Peruvian Food Hits The High Notes at Vancouver’s Chicha Restaurant

Dine  Out Vancouver is in full swing and we’re sampling a few dinners this week. First up, Chicha Restaurant on Broadway, just west on Main Street. This is a spot we are very familiar with, as it’s owned by one of my fellow Dames (more on Les Dames d’Escoffier here), Shelome Bouvette and her partner Kumiko Umeno, the food here is top notch, flavours are never absent and their take on Peruvian food is exceptional.

This is a cozy room with tables that can be grouped or divided into douces and a great bar seating where you can watch the servers shake up the many pisco sours that are ordered frequently. Highly recommend you start with one and then go for the BC Wine pairings.

Up first you have the choice of a Seafood Chowder with a pile of locally caught fresh assorted seafood, red nugget potato, corn, peruvian aji amarillo chili cream or a flavourful Quinoa Ensalada with, red onion, mango, avocado, huacatay Peruvian mint and lime vinaigrette, rocoto chili aoli and we were reluctant to order the quinoa as I so often find it lacking in flavour, but Chef Bouvette delivered an flavour punch in this one.

Two entrees are the next option for each diner to choose from the eight available. Don’t miss the Chalaco Ceviche with Pacific lingcod, wild sockeye salmon, prawns, fresh oranges, green leche de tigre marinade, and crispy calamari as it’s uber fresh and flavour packed.

I adored the Mariscos Fettuccini with pan seared Pacific lingcod, prawns, wilted greens, seared cherry tomatoes, mesquite seafood and a sweet corn sauce.

Verduras Causa sees beetroot smartly added to this whipped potato dish, adding both flavour and colour. There’s also lima bean puree, pickled beets Peruvian black mint in this dish and it’s served with Rocoto Chili dusted yam chips.

Chicha Restaurant’s Cauliflower is glazed with a maple and rocoto chili and served with a yam puree and salsa criolla; absolutely heavenly.

An adobe braised smoked pancha chili eggplant, with chickpea stew, crumbled feta, annatto oil, quinoa and honey bread crostini was pleasantly spiced.

A dish we hadn’t had before here, the Papas Rellenas was like a Peruvian shepards pie, stuffed potato croquettes, filled with beef, onions, parsley, black olives and currants. We’ll have this one again please.

Chicha Restaurant’s Pollo skewers saw chimmichurri flavoured chicken thighs, with crumbled feta, lime cream, and a pleasant textural addition of crushed cancha corn.

Aji panca chili and orange barbecue sauce glazed baby back ribs, in the Costillos de Cerdo, and it came with with red nugget, green bean, and smoked bacon potato salad .

Don’t miss the Alfajores, Peruvian shortbread cookies that we are so fond of, they’re delicious shortbread and dulce leche sandwich cookies dusted with icing sugar.

It was debated whether the Alfajores, or Picaronesc sweet potato and pumpkin Peruvian donuts were better, and while the donuts, freshly made and served with an orange honey, pisco raspberry sauce, were scrumptious, I’m #teamalfajores for certain.

The $35 menu is a deal. You’ll leave Chicha Restaurant with a new respect for Peruvian flavours. Chef Bouvette is one of the best in the city, and Chicha is an undersung gem. They will be closing in May since the sky train is going into this block, so don’t miss out on dining here before it’s too late.