Tag Archives: Peruvian

THOROUGHLY MODERN MISSY: Sushi masterclass at UNI Restaurant, Belgravia

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‘Fusion’ has long been a bit of a buzzword in the food world. Things like ‘tex-mex’ and ‘cronuts’ (look them up) have been conjured from this world of hybrid cuisine. Whether these are successful or not I will let you decide. One fusion that I must encourage the reader to try is ‘Nikkei’ – the increasingly popular marriage of Peruvian and Japanese food. At first this combination sounds unlikely, however, as you start to compare cuisines, similarities start to show; both involve a lot of seafood. Raw seafood. Japan has its sashimi, Peru has its ceviche.

People are more and more bent on ‘experiences’ rather than ‘just’ good food and UNI delivers both with great aplomb. Not only does UNI have a winning cuisine combination, an enviable Belgravia address and friendly, attentive staff, it also offers one of those sought after ‘experiences’ with sushi making classes led by their talented, witty sushi chef, Christian. Arriving at the restaurant, a stone’s throw from Victoria station, I was greeted by one of the charming restaurant staff who was invariably cheerful and helpful as she led me down to the ‘classroom’. The layout of the restaurant works perfectly to allow for the multiple facets of the eatery- you enter at a street level bar/restaurant; one floor lower is the intimate yet elegant ‘classroom’ with tables skirting the sides of the room and a central teacher’s table; a flight of stairs lower still and you reach the restaurant’s most enchanting area. Is it going too far to say it was an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of culinary delights? Yes? Well, it was: atmospheric vaulted booths lined with a metallic wash and one square glass table in the middle – perfect for the sharing style of UNI’s menu. The menu? It’s wonderful. Of the many dishes we had including delicate seared salmon tacos and succulent ceviche I could not fault one.

Though the food was undeniably brilliant, it was the sushi masterclass that really made my experience at UNI. As sushi has exploded across the capital with Wasabis and Itsus opening on every corner, our masterclass taught us the delicacy and skill it takes to make every single one of those thousands of maki rolls in those hundreds of sushi restaurants. Christian taught us with ease and paid attention to each of us to help us perfect our technique (in saying that, I confess my technique is far from perfect). From the beginning we were told about how to make the famously sticky sushi rice before getting stuck in (quite literally) to making our first nigiri. The hour and a half goes by in the blink of an eye or a click of a chopstick and by the end of your lesson you will have an array of homemade sushi made with your own two hands. I could not recommend this experience enough – masterclasses at UNI are £35 each and with that you get to make three different types of sushi, drink plenty of Japanese tea plus a personal sushi rolling mat to take home with you. The next Saturday Sushi Masterclasses are on the 18th April, 16th May, 20th June, 18th July and 15th August. A perfect gift for a friend or, if you’re feeling particularly ‘shellfish’, a great treat for yourself.

More information and book a sushi class at UNI here.

Written by Thoroughly Modern Missy, Angelica Bomford.

Pachamama, Marylebone

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There are now a number of fine Peruvian restaurants in London, cementing the trend for South American cuisine. Each time I sample the dishes at these trendy London hotspots I can’t help but wonder if the plates in Peru are presented with the same finesse and creativity. Pachamama is the latest Peruvian eatery to receive rave reviews from critics and locals, offering flavoursome and innovative dishes in a characterful setting.

It is easy to walk past the modest front door of Pachamama, it is only once you walk in that your senses are flooded; warmth from the kitchen, laughter from the guests, colour from the beautifully tiled interior and aromas from all around. The design is the definition of shabby chic, rough edged but with thoughtful touches everywhere. Before you even look at the food menu, order a round of Pisco cocktails – my favourite was the Mama’s Pisco, a fruity combination of fresh raspberry, mint and orange, with a good measure of Pisco, Peru’s national spirit.

The staff recommend around three dishes per person, but you will have a hard job picking from the array of interesting choices. The menu is split into Land, Sea and Salads; we aimed to pick at least one dish from each section to taste a variety of the offerings. I really wanted to try the sweet plantain but apparently the new chef forgot to add it to the produce order. Instead we opted for intensely flavoured sea bass ceviche with samphire, radish, sweet potato and tiger’s milk. The soft fleshy fish was sitting in a pool of wonderfully sharp vinegar dressing and topped with delicate specks of garnish. Flamed octopus with purple potatoes, capers and crispy shallots is a powerful dish: large chunks of seafood accent a thick, alarmingly black sauce. “Duck on Rice” was possibly my favourite dish, tender strips of meat with a crisp edge are drizzled with a sweet sticky sauce and served with gloopy but tasty avocado rice. I would also recommend Smoked Gloucester Old Spot ribs with English malt and peanut glaze, although rather messy to eat. For dessert we indulged with the chocolate fondant, brittle and salted peanut ice cream. I’m not sure how authentically Peruvian this dish is but it was good enough that we stopped caring after mouthful one. The dense chocolate fondant was gloriously rich and had an almost bitter cocoa flavour, thankfully the nutty, sweet ice-cream contrasted brilliantly.

The lunch menu at Pachamama is unmissable giving diners the perfect opportunity to taste the food without spending a fortune. Available between 12 noon and 3pm each plate costs just £6, a big reduction on the standard prices.

If Peruvian food at home is as good as the grub at Pachamama put me on the first flight.

More information about Pachamama here: pachamamalondon.com

Ceviche, Soho

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Once known as the only Peruvian restaurant worth visiting in London, Ceviche now has a few competitors grappling at its feet. The restaurant reservation list is impossible to haggle your way onto at short notice with bookings taken months in advance.

A group of four of us took our precious table in the noisy Soho restaurant on an August evening. The service was friendly and enthusiastic, and we let our waiter’s advice sway our order choices.

A small bowl of cancha (crunchy Peruvian corn) arrived to accompany our South American cocktails. Simple and classic Pisco all round, the passionfruit sour was voted the preferred drink.

We tried a few of the stylish Ceviche dishes:

Ceviche de Alcachofa (artichoke and sweet potato ceviche with red onion in Amarillo tiger’s milk)

Don Ceviche (fresh seabass ceviche in Amarillo chilli tiger’s milk, limo chilli, sweet potato and red onions)

Not a keen fish eater I barely tried the most popular seabass ceviche, but my companions gave it rave reviews. The ceviche is served raw in a puddle of intensely citrusy marinade which I found overpowered any other flavour.

Ensalada de Quinoa (white quinoa, tomatoes, avocado, butter beans and coriander with lime and limo chilli vinaigrette) is a fresh and healthy salad to munch on, adding some contrasting crunch with the meat dishes.

Pollo Rico (marinated chicken in Amarillo chilli, with a celery and red and yellow beetroot garnish) are lovely chicken skewers, dressed in a tasty spicy marinade and served with vegetables.

Lomo Saltado (Beef fillet, sliced, flame cooked with red onions, tomatoes, and proper chips) was perhaps our favourite. Divine, tender meat with a subtle but sublime sauce that was perfect for chip dipping.

A conservative meal for four (we left still a bit hungry sans desserts) cost nearly £120, including one cocktail each but no other drinks. The website is bright, cheerful and informative (with a visually attractive interactive menu provided via Pinterest) so if you want to peruse the Peruvian fare before parting with your hard-earned dinero it is easy to do so here.

More information here: www.cevicheuk.com