In the seven years, because Peruvian chef Daniel Chavez opened his famous Ola Kitchen at Marina Bay Financial Centre, he has determined an own family in the group of young cooks that he’s groomed, maximum of whom are graduates At-Sunrise GlobalChef Academy. “The Youngs,” as he affectionately refers to them, now shape 80 percent of the kitchen team at his modern idea Tonito Latin American Kitchen, which lately opened at Jewel Changi Airport.
Dubbed the “little brother” to his 2nd restaurant, Peruvian joint Tono Cevicheria, Tonito showcases the myriad flavors of Latin America. Tonito manner a “little birthday celebration” in Spanish. Thus, it sports a convivial vibe, splashes of orange and yellow on its furniture, and vivid bands of color throughout its partitions. The eight-seater eating place also sports a comfortable terrace with a fabulous view of the Rain Vortex, ideal for solo diners to at the same time as away the hours even as nibbling on a taco or three.
The menu reflects the recipes the warm, personable Chavez (pictured) has gathered from his travels around Latin America. Besides acquainted Mexican tacos and quesadillas, there are greater extraordinary offerings (to Singapore, at the least) like Peruvian-fashion noodles and Argentinean choripanes (sandwiches). Accordingly, the fees are friendlier than Tono Cervicheria, which serves extra composed dishes with top-class ingredients like raw fish, with tapas starting at $10 and important courses topping out at $28.
Quinoa has been a staple in Peru for generations, long before it became a hipster superfood. So it’s no wonder that Tonito’s kitchen has a smart hand with this popular grain. Red quinoa, diced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, corn, and beans are tossed with salty cotija cheese (a Mexican cheese) and a piquant French dressing to yield what is, relatively, our favorite dish at the menu right here. A hearty sprinkling of crispy fried quinoa adds a lovely, glad crunch. We almost feel more healthy for consuming this.
Antichuchos are Peruvian-style skewers of grilled meat — in this case, barramundi fillets gently pro with salt and pepper and then draped in an adobo sauce redolent of cumin. A spritz of lime provides a pointy zing to them, in any other case, simple flavors. While the silky slabs of grilled fish had been incredibly pleasant, what we cherished most approximately this dish has been the crisp, fluffy French fries that sat at the bottom of the plate.
We love that the flour tortillas are toasted to a pleasant crisp around the edges and filled with delectable, melty cheese and creamy guacamole. The slivers of properly-pro pork are remarkably gentle, while the coriander mayo helps lifts the flavors with its grassy brightness.
At first look, this Peruvian-Cantonese pasta dish looks plenty like KL Hokkien Mee, but it tastes extra like American-Chinese chow mein. Sliced onions and bell peppers are tossed in a sweetish soy sauce that the kitchen tempers with a touch of raspberry vinaigrette. Generous portions of fried fish are strewn into the spaghetti blend along with crispy quinoa for contrasting texture. Not something we’re eager to order again (we’ll take actual Hokkien mee over this anytime).
However, we reckon all and sundry hankering for American-Chinese-fashion noodles will find consolation in this dish. If you’re questioning how a dish like this made it to a Latin American menu, it’s because Chinese-Peruvian cuisine may be a lot a part of the Peruvian culinary canon. The Chinese have been the primary Asians to arrive in Peru and, over the generations, created their very own specific hybrid cuisine that blends the flavors in their motherland with that in their adopted domestic.
Having tasted comparable sandwiches in Argentina, we think that is pretty genuine. Between a sturdy brioche-style roll are smooth slabs of the beef stomach, which might be sliced after fried, so there’s some caramelization around their edges. A smoked chili mayo and onion salsa upload a tasty carry to the, in any other case, simple slices of beef, even as crisp matchsticks of fried candy potatoes lend it some a great deal-wished crunch. It is plainer in flavor than the American-style sandwiches we’re used to. However, that’s just the fashion of these Latin American sandwiches. If you’ve never had Latin American meals beyond Mexican fare, this is a great region to begin at. The carrier and expenses are pleasant, the portions beneficiant, and the view of the Rain Vortex an adorable bonus.
