Wayku
Modern cuisine for a borderless future” is the opening statement of Wayku’s website where you will enjoy the fusion of Chef Matteo Gritti’s innovative techniques with the traditional Andean elements. Where the earth meets the sky is their philosophy and respect for the Quechua culture and Andean trilogy. The narrative on their website was eye catching and the photos were equally as impressive that made me excited to be out dining again on this warm Tuesday afternoon. Our reservation was at 6 pm and we arrived at Wynwood a bit early which gave us some time to explore the neighborhood scene. I have to say that this area is quite growing on me already from previous visits to other fine establishments like Momosan and Palmar and is starting to become my favorite eating destination.
I started the meal with a gin cocktail called “Serpent King” made with London Dry Gin, celery extract and proseco which was quite refreshing and paired perfectly with the beet hummus and yuka chips amuse bouche that they serve.
Himachi tiradito was the first appetizer served and this dish was as flavorful as it was colorful. The Hamachi was served with a melon, yellow pepper and yuzu sauce that gave it a bright yellow “leche de tigre-ish” color and complimented well with the crispy onions.
The pizza fritta was our second appetizer to arrive and this was excellent, consisting of a light fried pizza dough topped with burrata and black truffle and micro basil. Every bite of this dish was so unique as the texture of the dough gave it a different feeling to what I was accustomed to and it was a welcome change.
Now we were ready for our entrees to arrive and the Octopus in the coral reef was first in our table. The octopus was cooked perfectly and the eggplant puree that served as the soil was seasoned well. The potatoes and kale gave the dish enough depth and texture and the beetroot coral reef were a true work of art.
Next to arrive was the braised short rib served with pea, ginger and wasabi puree. The short rib was braised to be fork tender and the pea puree had balanced flavors. This dish was very tasty overall and had a bit of adobo likeness to it for my palette.
The Patagonia rack of lamb was our last entrée for the evening and the green crust was amazing. The Andean potatoes gave the dish the earthiness flavors it needed to accompany the nutty notes of the artichoke. The lamb was cooked to a medium rare perfection and this dish was by far the best of the evening for me.
Of course, we could not end the evening before trying out at least 1 dessert and for this evening it was the avocado cheesecake with candy mint and finger lime. The cheesecake had the right texture and the tanginess from the finger lime and richness of the avocado was a unique interpretation of this classic dish.
