They have created quite an oasis, and the space feels very self-contained despite the traffic outside. We are sat by the window, where we have a view into the kitchen and onto the terrace, where the barrier separating outside tables from passersby manages to balance the chic and the urban by looking a bit like pretty scaffolding. It is so lovely to be well taken care of immediately - our wonderful waiter Ryan walks us through the menu with expertise and kindness, and gets us our inaugural Pisco sours at record speed.
We began with the padrón peppers (£7) — an ample portion, and piping hot upon arrival. Whilst the quantity of maldon salt was a little much, they are and always would be a great way to kick off a meal. They arrived alongside the tapioca marshmallows with ocopa sauce (£10). The ocopa sauce, originating in Arequipa, has huacatay (black mint) as the main ingredient, and to us tasted very leafy. The tapioca marshmallows themselves — which we’d ordered out of curiosity more than anything else — were, in the words of my mother and dining companion, “a taste and texture experience”. Crispy on the outside but deliciously cloying on the inside, these were quite unlike anything I’d tried before, and for £10, a generous portion. If you fancy something a bit different, give these a go — when I return to Chicama, I will definitely be having them again.
We then moved onto our fish courses, starting with the yellowtail crudo with lime dashi and jalapeño (£20) and continuing with the salmon ceviche with tiger’s milk, tomatoes and avocado (£16). The yellowtail itself was quite meaty, and the sauce quite creamy, which was a different experience to what I expected from a section described as “light”, and it took a bit of tuning into. The salmon ceviche felt quite out of place in such an instagrammable establishment; as compared to the rest of the menu, the presentation was quite slapdash and it didn’t look particularly appealing. The tomato sauce was somewhat overpowering of the fish flavours too - overall, not our favourite.
From the vegetable section, we opted for the grilled cauliflower with yoghurt and almonds (£12) and the cavolo nero with goma dressing (£13). Again, we were pleased with the generous portion sizes and good value of these dishes. The cauliflower was tasty, but not outstanding — my mother was right in saying she makes it nicer at home — though the combination with the yoghurt and almonds made for an excellent mélange of textures. Goma dressing is always delicious, and this cavolo nero dish was no exception, though it probably suffered due to the structure of the meal: a whole large plate of greens on its own is perhaps less enjoyable than if it were to accompany the fish which we had next.
And this fish was quite a spectacle - Chicama has a seafood specialty, and the menu overall is inspired by coastal Peruvian cuisine. Within this setup they have the market fish menu, from which we chose the lemon sole (£35). Shown to us on the bone and then taken away to be made easier to eat, the lemon sole was served with a delicious avocado and jalapeño sauce and some black squid ink rice. Perhaps, as aforementioned, had the dishes been able to work in harmony with one another — with fish complimented by vegetables and a more well-rounded group of options available on the table at one time — this would have been even better. As is, though, the market fish is a great pick from the menu.
Our dining experience was an incredibly happy one - our waiter Ryan did a spectacular job making us feel that we were in safe hands, the ambiance was sparkling and intimate, and our delicious food was washed down with some truly excellent cocktails: the Pisco sour is, unsurprisingly, the way to go. Not every dish on the menu was a knock-out, but the overall picture was one of style and culinary flair. For a tasty meal and a lovely evening, Chicama will serve you well.
