I love it when dining out surprises and delights me beyond expectation. So my recent visit to Chayote, which opened this October, made me very, very happy. Chayote is in St Katherine’s Dock – a wonderful, slightly hidden part of London with its sparkling waters, luxury boats, and lovely views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. The restaurant overlooks the marina and Tower and describes itself as a place where Mexican fusion meets Peruvian-Spanish elegance.
The menu takes some reading (and googling) and comes with a glossary on its website. It’s a world of exotic ingredients; even the restaurant’s name needed a translation. A chayote is a kind of squash that originally hails from Central Mexico and tastes like a cross between cucumber and squash. It sounds yummy and unusual, and there’s no doubt that a visit to Chayote is a magnificent foodie voyage of discovery. Discovering the genius of chef Tomasz Baranski, whose pedigree includes time at Michelin-star Barafina and the world-famous Donostia in San Sebastian.
We started with the seabass and green mango aguachile with red caviar. So aguachile translates as chilli water, making this a spicy version of ceviche. It was the best ceviche I have ever eaten. The freshness and spiciness were like a dance around my tastebuds with beautiful little caviar pops on the tongue. I wanted to lick the bowl clean. Next up, prawn and jalapeno croquetas. I’ve eaten my share of croquetas as a lover of all things Spanish, but these were in a different league, beautifully crispy on the outside and light, creamy, and melt-in-the-mouth. I could demolish a large bowlful in a sitting. Easily.
A tostadas and tacos section offers all sorts of dreamy combos. We tucked into oxtail, chicharron, pickled onion, and pineapple salsa tacos. Beautifully pillowy, tasty tacos (tacos have never been so flavourful), the softest of rich, luscious oxtail with onion and pineapple, adding zest and crunch.
Our final dish of the day comes from the Land and Sea section. The lamb barbacoa in adobo arrived tightly wrapped in a banana leaf and with soft, warm tortillas. It was a delightful gift, with tempting aromas escaping the leaf as the lamb revealed itself. Adobo is a marinade made using chili peppers, vinegar, herbs, and spices, but that does not explain what this incredible dish tastes like. You’ll have to taste it yourself to understand what I mean.
I’m never a big one for dessert, but today we were convinced to taste the almond, coconut, and meringue tart (light, fluffy, and delectable) by the charming chef Tomasz, who came out to see how his food had gone down. I wanted to hug him for creating one of my best meals this year.
Every dish we sampled was surprising, beautiful, bursting with exotic and exciting flavours, and perfectly balanced. And there’s plenty more on that menu to try. There are also great cocktails and an impressive wine choice – make sure you order a Sour (traditionally Peruvian, after all).
Most importantly, put aside preconceptions about these three great culinary nations’ food aside and don’t bother googling. Just go with an open mind and a big appetite and enjoy some of Chayote’s exquisite dishes. It’s a real adventure and a highly satisfying eating experience in a lovely, contemporary space overlooking the water. What more could anyone ask for?
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith
