We might have mentioned before that Kingly Court is fast becoming the destination of choice for London foodies. It’s not hard to understand why, with a plethora of cuisines and dining styles available. Townfish have visited no less than 4 venues there already; the latest, being Señor Ceviche.
The owner has brought a touch of bohemia to his restaurant with references to the style of the Barranco district in Lima. There are patterned floor tiles, but also porcelain tiles on the bar and walls. There are some very funky Peruvian artwork on their walls, but you might struggle to notice them as the lights are remarkably dim in the evenings and the music equally funked up.
The mastermind behind this restaurant is young, talented chef, Harry Edmeades. He is more qualified than most to be running a restaurant having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants like Club Gascon and The Square as well as some time at the famous ceviche restaurant in Lima, El Mercado.
What are the winners here you might wonder? Almost every dish on their menu would be my answer. They don’t offer ceviche necessarily prepared in the strictest Peruvian way, but it is their interpretation of the cuisine. Señor Ceviche (the dish) has a tasty mixture of sea bass and octopus ceviche, given some fire by that all important Peruvian pepper, aji amarillo and the recognisable citrusy notes from Tiger’s milk. It has some added crunch with some crispy baby squid.
The slow cooked crispy pork belly is a strong contender for the best pork belly in the West End with the right mixture of meat and fat and has an addictively inviting sweet soy sauce marinade.
You might have to have google on hand to appreciate all the unusual sauces used here. For the wonderfully tender flat-iron steak, it is accompanied with a uchucuta sauce, which is common in the Andes. It mixes red and green rocoto peppers along with a special herb called Huacatay to give the dish a distinctive flavour.
The list of dishes here might not be lengthy, but they are all ones you want to come back and try on repeat visits.
Let’s not forget the national drink of Peru, which is pisco. They make some incredibly dreamy tasting and smooth, pisco sours here. Although, I was lucky enough to try one of their special cocktails for Halloween, which they only made a limited number of 66 for the occasion. It used pisco infused with cherry along with raspberry and blueberry juices and red wine. The presentation was just stunning, as you can see below. Look out for future limited cocktail offerings at Señor Ceviche.
baldwin@townfish.com