Glass tastes Chotto Matte’s new Niwa Brunch

SINCE being founded in 2013 by Kurt Zdesar, Chotto Matte has been taking over London’s dining scene with its Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.

With two locations in the heart of the eclectic city – one in Marylebone and one on Soho’s Frith Street – the restaurant has become renowned for its authentic Nikkei approach.

Now, Chotto Matte has recently unveiled a new Niwa Brunch menu. Incorporating the restaurant’s fine, organic ingredients into every dish, the new brunch is guaranteed to be a hit.

Niwa Brunch

Inspired by the art of Japanese gardens, the latest menu exhibits Chotto Matte’s infallible attention to detail. The Niwa Brunch is the perfect way to enjoy a wide range of small, luxurious dishes with your friends or family.

From crispy chicken waffles to salmon tostada and more, the brunch is elegantly curated to ensure you can finish every dish presented to you.

Opting for the second sharing menu, we started the brunch with an offering of purple, green and white tortilla chips – served alongside some delicious guacamole. Acting as the perfect introduction to the Japanese-Peruvian menu, the chips were enough to have us eagerly anticipating the next speciality. Tuna takai – seared tuna, karashi su miso and red jalapeño salsa – arrived next to our table, at the same time as warm beef fillet tataki.

For those who typically avoid mild spice, the beef fillet tataki is worth being an exception. Served with passion fruit salsa, the beef dish’s gentle warmth is perfectly offset by the fruity condiment.

After the first two dishes, crispy chicken and waffles were next on the sharing menu. Juxtaposing the crunchy chicken with the fluffy maple syrup-adorned waffles, the plate was another demonstration of Chotto Matte’s gastronomic expertise.

By incorporating hints of sweetness into each dish, the menu is holistically not too overwhelming or intimidating for anyone hoping to try the latest offering.

Crispy Chicken Waffles

Furthermore, if you’re a big fan of sushi – do not fret. We were particularly impressed by the Yellowtail nigiri and Sato maki which were hand-seared in front of us by our waiter. With the staff attending to our every need and request, the service made our dining experience even more enjoyable.

Finally, we enjoyed miso marinated chicken paired with carrot, daikon and yellow chilli. Saving the best till last, the chicken was packed with flavour thanks to the traditional Japanese seasoning. By effortlessly intertwining Japanese and Peruvian culinary practices, the new brunch menus are the ideal way to start your day.

Sushi

The brunch menus also offer exclusive cocktails including the Andean which consists of Meniroff vodka, prosecco, junmai sake, passion fruit, mango and elderflower. Similarly, one of our favourite cocktails was the Nigai Kajitsu – a gin-based lychee, cardamom, wasabi, curcuma, apple, lemon and soda water beverage.

by Sophie Richardson

The Niwa brunch is now available every Saturday at Chotto Matte’s Marylebone branch, diners can select from three unique set-sharing menus, each priced at £55, £60 and £65 per person.

The bottomless drink add-on costs an extra £35, reservations can be made here.