Get Stuck In!: Five Things You Should Try at the New Buena Onda Pop-Up in Tuanjiehu
We were amongst some of the sad crowd when Buena Onda closed its original pop-up, but I figure we always sort of knew that it wouldn't be gone forever. Low and behold, here they are, a week into business at culinary incubator Hatchery, with South American vibes taking the forefront. Seriously, learning about other cultures through their cuisine is one of the things we love most about Beijing and the options are always changing.
The menu is fairly simple, there are drinks, aperitivos, ceviche, a 'raw' category, antichuchos (the South American response to chuanr), and desserts.
For the uninitiated, there are two ingredients you should know before heading in to help you know what you're ordering: leche de tigre and pisco. Leche de tigre, translated as tiger's milk, is the Peruvian term for the citrus-based marinade that cures the seafood in ceviche. It includes lime juice, sliced onion, chilis, salt, and pepper, and sometimes a bit of fish juice. Pisco, of crucial importance to the drinks menu, is a brandy produced in Peru and Chile made by distilling grape wine into a high-proof spirit. Both nations produce millions of litres of the stuff every year, much of which is likely to be consumed at Buena Onda. Regardless, these are our favorite five things to try, in no particular order.
1. Passion Sour (RMB 70, RMB 270 for a pitcher, pictured above)
A concoction made using pisco, passion fruit, lime, sugar, and egg white, we really enjoyed the mix between the sweet, sour, and the frothy layer on top.
2. Chifa Tartar (RMB 75)
A Peruvian dish with a Chinese influence, chifa tartar is like the Peruvian response to the poke bowl: raw salmon layered on top of mango and avocado, seasoned with ginger, green onion, soy, and sesame, to give the dish a moreish element thanks to its strong umami flavors. Perfect for sharing, and served with chips for scooping.
3. Kokoda (RMB 80)
A different type of ceviche, made with yellow fin tuna instead of seabass, the kokoda is hearty, with coconut cream, tomato, coriander, and lime taking the front seat. The fish is bought fresh daily for maximum freshness, and thus not every variety will be available every day. If this one is out of stock, try the clasico (RMB 65) or the chifa (RMB 65, pictured at top) if you're into spice.
4. Antichuchos Mixto (RMB 100)
South America's response to chuanr, these huge skewers make for wonderful sharing as everything else on the menu. The mixed set comes with two of each variety: beef heart, which is particularly tender, free-range chicken thigh, and a veggie rendition with spicy peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant (quinoa salad and potatoes not included).
5. Picarones (RMB 45)
If you've got a sweet tooth, you'll want to get stuck into this: a big bowl of sweet potato doughnuts covered in cinnamon accompanied with a bowl of kiwi ice cream, and a drizzle of spiced molasses. We recommend sharing this one, unless you think you can handle this without heading straight into a sugar coma.
Needless to say, we were very impressed with Buena Onda's new offerings and will be back soon. And, besides tasting really good, ceviche is actually good for you, and, a feast on the eyes with its many colors. If you don't leave feeling like you've eaten almost an entire fish, well, you just haven't tried hard enough.
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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs, courtesy of Buena Onda
