A year is a lifetime in the restaurant industry; it can be the make or break period that either raises an eatery to glory or simply leaves it quivering in the shadows, but since opening in trendy Fitzrovia just eight months ago, Peruvian restaurant Lima has already been voted ‘One to Watch’ at the National Restaurant Awards and, perhaps more importantly, has received the thumbs up from London’s hippest tribe of foodies (I shudder to note that this piece will end up in the section named after the blighters) keen to sample this vibrant cuisine.
Despite being rather skeptical of what appeared to be just the latest newfangled craze to hit London, I couldn’t help but be impressed on learning of Chef Virgilio Martinez’s pedigree; earning his stripes at the Ritz Hotel in London before becoming Executive Chef at Astrid y Gaston, voted number 35 out of San Pellegrino’s 100 World’s Best Restaurants. He opened Central Restaurante in Lima in 2010 and seems more than confident in believing that his latest London venture will give the more established Ceviche in nearby Soho a run for their money. Martinez pays homage to a country whose cuisine has evolved over centuries, embracing the flavours and techniques from a veritable kaleidoscope of cultures and harmoniously marrying them into an explosive blend of Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Andean influences.
The food of Peru is quite unlike anything most of us have ever sampled. Martinez, who believes the heights of gastronomy are founded in cooking natural and indigenous ingredients, has tailored a menu to include everything from the fashionable quinoa (that strange crop one is never quite sure how to pronounce), cassava powder, maca root and tiger’s milk, down to the humble potato in varieties you’ve never even heard of. The produce at Lima is not only mind-blowingly fresh but respectfully prepared by a team of chefs who more than justify their growing reputation. From ceviche to slow roasted meat, diners are taken on a food adventure all from the comfort of a cosy dining room in the heart of the West End and which in my opinion differentiates this restaurant from those simply capitalising on a passing trend
The décor of the main dining room, designed by Eric Monroe, is distinctly contemporary with an open kitchen and a friendly nod to the Incas in the form of colourful woven cushions and remarkably heavy earthenware crockery, but despite having already become a fashionable haunt, nothing feels forced or gimmicky. The clientele was mixed; from young couples out for a mid-week injection of the exotic, to older pairings still avidly reading Time Out in the hope of impressing their children. We followed their lead by kicking off with one of the house-blended Pisco cocktails – an essential palate-tickler which succeeded in getting us into the Peruvian vibe.
My duck crudo was ridiculously tender; thinly sliced strips of seared duck breast, dressed with a vivid citrus mayonnaise and topped with shavings (yes shavings) of foie gras before being drizzled with Algarrabo syrup – whatever that is. On sampling my chap’s hand-dived scallops with yellow aji pepper, umami salt and cassava powder, I was taken to a new realm – flavours I never even knew existed. If, like me, you’re getting brassed off at chefs constantly referring to the umami effect, you’re probably watching too many cookery programmes and haven’t been to Lima, who at least appear to have a comprehensive understanding of the concept; the elusive ‘fifth taste’ after sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
My main of suckling pig, one of the house specialities, was unctuous, sweet and sticky and was accompanied by a paste of roasted Amazonian cashews I could have smeared on toast for breakfast. It was at this point I only wished their portions were a little more generous, but on the up side, I’m glad I still had room for the chocolate mousse; a textural wonderland of satiny intense 75% cacao, cinnamon cream and crunchy biscuit-like crumb topping in the form of blue potato crystal (are these guys on something?). Lima isn’t for the faint hearted – it’s like base jumping without a parachute, but that’s exactly what I want when I dine out, and unless your name happens to be Heston, this isn’t the kind of food you’re likely to cook at home.
Lima, 31 Rathbone Place, W1. Tel: 020 3002 2640. Open Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm. For more information, menu samples and booking visit the website.
