Please forgive me. I’m always late to the party. So when I first heard the words “Japanese-Peruvian” uttered in the context of fusion food, the sceptic in me bristled. “Fusion?” I complained. “Very few ‘fusion foods’ are actually any good. I bet it’s s***.”
Well, smack me across the face with a tortilla (as per the TikTok challenge), because Japanese-Peruvian food is actually bloody amazing. It’s also been around for the better part of the last decade, so I am about 12 years late to the party, a new record for me. But better late than never, right?
It was Chotto Matte in Soho that revealed to me the pleasures of this marriage between East Asia and South America. The humongous three-story establishment, which features a cocktail lounge, a la carte restaurant, sushi bar and robata grill, has been feeding Soho revellers for the past nine years.
Granted, the interiors look pretty tired – they’ve seen a lot of things. The chairs are low and feel like a million bums have sat in them (which is probably accurate) and the dull floors have been crossed an infinite number of times.
But the food still dazzles at Chotto Matte. The zingy, spicy nature of Peruvian cuisine brightens the palate and brings the umami flavours and soft textures of Japanese sushi to life even more. Even as a sceptic of fusion food (with good reason – the mid-noughties were full of terrible fusion restaurants that hurtled towards disaster), I have to say that this is a definitively good pairing.
As expected, fish is the star of this partnership, with ceviche, sashimi and sushi galore. Chotto Matte’s repertoire of fish dishes is extensive, which may be cause for worry in some places, but not here. The sea bass ceviche swims in a mouth-puckering sauce that leaves you wanting more, while the spicy tuna roll that sits on a bed of crispy rice is a delight. Popping a whole thing into your mouth might be a bit risky, but worth it in my opinion.
One of my absolute favourite things on the menu was the black cod aji miso, a gorgeous, generous piece of black cod marinated in white miso and then cooked on the robata grill. The perfect bite includes a caramelised corner of the fish along with a big bit of the sweet, tender flesh. Heaven!
We were also served a dish of the pollo den miso, which is chicken marinated in miso and covered with a fresh topping of carrot, daikon and a yellow chilli yoghurt. Unfortunately, this was a rather forgettable dish – stick to the fish, I’d say. Honestly, I would go back for the black cod alone. And also the ceviche. Maybe also the spicy tuna, if I have room…
Speaking of room, it took a little break between dishes before I had any room for dessert. The magical chocolate ball is a lovely bit of restaurant theatre. Who gets tired of watching hot sauce being poured onto a chocolate dome, melting it away to reveal a delicious pudding inside? Although, after eating so much fish, a cooling green tea ice cream would have been just the ticket.
Chotto Matte is a time-honoured Soho institution, and it’s only a good thing that its owners knew it was overdue a refresh. The restaurant has been temporarily closed for renovation and has promised to reopen with a dramatic transformation by September. But you don’t have to wait three months for your Japanese-Peruvian fix, because Chotto Matte recently opened a second London branch in Marylebone, boasting new dishes such as fatty tuna and robatayaki salmon.
Chotto Matte Marylebone, 26 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 5QY | 020 7058 4444 | chotto-matte.com/london-marylebone
