Beijing Restaurant Review: Pachakutiq
By Noelle Mateer
Photos by Holly Li
If you’re upset about the departure of Buenda Onda, the Peruvian pop-up by the team at Hatchery, Beijing’s first-ever-and-now-defunct culinary incubator, maybe you should check out Pachakutiq. Then again, maybe you shouldn’t.
Like any sequel, it’s sure to attract fans of the original. But also like any sequel, it’s also not nearly as good.
For those who aren’t familiar with said original: Buena Onda (RIP) served delightfully frothy pisco sours alongside fresh, tangy ceviche. When it opened in summer 2015, it was the first place in town to serve exclusively Peruvian fare.
It was a huge success. So much so that, even after it ‘popped-down’ (the beauty of a scheduled pop-up period is you never have to deal with the shame of ‘going out of business,’ right?), it came back for round two at Hatchery’s spiffy incubator premises.
In its first incarnation, however, Buena Onda occupied the Café Flatwhite at the CBD after business hours. Today, Pachakutiq occupies the Café Flatwhite at the CBD after business hours.
This is no coincidence. Pachakutiq is the brainchild of one of Buena Onda’s original partners. This means that the menu is authentic. There are several varieties of pisco sours and ceviches on offer, plus more. We particularly enjoy the beef avocado roll (RMB60), with its tender meat on the inside and flaky crust on the outside.
But you’re here for the ceviche, right? Sadly, ours didn’t meet expectations. The Peruvian classic was tangy to the point of being unpleasantly sour. And speaking of sour, we found our pisco sours to be just a little too small and a little too weak (at RMB60 for a classic and RMB70 for flavored, we would like at least a mild buzz).
For all its faults, Pachakutiq is still a Peruvian pisco sour joint – a rare species in Beijing. Almost by default, this makes Pachakutiq the best place for pisco sours and ceviches in the city right now.
If there is a ceviche-sized hole in your heart, Pachakutiq will fill it (and your stomach).
Daily 5pm-late; China Central Mall, between T1 and T2, 81 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区建国路81号 (8588 7955)
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