Liana L.
Yelp
Sen Sakana had been on my list for a very long time since the idea of Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine was very intriguing. I watched a show nearby and walked in with a friend; no reservations were needed because it was very empty on a Sunday evening. Service was polite but the server didn't quite understand what I asked and I noticed he didn't come by very frequently because I had to wait quite a while before I could order my drink. My friend and I ended up paying about $150 each for our food (2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 sushi roll, dessert, and 2 mocktails). I generally am not dropping over $100pp for a meal unless it's very good; unfortunately, this was a hugely mixed bag and I found it very hard to justify the prices. Maybe they have to pay a lot of rent for their real estate?
+ Nikkei ceviche ($26) - 10/10 - This was an excellent ceviche; the salmon was tender, very well flavored, and bright with the yuzu and shiso. I was impressed by this and loved the way it tasted. Every component was excellent. The only issue is that this is a tiny amount of ceviche for the price, especially when none of these ingredients are that expensive.
+ Mushroom empanada ($16) - 9/10 - These were very good; the skin was flaky and the filling was flavorful. The empanadas were shockingly small considering that they're $8 a piece and there was less than 2 tbsp of chopped mushroom in each. Yes, the skin was good, but am I paying $8 for 3 bites of puff pastry and mushroom?
+ Chicha morada ($12) - 8/10 - This was a solid drink; it reminded me of plum and was not very sweet. For a mocktail, this is about what I expect price-wise. The waiter told me this was cooked fruit, including pineapple; when I asked if this was mostly fruit or liquid, he was very confused and said fruit. My friend ended up ordering it and it was all liquid, so I got one too.
+ Maguto tuna tartare ($25) - 8/10 - It is honestly shocking to me that each piece of sushi is $5 for tuna, aji limo, and tomato salsa. The ingredients were very interesting and I've never had anything like this before, but again, very inexpensive ingredients. I'm glad I got this though because I can definitely make this myself.
+ Lomo saltado ($57) - 4/10 - This was a very disappointing lomo saltado, and incredibly so for the price. The steak was not tender and very lightly flavored. There was barely any sauce, so I'm not sure what I was supposed to do with the rice. The potatoes looked like they'd be crispy but they were not. I've had a much better one at Llama Inn (admittedly more expensive but much tastier and much larger). This portion was laughably small.
+ Poached egg quinoa fried rice with beef spare rib ($48) - 2/10 - This was so bad that I mainly kept eating it to check "Is it really this bad?" I almost spat out my first bite of rice because it tasted rancid. I've had aji amarillo before and it did not taste rancid. The beef was actually much more tender and tastier than the steak in the lomo saltado, but also much saltier; I had to eat it with the rice. Surprisingly it canceled out the rancid flavor so that the rice was edible, but I still didn't enjoy it. The poached egg part was just a poached egg on the side; the title made me think that the poached egg would be integrated into the rice and I was very intrigued by the idea. The reality was just a very subpar fried rice with egg cooked separately. There was no wok hei (maybe they don't employ that technique in Peru?) and the rice was not interesting at all except for the rancid flavor (which is interesting in a bad way).
+ Churros with hot chocolate ($18) - 8/10 - The churros are good. The hot chocolate is fine, if quite sweet. It's definitely not a dip because it's a drink, and it makes the churro lose its crunchiness. Sure it's a crunchy good churro, but I was disappointed that there was nothing else. For $18, I'm definitely expecting more. One of my favorite restaurants, Xixa, has equally excellent churros (if not better since they are matcha flavored - is that not Nikkei??) with passionfruit and chocolate dipping sauces that are thick and keep the churro crunchy. They also do not cost $18.
The meal started off promisingly, but the mains were major disappointments. I was initially game to spend if this meal was going to be spectacular, but it very much did not hit the mark. I'm glad I tried it since it's been on my list and now I know what the pretty good appetizers taste like. I do think the dishes are very creative and inspiring, but I'd rather attempt these myself at home.