This month, Zengo in Chinatown launched their new “Taste of Lima-Tokyo” menu.  This seasonal menu features interesting takes on Japanese and Peruvian foods, including a stand-out selection of mouth watering cocktails that make even the most temperate of personalities just a little bit tipsy.

I had the opportunity to sample the menu this past week.  The highlight of the evening clearly were the innovative cocktails, including a Spicy Passion Fruit Pisco Sour, Chicha morada mojito (twist on a traditional mojito that utilizes a surprisingly tasty purple corn juice), and a blood orange-chancaca whiskey sour (which adds unrefined sugar cane juice for an extra punch).

In fact, all of the drinks on this menu are excellent.  Many of the concoctions utilize Macchu Pisco brand’s impressive selection of pisco products.  Try their Nusta reserve pisco if you want a relatively easy to drink pisco straight up (though I have to admit, I prefer pisco in a mixed form).

Zengo’s Lima-Tokyo food menu also offers a surprising array of unique flavors that expertly integrates tradition Japanese and Peruvian ingredients.  Some of the dishes are a bit heavy-handed, allowing one strong flavor to overtake the dish (e.g., the Concha a lo macho is smothered with just a little too much cream or the Chupe de mariscos allows the brininess of the shellfish to overwhelm the otherwise delicate milk-dashi broth).

But other dishes hit just the right note – balancing flavors to a surprising end that is indicative of great fusion cuisine.  The Rainbow ceviche, featuring organic salmon, tuna, fluke, and Okinawan potatos is delicious and pairs perfectly with an after-work cocktail.   Another winner is the Oyacho chicken served with a quail egg and a creamy Peruvian queso fresco chili sauce.  It is one of the best chicken dishes I’ve tasted recently.

All in all, the Lima-Tokyo menu is worth the trip – make sure to have a cocktail and the ceviche while you’re there.

– Guest Writer Yasmine (YSS)