Michelin-starred chef Robert Ortiz at the recently launched Chakana London
ACCLAIMED modern Peruvian restaurant, Chakana, is celebrating a successful six months at its recently launched London site.
Located on Broadway Market in the bustling borough of Hackney, Chakana London opened its doors last October, and marks the second location of the popular Peruvian restaurant which is headed up by renowned Michelin-starred chef, Robert Ortiz.
Chef Robert, who trained at London’s Landmark Hotel as well as Four Seasons, and earned Lima its Michelin Star in 2013 – the first Peruvian restaurant in Europe to be recognised by the Guide – has made it his life’s mission to celebrate and share the flavours and culture of his home country, Peru.
The opening of the new London site follows the successes of Chakana Birmingham which has built a cult following amongst food critics and food lovers, been awarded Michelin Guide status and featured in OpenTable’s Top 100 in 2021 and 2023. It has also been recognised by National Geographic as one of the top ten restaurants in the world to enjoy seafood ceviche.
The opening of the new 150 sqm London site has brought ten jobs to the local area. It has already welcomed thousands of diners through its doors, with foodies flocking to the stunning new site to get a taste of the authentic flavours and dishes of Peru that have helped secure Chef Robert’s place as one of the most celebrated chefs of this decade.
Chef Robert Ortiz, said: “Bringing the vibrant culture and cuisine of my home country of Peru here to the UK has always been a passion of mine. After creating a successful concept which has fostered a lovely community in Birmingham, we chose London as our next location so that we could really take the Chakana brand to the next level and spread further awareness of a country which will always be so close to my heart.
“It’s been a really exciting few months since our launch, and we’re so pleased with how well our new London site has been received. Hackney is a fantastic location, with a brilliant community that’s brimming with creativity, making it the perfect location for us.”
The new London site features a bold interior fit-out by creative architects 2G Design and Build, designed to pay homage to the bright colours of Peru, as well as a downstairs area for private dining area which features bold murals created by artist, Lucy Maclaughlin.
On the menu, diners will find a range of exciting dishes full of the complex and invigorating flavours from Peru’s rich landscape, with prices ranging from £7 to £23 for its à la carte menu.
Highlights include the famous Chakana ceviche, with seabream, tuna or corn varieties available. Guests can also choose from salmon, scallop or watermelon tiradito, which serve as a nod to the fusion with Japanese cuisine that Chakana loves to showcase. Other popular options are causa dishes made of a Peruvian potato puree and topped with delicious trimmings, such as beef, crispy yucca, fresh avocado and sweet mint.
The restaurant also boasts Europe’s most extensive range of pisco – a Peruvian grape brandy which is used in many of the restaurant’s cocktails, including pisco sours and several delicious bespoke creations. Chakana is also home to Peruvian beer and a selection of south American wines from independent suppliers chosen to showcase the best of the continent’s rich alcohol offering.
Chef Robert continued: “Being respectful to traditional ingredients is really important to me, and I have an uncompromising approach when it comes to using truly authentic Peruvian ingredients. I use these wherever possible and combine them with high-quality British produce to recreate the vibrant colours and punchy flavours of traditional cuisine.”
“We pride ourselves on being very accommodating too, and can be flexible to dietary requirements – Peruvian food is largely gluten-free, and can easily be adapted for vegan, vegetarian or other needs. I want the Chakana experience to be an exciting, welcoming one for all.”
The team is also soon to launch an exciting seven course tasting menu in March, priced at £75 per person for meat eaters or £65 for vegetarians. Taking diners on a culinary journey, the new offering features an eclectic mix of small plates, breads and petit fours that hero key ingredients from the coast to the Andes through to the Amazon Rainforest.
Highlights include Peruvian street food favourite, ox heart skewers and anticucho sauce, or purple potatoes, quail egg and botija olives; hake Amazonia served with roasted avocado and braised seaweed; confit suckling pig served with corn tamal, charapita chillies and ocopa sauce.
Vegetarians are also catered for, with a range of options to choose from including roasted aubergine with miso, fermented purple corn and fava beans.
Harry Cusco, drinks director and pisco expert at Chakana, added: “Our new tasting menu offers diners a different way to enjoy our dishes, during the ultimate culinary tour around Peru. Made to be savoured, guests will find some dishes that aren’t available on our à la carte menu, but still with the signature bold and creative pairings people have come to expect from us.”
To finish, guests can indulge in a range of traditional Peruvian-inspired sweets such as Chef Robert’s melt-in-the-mouth alfajores, a delicious shortbread, alongside silky-smooth chocolate mousse packed with rich cacao flavours. What’s more, for every two kilos of chocolate used, Chakana replaces a cacao plant in Peru as part of its commitment to invest in local agriculture.
Chakana is located at 41 Broadway Market, London and is open from 5pm to 12am from Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 12am Saturday to Sunday, and closed on Mondays.
To find out more, visit: https://chakana-restaurant.co.uk/london
