Ichu - Central, Hong Kong

Ichu: Peruvian food. Elevated and inspired.

Lima's Central is chef Martinez’s playground, a place of constant innovation. Ichu is not that, but Ichu is special all the same. Ichu is not so his place of experimentation; it's his wonderful world of tradition woven with whimsy. Ichu is his home away from home in Hong Kong, a home that is sexy and hip with a little bit of fusion and a whole lot of vision.

You get to glimpse his flavor-play in the cocktails, composed of components quite uncommon. The Vida is a seafoam green delight of smooth gin, and earthy bites of roots and bark. The chlorophyll is the opposite of borophyll, and it feels like it's flowing from a leafy tree.

The El Niño Effect is powerhouse of pisco and sake, and the bitter gentian is an enhancer.

When in Peru, you must have a Pisco Sour, and Ichu makes a good one. They use corn for syrup, eucalyptus for bitters, and pisco-infused saffron for genius.

Why choose a single ceviche when they offer you a whole Colleccion? Three of their faves; the Classico with my favorite sauce, a tang that keeps it fresh, and a texture that rides the line between acid and cream. The Tomate has a lighter sauce, and the Pez Limon comes with the creamiest, meltiest hamachi. The highlighting citrus sauce keeps things light and pure. 

I demand the Uni but the scallops steal the show. They’re sliced so thin; silky and smooth, cold and coated with citrus. It’s a softer, subtler sauce that lets the scallops shine, and they almost override the uni with their sweetness.

Skewers of Corazon rest red and tender on the grill. The veal is savory and full of juice, but be sure to eat it quickly as the charcoal won't keep it warm.

Their kitchen has one heck of a saucier - this TacuTacu Chupe makes fireworks. The calamari and prawns are perfectly cooked, a feat easier said than done. But it's all about the rice and beans here. They soak up seafood drippings and a creamy wonder-sauce, a tomato-based smudge of velvet.

Cerdo Amazonico. Giant slabs of the fattiest of the fat-fat in the middle of a hot stone massage. The server tilts an earthy urn of pour-over sauce that sizzles as it runs down the rocks. The cacao makes an otherwise-ahi Amarillo taste like a mole. 

Dessert is next and last, the closing conclusion to something quite spectacular. We start with the Tres Leches, a sweet indulgence. The spongy cake is moist and immersed in a slickly sweet cream.

The cake of the day is a coffee and cocao, rich and dark and not too sweet. The icing is rich cream, and the balance of sugar makes it a perfect slice.

The Ecosistema de Peru is enough for four people, and food imitates art in an edible pod of unsweetened, milky cacao. Ruby chocolate mousse provides the sugar, and a gentle scoop of banana ice cream provides the passion. 

I wasn’t sure a Peruvian restaurant could hang in Hong Kong, but I should have known better than to underestimate Virgilio Martinez. Here he brings the best of Peru and presents it in a way that is artistic and absolutely delicious. Most minds will never go where his can, and here, he dreams up sauces to a caliber I couldn't imagine. 

I don't follow movie stars - I follow chefs. I would follow this guy to the ends of the earth, and I’ll never tire of his eye for detail and his mind for unprecedented creativity.