Three new Latin American restaurants in Hong Kong you have to try
- Ichu Peru and Los Sotano in Central and Te Quiero Mucho in Sheung Wan really bring those Latin American flavours
- Yuzu vinaigrette at Ichu Peru is so good you can drink it
Latin American cuisine might not be every Hongkonger’s first choice when eating out.
But if you’re after hearty, flavourful food full of rich ingredients and often some spice to boot, you’ll rarely go wrong with dishes from the world’s fourth-largest continent.
The three best new Hong Kong restaurants to try in November
Here are three terrific new Latin American restaurants we ate at recently in the city.
(Prices are per person and exclude drinks and service charge.)
Te Quiero Mucho
Mexican
Sheung Wan
The tacos at Te Quiero Mucho had us almost squealing with delight. “The Trump” was full of soft, moist beef tongue and crunchy fried pork skins with a mildly tangy salsa verde. The wagyu A5 taco should have been too gimmicky but actually worked out a treat, with chopped beef that came on a thin layer of creamy chestnut purée with an unusual salsa of peanuts and dried chilli.
The other dishes were also fantastic – including a top-notch guacamole and a mouth-watering upside-down tuna al pastor tostada – but this is a place you visit for the tacos.
About HK$300 per person. Click here for the full review
Ichu Peru
Peruvian
Central
The opening of Ichu Peru was one of the most anticipated of the year – it is the only restaurant in Asia by chef Virgilio Martinez of Peru’s Central Restaurante, which is sixth on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Unsurprisingly the food was delicious. The pez limon – yellowtail ceviche topped with crisp slices of fried sweet potato and large kernels of choclo – came with a yuzu vinaigrette that was so vivid, tangy and delicious that my guest asked for small cups of it so we could drink it. And the quinoa with greens, goat cheese and ginger sofrito – quinoa is inextricably associated with Peru – was beautifully done with its garnish of lavender flowers and bright dyed seeds.
About HK$650 per person. Click here for the full review
Los Sotano
Mexican
Central
If you’ve got a taste for tacos, best go to Te Quiero Mucho, not Los Sotano. While its “lobster drunk on tequila” and al pastor tacos were decent, we were disappointed by the others.
We did, however, thoroughly enjoy the cerdo crujiente – 48-hour slow-cooked pork belly with black bean truffle mole. And the churros for dessert – freshly fried and served with vanilla ice cream – really hit the spot.
About HK$300 per person. Click here for the full review