005- Ichu Peru
Are you guys ready? Here comes the first judgment, well I don’t want to be a hater but I must tell the truth and here we go!
I have always want to try out this restaurant, I like to eat different food from different culture, so I am quite excited to try Peruvian food for the first time ever! The photo on their website is so colorful, very exotic! oh man I love exotic food, strong flavor is my goto!
Ichu has been closed for few weeks because of the virus, when they reopen they are doing 50% off on food at dinner service! I was like hell ya, I love food and when they have discount, OMG YASSSSSSSSSSSSSS! So I quickly gang up with my buddy and booked the Monday dinner that week! Super looking forward to this meal, I have been looking at their menu for days!
When we walked in they have nice ambiance, open kitchen dark environment brought it extra mysterious. Tomb raider vibe, I kinda like it! Server was nice introducing wine, they do not have a wide selection, till this point every thing is nice still excited! But when the food is on board, I was just not impressed! I am sorry the whole dinner I just remenber one dish, it is the seafood pasta! I am not even sure is that Peruvian food, but that is the most out standing among all the other dishes that I ordered.
We ordered the clasico snapper ceviche, our waitress said that is popular and it is a classic Peruvian food! Hmmmmmmmm……I always imagine ceviche supposed to be sour, because they need acid to slightly cook the fish. This clasico is not sour does not bring me freshness and their is sweet potato and corn, I am ok with that but where is the exoticness where is the fresh herbs, ginger, garlic, coriander? This is like a cold soup with raw fish, is that like a new idea to adapt the Hong Konger taste buds?
OMG! The next dish have me furious not in a good way! We ordered two kinds of Chaplas, is like something serve on a Peruvian pita bread. But unfortunately now they changed it to serving on a tortilla, so Peruvian change to Mexican food? Well the two countries are very close, so they might have some influence in food culture, fine with that as long as it’s yummy! That is the worst tortilla I ever ate in my life, I am so sorry! The little tacos brought to our table looking cute, but when I took the fist bite, damn the tortilla is chalky! Is like a chalky dough, I don’t know can you guys understand what am I talking about, but I am sure one thing that is not pita bread or tortilla! Even the soft shell crab is not seasoned , come on ! If you cannot be Peruvian at least try to pretend you are Mexican! Totally miss the point of exoticness, the beautiful spices, spiciness and acid of the culture!
I won’t be talking each dishes that I have ordered, cause they did not show case Peruvian food. I was expecting basil, black pepper, chincho, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, black mint, oregano, paprika, marjoram, nutmeg, parsley, thyme and turmeric! The cuisine that is well known of using all kind of spices and in Ichu I got two slices of red onion that is it! Sigh, straight disappointment! Even with half price I would not do this again!
I did ordered a signature dessert hope to end this dinner with some hope, I ordered the rain forest, it was pretty! Flavor still on the mild side, but at lease some new flavor combination sesame with lychee and pistachio! I just hope something stronger will hit me so I can have a better memory for this meal. One thing about this dessert have me struggle, in the description it said the dessert is a rain drop cake! But the rain drop cake is so firm, is not giggling at all. I rather say that is a agar agar jelly dessert! Anyway I will have an approach to remake this rain forest dessert, stay tune for that!
When I think of Peruvian I think of Hispanic lady, sexy and sassy! Hispanic in my opinion are the people who always expressing their love their hate their anger, hispanic are not introvert! To me hispanic food is colorful and punchy, is flavor to your face they don’t hide, they deliver all to your palate! Have you ever seen hispanic lady dancing or fighting, so passionate so aggressive! And Ichu turned that sexy hispanic woman to a timid little girl!
Since I do not really recommend this restaurant I will not include their address on below :)
