The buzz: Besides Above Eleven, which has been providing us with Peruvian-Japanese bites for years, Bangkok doesn’t have many options from this part of the world, as opposed to Mexican food. So, the addition of this new Peruvian place is a welcome one.

 

The vibe: Forget the outdated image that hotel dining is all proper and fancy. Here, they randomly bring out “surprise shots” and you can even get up and dance to Latin American music between the tables.

 

The food: Leading the kitchen is the lively and easy-going Venezuelan-Colombian chef Carlos Rodriguez who first came to Thailand in 2015 and is a familiar face on the Bangkok restaurant scene, having worked at Gaggan and Penthouse Bar and Grill at the Park Hyatt Bangkok to name a few. Serving Peruvian Nikkei (Peruvian ingredients molded by Japanese techniques), the quality of the fish and beef here is on par with leading Japanese restaurants around Bangkok. If you’re unfamiliar with Peruvian cuisine, expect a mouthful of dishes like the jicama mango salad (B450)—sour, fresh, with sweet mango to balance it. There’s also the Toda La Vida Ceviche (B800, hamachi, yellow tiger milk, crispy corn, and coriander). Another seafood dish we really love is the kamado grilled Hokkaido scallops (B1,050) served with crunchy quinoa crust, mirin, yellow pepper sauce and aji limo (lemon drop chili). For protein, you can't miss the Busyu wagyu A5 from Saitama Prefecture, Tokyo, cooked on Himalayan salt stone (B25/g, average serving between 70-250g). The highlight of this dish is the underrated rocket and asparagus salad on the side, dressed in ponzu sauce to cut through the fatty meat.

 

The drinks: Just like the food, the cocktails are on the Latin America theme. If you’ve had a long day at work packed with meetings, grab the El Bandito (B450) which uses Alipus mezcal mixed with thyme, pink pepper tincture with pulque syrup, and a whole egg. This sweet, earthy glass comes at 33% ABV, so be careful! Not that much of a hardcore drinker? Grab the Cactus Scape No.1 (B320, El Jimador Blanco tequila, pineapple, agave, and adobo spice mix) for something tropical and easy to start.

 

The crowd: The after-work crowd looking for a place they can unwind, have fun, and laugh out loud in a casual setting.

 

Why we’d come back: While Bangkok is packed with Mexican food, it’s not often we come across decent Peruvian cuisine. Plus, the vibe is fun and easy-going, giving hotel dining a whole new different atmosphere.