Peruvian food is gaining in popularity in Hong Kong and, many would say, not before time. With a number of new restaurants dedicated to this esoteric cuisine opening across the city, a whole new generation is coming to appreciate its intricate blend of Incan influences as well as the fusion flourishes bestowed by Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese and West African visitors across the years.
Click here to see El Mercado on video
El Mercado – literally the “The Market” – serves a distinctly Peruvian-derived fusion menu with a notable Japanese influence and a number of signature Spanish embellishments. Temptingly, its Peruvian Nikkeiconcept offers a number of its hallmark dishes, together with a creative combination of surprising citrus flavours.
The man behind this unique venture is Bart Szyniec, the former restaurant manager at the Aqua Group of restaurants. Unsurprisingly the atmosphere is cool and chic, with light brown wooden tables, sofa seating and pastel green leather upholstered chairs, all giving it a notably comfortable and relaxing feel.
Dimmed spotlights and soft traditional music underline its nonchalant ambience, while the large windows set behind the sofa seating allow a beautiful open view from the restaurant’s 21st floor setting. Its look is completed by an elongated bar at one end and a sushi bar – complete with high stools – at the other. While not a huge restaurant, it could quite comfortably accommodate around 60 diners.
Its drinks menu is particularly fascinating, crammed with an array of Chilcanos – enticing traditional Peruvian cocktails with a Pisco base, all lovingly mixed with a range of house specialty flavours and seasonal fruits. The options on offer include raspberry, gooseberry, blueberry, apple, shiso and chilli. All of these are displayed across the bar, together with a variety of other Peruvian classic cocktails made with wine, sake and a host of exotic spirits.
For true cockatail fans, this is indeed something of a paradise. One of the highlights here is the Lemon Grasstini, a vodka-based cocktail infused with lemongrass for a bitter sour tinge. Also worth checking out is the Caipirinha, freshly made with rum, lime juice and brown sugar for a perfect sweet-sour balance. It would also be positively immoral to miss out on the chance to enjoy a Pisco sour – a typical South American cocktail prepared with fresh lime juice, pisco, a dash of angostura bitters and an egg white to finish; deliciously tangy and creamy.