A Shoreditch offshoot of the Marylebone original, Pachamama East again infuses Peruvian flavours with exciting ingredients from across the globe (and especially Japan). Shabby chic may sound a bit ’90s, but at this split-level space, it’s done with genuine elegance: all geometric tiles, festoon lighting and earthenware that you’ll want to stick on your Pinterest board.
The menu is divided into small plates themed by ‘soil’, ‘land’ and ‘sea’, all intended for sharing. Ceviche dominates the sea section, whereas the land plates are larger, so there’s less chance of fighting over the last chunk of pork belly.
Every dish was a riot of colour, flavours and textures. The tapioca marshmallows were as must-order as ever; the starchy, savoury, soft filling was tucked into a crisp breadcrumb jacket, with a thick ocopa black mint and peanut sauce on the side. A miso-cured carrot was dark and sticky against risotto-style black quinoa, with sharp Peruvian kimchi cutting through the creaminess. ‘Duck on rice’ was an understatement for the beguilingly tender meat that arrived on top of moreish white dashi rice. And if you’ve got room for dessert, the yuzu ice cream is something else.
The only niggle was that plates arrived ad hoc, meaning you could have a dish of subtle tuna ceviche competing with punchy Sichuan lamb. But the passionate, high-energy staff will happily let you order as you go: just ask. A rainbow of flavours like this deserves to be savoured in stages.