I usually try to plan at least one memorable meal when travelling internationally. This strategy has really opened our minds…exposure to different tastes, creativity, culture. From the first time back in Lima at Astrid & Gaston, to Tamarind in Luang Prabang, and Azurmendi, Osteria Francescana, and Maido. We may not have enjoyed every dish; but it sure does open your eyes and mind. Heck, I even forgot what is our favorite restaurant, Suzunari in Tokyo, which we’ve been to three times!
When it came to Quito, I actually picked Zazu, before booking our stay at the JW Marriott. It seemed to be in walking distance. I thought having a nice meal before we flew out the next morning would be fun. And it seemed like just a 15 minute walk from the hotel.
The doorman at the hotel looked quite worried as we started to exit. He asked us where we were going and I told him. He asked if we wanted a taxi and we said we’d be walking….he looked quite concerned. He asked us to wait and brought over this serious looking young lady; turns out she is the head of security here. It became clear that they were worried about our safety, which I really appreciated. She handed me a “safety card” and we promised that we’d be taking an Uber back. I had researched visitor safety in Quito, which was relatively safe in comparison to other areas. And it was still fairly light out.
We found the restaurant with no problem; the staff were quite friendly and we were guided to our table.
As we’d often do; we went with an appetizer focused menu; 1 ceviche, 3 apps, and 1 main.
I tried the Quito Mule, which is presented deconstructed and you can adjust it to your taste. It was very refreshing with a touch of smokiness.
First up was the Ceviche Mixto. The leche de tigre for this version was made with Aji Amarillo.
This also came with camote – sweet potato, starchy, sweet, and earthy. The shrimp was the best of the seafood, plump, sweet, and tender. The leche de tigre had some complexity, not only the sour-citrusy-fruity tones, but also some smokiness. We were told that the aji amarillo was roasted in the wood fired oven before adding it to the marinating liquid.
No, this is not bone marrow….it’s actually the Beef Tartare, which is served in a bone.
Wonderful presentation; but quite ok tartare, nothing special; the beef was more chewy than I prefer. The most interesting ingredient in this was the addition of pungent, almost horseradish like Mashua.
Of course we had to have Cuy, right? After all, I do love me some cuy. Of course, this was quite fancy…..
I swear, that cuy could have passed for mild roasted duck! Loved the crisp skin and the beer jus was lovely. The cuy had been confit; so it was so tender! The mini tostadas were also delicious. What threw me off were the little pastas, which were filled with peanut cream…which tasted like peanut butter!
Next up; the Suckling Pig Taquitos; these were so tasty and the texture was fabulous as well.
The “porky pig” had been confit as well, so wonderfully tender and swiney. That dollop of avocado cream, a hit of smokey spice from chipotle, and the pico de gallo balanced out the richness. The crisp and rather light wrappers were excellent as well.
For our main to share; we went with the Catch of the Day; which in this case was Seabass.
The fish was perfectly fried; the coating crisp, very moist and tender, though the flavor nothing to write home about. It was the aji manaba, very distinct, slightly spicy, mildly fruity, good acid that really made things interesting. That black garlic aioli was a bit too sweet and overkill.
It was a fine dish; though not as interesting and tasty as the apps….which is why we’ll often have an entire meal of starters!
Service was excellent, very professional and warm.
A good example of how wonderful the folks working were happened as we were heading out. We’d gone ahead and requested an Uber….which did a strange thing. The pick-up point they set was basically half way back to the hotel? What the heck? The host came over to check on us and told us to cancel the Uber; it would be better with a taxi….they then went and called us a cab. The host even waited with us for the taxi and spoke to the driver just to “check” and make sure he knew exactly where to take us! Outstanding service!
Zazu Restaurant
Mariano Aguilera 331
Quito, Ecuador
We got back to the hotel and one of the security persons came over to check on us! Such great folks here!
We went to our room and packed a bit. We had already arranged a driver to the airport for the next morning. Our flight to San Cristóbal Airport wasn’t until 11, so we would have breakfast in the lounge before heading to our next stop! Can you figure out our next stop?
These bow-legged stanced hind legs of said amphibian were dry and on the chewy side. The herbal topping was fine; but we just didn't care for the heading toward sourness of the flesh.
Surprisingly mild in flavor, the rabbit was super moist and tender. The celeriac added some nice sweet tones as well. This was served with some blue corn tortillas, which, unlike the sopes were mildly sweet and "maizey".
The filling was fairly tender, not overly sweet, very classic seasoning. The regular bao was a bit too wet and doughy. The "Black Bao", obviously made with activated charcoal had an almost gritty-crunchy texture, though the flavor was less sweet, but not substantially different from the "regular" one.
The Peking Duck was "almost there". The fat had been nicely rendered, but the skin was still a bit rubbery. The flesh was very tender, the flavors spot on, good gamey-earthy notes, five spice, a hint of sweetness. The dan bing weren't up to the task and tore easily. Still, the duck was not bad at all.
The curry was so rich, buttery, complex, perhaps again a bit shy in spice, but the prawns were so tender. The curry just went so well with the Naan.
A very interesting put it together yourself presentation. The mantou was a bit too doughy; it should be more crisp as well. The lamb had really been stewed in the juices and sauce, but was quite mild in flavor. It seemed a bit "tame"…which I think was the issue we had with many of the dishes here.
Not sure why a place of this caliber would be serving surimi in one of their dishes. But whatever. We enjoyed the crisp "scorza", but the filling was too sour and salty. We really couldn't make out much. So, I guess having fake crab in this really didn't matter, eh?
The exterior was nice and crisp, but the calamari was super tough, the glaze salty which over-powered the entire dish.
The A-5 Wagyu was fine, if a bit overcooked, quite beefy in flavor. And you know me, if there's foie gras on the menu…… The foie gras was also a bit overcooked, but at least it wasn't what we call "dog food". It was pleasantly livery and sweet. I'm thinking it could have been elevated even higher with a nice glaze.
