Casita Andina, a new restaurant from Ceviche founder and chef Martin Morales, is to open in Soho on 28th July, Peruvian Independence Day. Located at 31 Great Windmill Street, Casita Andina will have a different menu and style than Martin’s other restaurants, offering a unique insight into the Peruvian Andes through its food, art and, traditions.
Casita Andina is inspired by Peruvian ‘picanterias’, family-run, traditional restaurants which serve the local community and travellers. Usually found in the Andes in the homes of ‘Andinas’ (women from the Andes), Martin grew up eating in such picanterias, gaining his love and knowledge of cooking from his Andina grandmother’s recipes.
Casita Andina’s focus will be on evolving classic Andean soulful cooking and at lunch, the menu will include five snacks, five hot dishes, five cold dishes and two desserts. The dinner menu is more extensive with cocktails and Peruvian cold teas playing a key role.
Dishes will include Pork Tamale with Salsa Criolla; Lamb Loin in Coriander and Beer Sauce; Grilled Salmon Escabeche; Crispy Aubergine with Uchucuta Herbs; 52 day-aged Sirloin Steak Pachamanca; Chupe Style Prawns; Rocoto Chilli with Skate Stuffing; and Ceviche Casita with sustainable sea bass, limo chilli tiger’s milk, avocado cream and sweet potato. The menu also includes dessert of Choco Sauco, a melt-in-the-middle Peruvian chocolate with an elderberry gel and chocolate coated amaranth.
Casita Andina’s kitchen is headed by Executive Chef Vitelio Reyes who was previously at Michelin starred Lima London and the Bar is headed by Miguel Arbe who was a finalist at this year’s Imbibe Innovator of the Year Award; both have travelled to Peru with Martin.
“In the last two years my team and I have travelled to Peru several times to deeply research regional Andean dishes, drinks and ingredients as well as history, art and traditions. From this we have created Casita Andina inspired especially the city of Cusco and its traditions, some of which date back hundreds of years. We want to celebrate its food but also the textile legacy of the Andes of Peru. So through our dishes, art and design this will be a key theme running through it” says Martin Morales.
Designed by Martin Morales and Cantor Masters Interior Designers, Casita Andina conveys an Andean restaurant flavour, with 58 seats set across two cosy floors. Specially commissioned Peruvian art and textiles feature throughout Casita Andina. Andean weaving and embroidery feature in the seating while carved cedar wood patterns from Peru decorate the doors. On the walls will be hand-crafted Peruvian tin mirrors and artworks by contemporary Peruvian artists are exhibited throughout. On Casita Andina’s ground floor there will be a ceviche counter with takeaway area, a pisco bar and seating at the end of the room. The upper floor will be a bright 30 seat dining room leading out to an open air patio seating 8.