Chotto Matte, review: Party-starting Peruvian food gets a gentle Japanese touch

You thought Japan and Peru were world's apart? Think again.
Nikkei gyoza at Chotto Matte
Ailis Brennan12 December 2017

It may seem that Peru and Japan are worlds away from one another, or at least the breadth of the Pacific Ocean. Yet, in a culinary sense, these guys are bosom buddies. Since Japanese immigrants began to settle in Peru in the later nineteenth century, Japanese and Peruvian cuisines have bonded over their love of raw fish and influenced and inspired one another.

Chotto Matte shows off the close relations of these pen pals and the fruits of their labours. The restaurant serves Nikkei dishes – a cuisine that brings the delicate touch of Japanese cooking to the flavours and ingredients of Peru. The menu at this stylish, party-starting restaurant (live music and DJs liven up a weekend) is vast and varies widely. Choosing between menus of sushi, sashimi, ceviche, robata grilled meats, tempura, sautees, gyozas and tostaditas is a tad stressful when you're pretty sure you want it all.

The Nikkei sashimi is their star dish: delicate slithers of yellowtail awash in a yuzu truffle (yes, truffle) soy, with sweetness and zing provided by cherry tomatoes and jalapenos. Peruvian staple ceviche gets an upmarket, sexy twist with a combination of langoustine and beautifully soft lobster. From their sushi selection, order any combination that features the scallop aji amarillo: the sweetness of the scallop is superbly balanced with the sour, fiery notes of the South American chilli. Tartness is also the making of their soft shell crab tempura, with yellow chilli and yuzu cutting through the admittedly feather light batter with a delicate but firm touch.

Chotto Matte is the Japanese request to "wait a moment" – you won't want to wait long before you get another crack at conquering the entire menu.

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