London, UK
I ended up going to Andina, a new Peruvian restaurant in Shoreditch, kind of by accident, as I had wanted to go to Big Apple Hot Dogs for lunch, but it was closed. I should have checked, as they are never open on Mondays. The second choice was less casual, but not a bad option at all. Andina is run by Martin Morales, the same man who started Ceviche in Soho, previously reviewed here on the Food Grid. The bright and airy space on the ground floor was full, so we were seated all alone downstairs, which would probably have been cosier at nighttime with more people around. It’s a nice space, but not as hip as the Soho counterpart, but I almost find this refreshing in Shoreditch. There are clear parallels with Ceviche in the food and cocktail list, and my Pisco Sour was equally refreshing here. I was informed that they buy liquid egg-whites and don’t crack a fresh one for each drink, as they do not have use for egg-yolks. This takes away from the experience a little, but wouldn’t stop me from ordering another. My friend had the Urubamba smoothies, one of many menu items that contain quinoa. I ordered the Choclo corn cake with avocado and salsa criolla. I absolutely loved this, and it tasted healthy while still being filling. I thought my friends would have food envy because they “only” got quinoa burgers, but they seemed very happy with their choice, and said was juicy when I asked if it was as dry as it looked. We all shared the seabass ceviche, which was a zesty highlight. Everything on our table was colourful and tasty. Although it didn’t amaze me, I will very likely return to Andina.
