Grief, this place was a long way to get to, said my friend. But that’s because he is middle aged (like me) and lives in Chelsea (unlike me) and Chakana is in Hackney, or more specifically the epicentre of cool: Broadway Market, Bethnal Green. And I guess that would have been the same reaction if I’d dragged him there twenty years ago. But for proper foodies Hackney has been ground zero for exciting new talent for many years, and that shows no sign of fading. But at least he made it, and it was certainly worth it.
Interestingly, Chakana is not a start-up or pop-up but a Sothern excursion by very highly regarded Michelin-starred chef, Robert Ortiz. The original Chakana there has become a place of pilgrimage in the West Midlands since it opened in 2019, the Birmingham restaurant that people travel miles to dine at.
Chakana has been a success since originally opening in 2019 on Alcester Road in Moseley. The Michelin Guide loves the place and in 2021, Chakana was the only Birmingham restaurant to feature in OpenTable’s top 100 list. National Geographic even listed it as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world in which to try ceviche, the staple Peruvian seafood dish.
Now, transferring a successful provincial restaurant to London is a difficult thing. Sometimes because what is successful elsewhere does not always fare so well against the frankly greater level of competition and excellence found in the capital. Sometimes it is because Londoners are just ridiculously snobby about restaurants from outside of London. As Morrissey once sang: “We hate when our friends become successful, and if they’re Northern that makes it even worse”.
And before you complain, I do know Birmingham is in the Midlands and not the North. And I also know that there are some great places to eat there, from fine dining, to pop-ups to some of the best Pakistani food you will ever eat.
But the playbook on moving to London has always been to get serious financial backing and make a statement in Covent Garden or Mayfair or Soho. Not Hackney. More relying on people like my friend and I than risking it on the fleeting favour of fashionable East Londoners. So this is a bold and brave move to open in Cool Central. How will they fare?
Upon entering Chakana, you are immediately struck by the fact that they get it. It’s not unique but it’s stylish and vibrant. Money has been spent to be sure, but so has the time of someone who knows how to make a space feel cool not just look cool.
There is an impressive range of liquor, this is a place that knows its Pisco and has other obscure Peruvian liquors lining the shelves. Everything is young, stylish, and colourful, perfect for celebrating your youth or jealously looking back on it.
Throughout the night, the morish cocktail flowed, as we were given a private ceviche masterclass by Robert Ortiz himself which made the process of making ceviche seem almost straightforward. But it’s a bit like learning English – as a non native speaker its easy to get to a functional level, almost impossible truly to be fluent. Perhaps ceviche is also idiomatic, as it struck me that disguised by apparent simplicity the smallest of changes made the greatest of differences, and the ceviche was perfect beyond anything I could do at home.
We then tried a series of meticulously crafted dishes, showcasing Chef Ortiz’s expertise and passion for Peruvian cuisine. From first bite to last, each dish was in turn interesting and laced with flavour, playfully taking Latin ingredients and twisting them into new forms. It’s not a gently canter through Peruvian cuisine, more like falling though a forest of flavours. And I think that will play very well indeed in, where dishes like Anticucho Corazon: Ox heart skewer, anticucho sauce and a Watermelon Tiradito: Dragon fruit, toasted cashew, corn, artichoke are more Hackney than I can possibly articulate. Delicious, bold, unusual and more than anything else cool. Boy have they got the right food for their customers.
Prices are also astonishing for this quality of food. Most of the starters (and there are several visits worth on offer) are in the £7 to £12 range. Where else can you get this quality of Sea Bream Ceviche for £12 or the aforementioned Antichucho Corazon or Fish Chicarron for £7 each. Even the main courses are reasonable, with Confit Suckling Pig or Braised Octopus at £23 each and Wild Mushroom Stew, from an extensive vegetal offering, only £18. They really do know their customers.
So, if this place does not succeed I’ll eat my hat. Provincial restaurants of the world take note. This is the way to do it.