Restaurant Review #5 - Lima London
Hi everyone,
I am by no means a betting man. However, sometime during September I did not think Peru would qualify for the World Cup. In fact, I was certain they could not take points from strong teams such as Argentina and Colombia; they had let me down one too many times. So when I was offered to bet a free meal at Lima London I took the offer. To my surprise, Peru managed to put together a good run and qualify for the World Cup. I like to think I am a man of my word. So at the first possible occasion it was time to pay up.
Lima London has long been one of my favourite restaurants in London. I have been there multiple occasions and as a Peruvian, I give it my stamp of approval. Today I chose to go for the weekend brunch. At £34 it offers really good value for money, 6 courses of Peruvian food. Before we began to order food I chose to have the classic Pisco Sour. It was refreshing and a good way to start the experience.
The first course was bread with yuca (cassava) chips. It was accompanied with yoghurt maca, aji amarillo and avocado & seaweed. The aji amarillo (yellow chilly) sauce was particularly tasty. I have also always been a fan of their cornbread and it did not disappoint. A delightful mixed ceviche followed. Rather interestingly, the chefs serve the dish with ice at the bottom of serving dish. This maintains the ceviche nice and cold without watering it down. I thought it was a great idea.
The third course was asparagus tempura; this was my least favourite dish. I thought it was a bit too greasy and chewy. I must also note the lack of servers at the restaurant. There were only two servers for the whole restaurant during that shift and the the lack of service was very obvious. I really feel Lima London could possibly even grab a second Michelin star if they improved their service. It really leaves you something to be desired. The subsequent course was the anticucho (cows heart). I thought it had a lot of flavour and was definitely cooked well. I am not the biggest fan of red meat but on this occasion I was very happy.
The main course eventually arrived, I chose to have the Hake with corn puree. It was very flavoursome and went very well with the previous courses. The presentation could have been improved but the flavour was very impressive. In terms of the food, there was little to critique. I would not call Lima London traditional Peruvian food. But the fusion they have created is impressive and a reason why I have remained a fan of this establishment. They are always updating their menu.
Finally the dessert. It was Lima London's classic: Lucuma ice cream with an Alfajor. It was a small portion but for me it was just enough. It was very sweet and any more would have been excessive. Overall it was a great experience visiting this restaurant again. The atmosphere in the restaurant is laid back and a great place to dine. I would say that they need to be mindful of the service. It is below-par compared to other Michelin star establishments. If they sort that issue out then I am sure they will continue to improve and gain further recognition.
I am by no means a betting man. However, sometime during September I did not think Peru would qualify for the World Cup. In fact, I was certain they could not take points from strong teams such as Argentina and Colombia; they had let me down one too many times. So when I was offered to bet a free meal at Lima London I took the offer. To my surprise, Peru managed to put together a good run and qualify for the World Cup. I like to think I am a man of my word. So at the first possible occasion it was time to pay up.
Lima London has long been one of my favourite restaurants in London. I have been there multiple occasions and as a Peruvian, I give it my stamp of approval. Today I chose to go for the weekend brunch. At £34 it offers really good value for money, 6 courses of Peruvian food. Before we began to order food I chose to have the classic Pisco Sour. It was refreshing and a good way to start the experience.
The first course was bread with yuca (cassava) chips. It was accompanied with yoghurt maca, aji amarillo and avocado & seaweed. The aji amarillo (yellow chilly) sauce was particularly tasty. I have also always been a fan of their cornbread and it did not disappoint. A delightful mixed ceviche followed. Rather interestingly, the chefs serve the dish with ice at the bottom of serving dish. This maintains the ceviche nice and cold without watering it down. I thought it was a great idea.
The third course was asparagus tempura; this was my least favourite dish. I thought it was a bit too greasy and chewy. I must also note the lack of servers at the restaurant. There were only two servers for the whole restaurant during that shift and the the lack of service was very obvious. I really feel Lima London could possibly even grab a second Michelin star if they improved their service. It really leaves you something to be desired. The subsequent course was the anticucho (cows heart). I thought it had a lot of flavour and was definitely cooked well. I am not the biggest fan of red meat but on this occasion I was very happy.
The main course eventually arrived, I chose to have the Hake with corn puree. It was very flavoursome and went very well with the previous courses. The presentation could have been improved but the flavour was very impressive. In terms of the food, there was little to critique. I would not call Lima London traditional Peruvian food. But the fusion they have created is impressive and a reason why I have remained a fan of this establishment. They are always updating their menu.
Finally the dessert. It was Lima London's classic: Lucuma ice cream with an Alfajor. It was a small portion but for me it was just enough. It was very sweet and any more would have been excessive. Overall it was a great experience visiting this restaurant again. The atmosphere in the restaurant is laid back and a great place to dine. I would say that they need to be mindful of the service. It is below-par compared to other Michelin star establishments. If they sort that issue out then I am sure they will continue to improve and gain further recognition.
Price: Very reasonable
Food: High quality and exciting
Service: Below-par
Rating: 4/5
Fun Fact: The owner of Lima London, Virgilio Martinez, owns a restaurant in Peru named Central that was voted the 5th best restaurant in the world.
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