| Food Writer Shaena Engle dined on 8/14 and wrote, «Chef Ricardo Zarate’s new Japanese-Peruvian restaurant is worth a visit» |
A new destination dining spot has opened in Echo Park. Chef Ricardo Zarate has opened Hummingbird Ceviche House, serving Peruvian Japanese-inspired delicious dishes.
The small eatery is filled with a long bar, small modest tables and chairs, a piano in the back and tile floors. When naming his new eatery, Chef Zarate used his childhood nickname “hummingbird,” given to him by one of his neighbors because he used to visit neighboring houses to learn how to cook when he was young.
Dishes focus on fresh seafood and incorporate California influences. Nikkei handrolls include a vegan tomato, rocoto pepper and avocado roll; a vegan beet and green onion roll, a salmon, lemongrass aioli and negi onion roll; a tuna, spicy rocoto pepper truffle and avocado roll; a crab, avocado and cucumber roll on crispy rice and a scallop, wasabi jalapeno roll with pollock roe. All rolls can be shared with two people and are an affordable $8.
Main dishes include a king mushroom ceviche with crispy rice; salmon tiradito with cucumber, aji lime paste and orange dressing; yellowtail ceviche tostada; scallops aguachile with cucumber and aja amrito ash and tuna with miso leche de tiger sauce and apple. There is also an endive salad with burrata truffle, prosciutto and peaches and a potato stuffed rellena with salmon, tuna or crab.
Hot dishes include a blue prawn risotto and octopus in hummus with feta and olives.
House drinks are delicious and include a purple corn iced tea with pineapple, apple and chia and a horchata with Japanese rice and condensed milk. They also offer Delta-8 THC Hemp Derived drinks.
Dessert includes kabocha squash beignets and strawberry sorbet with crispy rice.
