Caught up with a couple of visiting German friends for a Peruvian/Latin American lunch at ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ in Dempsey Hill yesterday. Like most eateries there, itโs surrounded by lush greenery: very apt setting for a Peruvian meal.
Peruvian owner-chef Daniel Chavez, a long-time Singapore resident and ex-Ola Cocina Del Mar (2012), conceptualised the Latin dishes here. Heโd worked in Santi Santamariaโs Can Fabes in Barcelona and also at Santiโs in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
Daniel had also started ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ, the first Peruvian cevicheria in Singapore in 2017, then ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป in 2018, and finally ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ in 2021.
Foodies are the same everywhere - canโt help taking photos of their food before they eat.
We started off with:
๐พ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ - marinated tuna, mango tigerโs milk, cherry tomatoes, habanero chilis and sesame seeds.
Absolutely enjoyed this: fresh, clean flavors.
๐พ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ง๐ค๐จ - Peruvian โsignatureโ ox-heart, with ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฐ sauce, roasted potatoes and ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ต๐ข (crisp, toasted Peruvian corn kernels).
Tasty, although parts of the ox-heart slices were a tad chewier than weโd have liked.
๐๐ค๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ก๐ฅ๐ค - crispy corn tortillas, sliced octopus, smoked chili mayo, avocado puree, black beans.
Love the crisp, aromatic baked tortillas. Not too sure about the toppings but my lunch companions thoroughly enjoyed the dish.
Mains
๐๐ค๐ข๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐๐ค - Peruvian-style sauteed Wagyu beef. tomatoes, onions and green peas, served in thick-cut potato fries.
Touted as a Peruvian-Asian stir-fry - we suppose they reckoned that Singaporeans, being mainly of Chinese extraction, would take to this stir-fried dish automatically.
๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ - traditional Brazilian black-bean-and-pork stew, grilled Iberico pork, ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ข (toasted manioc flour), rice, kale & orange salad.
Competently prepared, with all the requisite garnishes. But not the best feijoada Iโd had.
Desserts
๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ - chocolate-chili cake with chocolate sauce, caramelised rum-banana, hazelnut crunch. Best-tasting dessert option here - banana and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐จ - moist coconut cake, mixed berries and vanilla cream. Beautifully constructed but a bit flat taste-wise. Both the coconut cake and cream did not taste as fresh as weโd expected them to be.
๐ผ๐ก๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐จ - butter cookies, ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ญ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ (caramelised sweetened, condensed milk), roasted pineapple and rum-caramel sauce.
Way too sweet for me. My lunch companions liked them more than I did.
Love the ambience and the company (of my friends) more than the food itself. Stellar service, though - extremely obliging and efficient. Kitchen should up the ante a bit.
Address
Canchita Peruvian Cuisine
Dempsey Road, #9A-9B, Singapore 247698
Tel: +65 8028 1994
Operating hours:
Thu to Sun: 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm.
Mon-Wed 5.30pm-10.30pm only. No lunch service.
