Casita Andina: Ceviche founder Martin Morales to launch Peruvian restaurant where everything is gluten free
Martin Morales pioneered Peruvian food in London when he launched Ceviche on Frith Street back in 2012, introducing many to its signature dish of fish ‘cooked’ in citrus.
He’s now set to bring Soho another dose of the country’s cuisine as he prepares to launch what he says will be “London’s most traditional Peruvian restaurant yet” — and every single dish will be gluten free.
Casita Andina will serve food from the Andes, and is inspired by Morales’s grandmother, who lives on the mountain range. It will even be fitted out to look like a traditional house from the area, complete with textiles made using ancient Andean weaving techniques and works by Peruvian artists on the walls.
“It will be London’s first picanteria,” says Morales, referring to the rustic restaurants found across Peru which serve home-style comfort food. “It will serve warming food for the soul, with plates designed for sharing, and will be cosy with lots of character — I think Soho needs more of that at the moment.”
Dishes will include lamb loin served with maca (a ginseng-like root vegetable), mushrooms and crushed corn nuts, and chupe — a traditional fish stew made with king prawns, coriander and quinoa.
Everything will be gluten free in part because traditional Peruvian dishes simply don’t tend to use wheat, but also because Morales believes that light, gluten free food leads to a better overall eating experience: “I believe in all-round great eating — you should eat food that tastes great, but also that makes you feel great”.
The restaurant will import its own chocolate from Peru for desserts such as choc con sauco, a melt-in-the-middle chocolate mousse.
Other ingredients bought directly from Peruvian farmers will include unusual kinds of quinoa, corn and chilli, though 90% of produce will be sourced from within the UK.
It won't be entirely traditional, though. "I take inspiration firstly from my travels in Peru, but also from chefs such as Jason Atherton and David Chang. It's Peruvian cooking, but there will be elements of fusion because there's no point in pretending that we're not a London restaurant," says Morales.
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Casita Andina will feature a ceviche counter and a bar specialising in pisco, Peru’s national spirit, as well as an open-air patio on the first floor. It’s due to open in July.
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