Peruvian dishes with a modern, Japanese twist? Well that sounds too tempting to turn down …
I’ve generally been a fan of fusion food, and I was delighted to revisit Nikkei restaurant, Chotto Matte, in Soho to try out their new brunch experience. It didn’t feel that long ago since my first visit – that is until I looked back at some old photo albums and realized my not-so-long-ago was actually almost 3 years.
So may places, so little time …
It was raining cats and dogs outside, but that didn’t stop me from embracing summer with a refreshing glass of Pimm’s cocktail, followed by some Prosecco di Valdobbiadene – because who can resist bubbles on the weekend …
We started with an appetizing selection of delectable sushi – Maguro (tuna), Hotategai (scallop), Sake (salmon), Hamachi (yellowtail) and Suzuki (seabass), alongside an eye-popping, vibrant dish of sea bass ceviche. The sushi rice for me was en pointe, and not too dense, and each mouthful was a joy for me. The sea bass was fresh and the “tiger’s milk” was creamy with a good balance of acidity. Going back in time about 5 years ago during my early days in London, I remember actually googling “tiger’s milk” to convince myself that it wasn’t actually what it said on paper … ah, my early naive food-blogging days (!)
The calamari tempura had a light, crisp batter, served with aji Amarillo emulsion – one of those more-ish dishes that are great to nibble on.
Then arrived the Robata dishes: my favourite was the Asado de Tira, tender pieces of beef short rib flavoured with teriyaki jus on a smooth and luscious purple potato mash. The meat was well-marinated and had a good amount of juicy fat. The Pollo den miso (chicken miso) was nicely grilled and succulent, drizzled with yellow chilli salsa and topped with thin ribbons of carrots and daikon. There was also a vegetable dish of sake sauteed broccoli – not quite as exciting as the meat dishes but it’s always nice to have some veg on the side.
The prettiest of them all and often the highlight of my meal was dessert: a rich and indulgent chocolate pot topped with crunchy golden honeycomb pieces, a smooth and creamy passion fruit brulee and tasty mouthfuls of mango and matcha mochi balls. I do like like some variety in my desserts.
Bailey thought that they looked pretty good too (!)
Chotto Matte’s brunch menu is available every Saturday and Sunday until 4pm for £50 per person, which includes a five-course tasting menu (vegetarian option available), a welcome signature cocktail plus half a bottle of Prosecco or wine. A non-alcoholic menu is also available for £45 per person and includes three freshly shaken fruit-based mocktails. The full brunch menu and options are available to view on the Chotto Matte website
The Cheekster, signing out x
- I was invited to review, but views remain my own.