business. We are our own first critics. We’ve been learning from ourselves for the past 20 years.”
Mom’s influence
Most of all, the brothers attribute their success to their mom, Luz.
“Our mom is the person who inspired us to be here today,” Martín said. “We have some items on the menu that were inspired by her. Who we are today is because of our mom. Learning, working, dedication, cooking skills are all from our mom, watching our mom, learning from our mom.”
And if patrons are lucky, they might even run into Luz at one of Limón’s locations.
“Sometimes she shows up,” Martín said. “Sometimes she still comes and jumps behind the kitchen. Our mom is a big part of our success.”
The Castillo brothers said they look forward to the opening of their seventh Limón location, anticipated in November or December in Redwood City.
