Have you ever wanted to get up and dance out of your chair because the food you had was so good? This kind of response is warranted at Causita. Any restaurant that makes you want to get up and shimmy is a rare find so hold on to your Pisco’s – let me show you why Causita is the New Top Spot for Nikkei Peruvian.
Welcome to Causita The New Top Spot for Nikkei Peruvian
It’s a warm spring afternoon and the thought of fresh ceviche couldn’t have been more perfect so I ventured to Silver Lake for Causita’s Nikkei Peruvian. If you’re wondering what Nikkei is like I was – It’s essentially Peruvian ingredients like tropical fish, aji Amarillo, and Leche de Tigre (I would literally drink Leche de Tigre if I could) molded with Japanese technique.
I fell in love with Peruvian ingredients on my trip to Machu Picchu where I enjoyed the most incredible Peruvian delights and I’ve been forever changed. To have an opportunity to experience those ingredients again assured me I would be sent right to my Peruvian happy place.
I’ve been bouncing around Los Angeles getting my fair share of tasting menus in and I have to say Peruvian and Japanese are my top favorite cuisines. The two together are like your favorite holiday, anytime.
What Does Causita Mean?
From the website: ‘Named after Peruvian slang for “best friends,” Causita brings the storied tradition of Japanese and Peruvian (“Nikkei Peruvian”) cuisine to Silver Lake. Helmed by celebrated chef Ricardo Zarate, the dynamic menu marries the bright vibrant flavors of Peru with the umami and refined culinary styles of Japan. The beverage program has a selection of layered and playful craft cocktails, with a wine list featuring beautifully cultivated bio-dynamic wines from Europe, and a spotlight on special selections from Latin America.’
Enter into the Top Spot for Nikkei
Entering Causita it’s clean, vibrant, and full of life. It’s buzzing on a Wednesday night and every seat is filled. Even though it’s packed, it doesn’t feel like it. It’s cozy and welcoming and I can’t wait to eat omakase style, where they serve their best dishes from the menu. Only we’re informed they no longer do omakase. As my smile begins to turn into a frown of sheer disappointment, the waitress tells us to hang on a second. She returns to let us know we’re in luck, they’d make an exception for tonight. It’s music to my ears. The first dish is coming and I’m squirming in my seat ready to dig in.
What I Devoured
Some of the most magical flavors cross my palate. Every single dish is amazing here. It’s all fresh and cooked with incredible care, and this is the type of cooking that makes you truly believe the chef loves you and is not just doing their job.
Check out the list of awesomeness: Trio Nigiri Causita Nikkei: Tomato: roccoto aioli, seaweed salt, salmon: preserved lemon, ají amarillo, yuzu, tuna: rocoto, truffle aioli
Ceviche mixto: kanpachi, shrimp, scallop, leche de tigre
Lobster dumplings with charred jalapeño oil and ceviche aioli
Grilled octopus with goat cheese-chorizo mousse, botija olive & ceviche aioli
Udon noodles with shiitake, Peruvian pesto, wasabi tobiko and roasted onion jus
Bluefin tuna with tamari, fresh wasabi, leche de tigre and black truffle
Little gem caesar with verde dressing, parmesan, popped quinoa, and anchovy
Snap peas with charred jalapeño oil, labneh, mint, and garlic chips
Crispy ricotta gnocchi, tobanjan and peruvian pesto
Branzino with butterbean-artichoke mousse, jalapeño sauce, roasted tomato
Crispy rice with seared steak tartare, egg, parmesan sauce
20 oz ribeye: woodfire grilled with anticucho marinade
Desert. Get the churros. They will light up your life.
Every dish was so mouth-watering, that it left me wanting more, even though I couldn’t eat anymore. After tasting a lot of incredible food, the entire table was stuffed and happy.
The Best Pisco, Incredible Wine
I’ve imagined coming back, sitting at the bar, ordering EVERY item on the menu, and enjoying the fine cocktails-hello pisco sour…and I have to say this was one of the best pisco’s I’ve ever had. It’s well balanced with Capurro ancholado, olorosso, lychee, lime-yuzu sour.
When Causita mentions they have beautifully cultivated bio-dynamic wines from Europe and Latin America, they are spot on. With an extensive wine list to please the most discerning wine snob, you’ll definitely find something you love and maybe fall in love with something you didn’t even like. For example, if you ever offer me a Sauvignon Blanc, I will likely have a negative visceral response and decline.
It’s just not my favorite but I’m always an optimistic wine-lover and took a sip from someone’s glass in my group who had ordered it. I was amazed. The 2020 Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme Touraine Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley was everything I’ve been missing in a Sauvignon Blanc – not overly bitter, smooth, and overall just delightful. So much so, that I order two more glasses.
Causita Can be My Best Friend
Wine and Pisco’s here combined with their blow-your-mind menu has me thinking if Causita is slang for “best friends” then that’s what we are now. Because there’s always a “good” place to eat in LA, but it’s something special when you find something so great, that you pass up trying somewhere new to come back. That’s the kind of friendship I want.
I’ve made plans with three different friends to go back along with a solo date for myself so I might as well start forwarding my mail there.
My Biggest Mistake
Everything has been perfect at Causita but here’s where I would change things. We sat inside and although it was lovely, filled with renderings of Peruvian farming and a perfectly lit dining room- not too bright, the outside patio seems to be the place you want to sit.
I mean, and this is during the day. At night, it lights up to some magically lit landscape just calling you to enjoy Causita’s extensive menu of fine food and imbibe on their delicious craft cocktails. It’s gorgeous.
Parking
It’s street parking which on a Wednesday evening seems easy to find but if you don’t happen to find a spot quickly and don’t want to deal, there’s valet parking across the street for $9. Blink and you’ll miss it so keep your eyes peeled.
Even though they no longer offer omakase at Causita, it just means you need to go there and order everything. Yup, you read that right, all of it. Maybe not all at once, or do, no judgment. It’s a place you will want to visit over and over and that’s why Causita is the New Top Spot for Nikkei Peruvian.
Check out Causita’s full menu, hours, and more here.
