Hotelier friends of ours were visiting DC and as foodies they always like a great dining experience, but Monday can be a hard night. I wanted to try CAUSA the Michelin star Peruvian fusion spot, but they are not open every evening, so we opted for AMAZONIA, its upstairs sister, where the service and food are easily star qualifiable!
Indeed, our server Alejandra was more than helpful and really made our experience superb.
We wanted to share some starters, and all decided that the ANTICUCHERIA was the way to go with several grilled skewered items. Our platter came with carrots (they were amazing), asparagus, mushrooms, salmon belly and chicken thighs. All were as juicy and tasty as could be and the two accompanying sauces while amazing were not even needed. Speaking of salsa they were my favorite aji amarillo and the slightly spicier (for the meat) aji panca. The ahi panca went superbly on the extra side anticuchera we ordered as I had to have the Corazon de Res!
Some of us had cocktails. There was a sweet Sana Sana with Amazonia acholado #7, pineapple, orange, aji amarillo and aji charipita. The Pisconi Blanco (with its adorable flag emblazoned ice-cube) was the opposite of sweet with La Diablada Pisco, luxardo bitters, dry vermouth & gary regan orange bitters. There were also Caipirinhas and I opted to start the fabulous white wine, a 2023 Domaine Billard la Combe Bazin Saint Romain that was creamy and minerally and great with all the tasty spices.
Mains were a super tender LOMO SALTADO made with wagyi a really great Chaufa Putumayo of chorizo, cecina, jasmine rice, egg, soy, sesame and scallions.
My Oatarshca was a beautifully cooked Grouper in Banana Leaf with mishkina(a brilliant sauce)--fotos on FB--red onion, sacha culantro and crispy patacones hid under the banana leaf so they stayed super crispy.
Dessert was not a thought as we were all stuffed after a fabulous evening of food and friends.
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