This Shoreditch joint is a sibling to the Peruvian-leaning Pachamama in Marylebone, but this time around, there’s an added emphasis on Asian ingredients and flavours. The split-level, plant-strewn space has a cosy, romantic vibe thanks to shabby-chic interiors, even more so in the evening, where the space is lit by candlelight.
Dishes arrive as and when they’re ready from the open kitchen, and there’s a tasting menu if you don’t want to deal with the burden of choice. We kicked off with fatty cubes of pork belly chicarrones, before moving on to miso-cured carrots resting against a pool of crunchy black quinoa and a bundle of sharp-tasting Peruvian kimchi.
Larger plates include the modestly named ‘duck on rice’: a hunk of crispy, smoky duck resting atop a mound of aromatic rice. The duck went down nicely with our fragrant Earl Grey-infused Pisco, which arrived topped up with Prosecco. From the desserts, a yuzu-spiked ice cream with oat crumble was rather forgettable, whereas a bowl of crumbly corncake with vanilla ice cream and sticky poached pears fared much better. Amiable service and a tempting weekend brunch are further draws.