Pastuso is one of the Flinders Lane jewels, I have never quite got round to visiting. What I have heard about is mixed - there are some serious fans and some that still need winning over.
Steve and I joined our friends Zoe and Kirsty for a late Sunday lunch on a sunny September afternoon. We were early and our table wasn't quite ready so I enjoyed a refreshing pisco sour beforehand.
The restaurant is large with tables well spaced out. We were quite comfortable at our little round table which aided the sharing of the dishes we ordered. We put ourselves in the capable hands of our dining companions whe had visited several times before.
Steve and I joined our friends Zoe and Kirsty for a late Sunday lunch on a sunny September afternoon. We were early and our table wasn't quite ready so I enjoyed a refreshing pisco sour beforehand.
The restaurant is large with tables well spaced out. We were quite comfortable at our little round table which aided the sharing of the dishes we ordered. We put ourselves in the capable hands of our dining companions whe had visited several times before.
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We started off with a couple of ceviches and a couple of entrees:
The kingfish ceviche and the fried chicken were my favourites. Some great flavour balances and crispy non greasy fried chicken. I found the sour orange dressing for the salmon too one sided and sharp, overpowering the fish.
- SALMON - Ora King salmon with a sour orange dressing and plantain chips
- TIRADITO DE CORBINA – Hiramasa kingfish with aji mirasol and miso dressing, crispy nori seaweed and flying fish roe
- SALCHICHA DE HUACHO – Traditional Peruvian house made sausage, caramelized onion puree, soft egg and herb panko
- CHICHARRON DE POLLO – Spicy fried chicken, lima bean and aji amarillo puree, salsa criolla and Asian celery
The kingfish ceviche and the fried chicken were my favourites. Some great flavour balances and crispy non greasy fried chicken. I found the sour orange dressing for the salmon too one sided and sharp, overpowering the fish.
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We shared a couple of main dishes:
The lamb was delicious - smokiness and sweetness with some spice. The pork was tasty but a little dry. I found the fried cassava chips quite interesting, I was expecting crackers not actual chips. |
The cheese and mayo dip were yummy. The texture of the chips are pretty dense and starchier than potato. They're probably no better than potato but it's fun to try new things and they're an interesting alternative.
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Dessert wise we carried on the sharing route:
DELICIA DE PINA - Vanilla meringue parfait with pineapple sauce and freeze dried mango yoghurt PICARONES —Sweet potato and pumpkin doughnuts served with cinnamon infused raw sugar syrup and white chocolate mousse I found the doughnuts looked appealing and I liked that they weren't overly sweet but the texture was a but mushy like baked sweet potato which I found weird for a doughnut. |
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The vanilla parfait was more of the texture I was expecting and I enjoyed the light, fresh, tropical flavours.
Pastuso is solid place for that Peruvian, South American influenced cuisine. It's interesting and there's plenty of choice to satisfy all preferences. I think it's better to dine here in a group and enjoy the large main dishes and feast family style. Personally I prefer Asian flavours but that's only a personal preference and not a reflection of the food on offer. I found our time there enjoyable and the food mostly hit the mark.
Pastuso is solid place for that Peruvian, South American influenced cuisine. It's interesting and there's plenty of choice to satisfy all preferences. I think it's better to dine here in a group and enjoy the large main dishes and feast family style. Personally I prefer Asian flavours but that's only a personal preference and not a reflection of the food on offer. I found our time there enjoyable and the food mostly hit the mark.
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