Taste the Amazon This Spring at Ricardo Zarate's Paich?

If you were to ask chef Ricardo Zarate (Mo-Chica, Picca) to describe the flavor of the Amazon, he might liken the taste to that of Paich?, a prehistoric Amazonian fish on offer at Mo-Chica and the namesake of his new modern Peruvian izakaya restaurant opening this spring in Marina del Rey. Paich? floods the menu left and right from Paiche Lettuce Wrap to Tiradito (Peruvian sashimi) to Amazonian Paiche Kama cooked on the anticucho grill to a stew called Seco De Paiche.

Into his menu Zarate is also incorporating other esoteric Amazonian ingredients. For example, the Seabass Tiradito calls for Amazonian sacha inchi oil (made from the pressing of the fruit and nut of the Pracaxi tree), and Pacu Ribs come from another Amazonian fish, the pacu, a relative of the piranha. Overall though, expect a uniquely new dining experience flavor-wise, as Zarate strives to bring light to Amazonian cuisine. His menu will follow the small plate format, izakaya in style, alongside Latin wines/spirits and Japanese sake/beer.

Paich?'s interior is taking shape, designed by DesignARC, in collaboration with Zarate and his business partner Stephane Bombet. The team is going for an ocean theme: open kitchen, live lobster tank, and varied shades of blue. Retractable glass doors will open out to a 42-seat patio.
·All Paich? Coverage [~ELA~]