Causa

Causa is a Peruvian tasting experience by Chef Carlos Delgado that tours through Peruvian Coastal, Andes, and Amazonian cuisine. The tasting experience begins with a six-course menu that brings you on a trip through all of the magnificent natural regions of Peru. This menu is designed for guests to add daily selections of whole fish or seafood, from their Fish Market. We enhanced our experience with a wine pairing.  Located in Blagden Alley, the closest Metro is Mt. Vernon Square- Convention Center.

We were seated at the chef's counter and were greeted with a glass of chicha morada kombucha to cleanse and then a glass of Cremant D'Alsace bubbles with some snacks featuring mussels, scallops, and dry aged ahi.  Everything tasted fresh from the sea and was a great start!

The first course was Dry Aged Fish Cebicherias - cilantro leche de tigre, sweet potato, and chulpi.  The cilantro was not only in the sauce but also "dusted" over our plate by the chef in liquid nitrogen form.  The herb flavor was very strong but still allowed the fish to shine.  The sweetness was amplified by the pairing of 2020 Joh Jus Prum, Kabinett Riesling from Mosel, Germany.

The second course was Uchucuta Cusco - roasted potatoes served with an addictive sauce of rocoto, chulpi, and huacatay.  This humble dish was served with a glass of 2019 Vinyes Singulars, Salinar from Spain.

Third, we ate one of our favorites of the night - Street Food Barranco - anticuchos of salmon belly, pork belly (sub scallop for me), and wagyu beef heart (sub shrimp for me).  They were lovely little bites and paired with the 2021 De Fermo, Pecorino 'Don Carlino' from Abruzzo, Italy.

The fourth course was a hearty Aji Amarillo Monsefu - crab, bomba rice, aji amarillo, leche de tigre.  The rice punched with seafood flavor and the crab meat was delicate on top.  This dish paired with our first glass of red - 2018 Ampeleia, Costa Toscana, Cab France from Tuscany, Italy.  The wine was made in the ancient preparation in the clay amphora pots, which came through on the palate.

The sixth course was Pato Lurin - duck loin (sub grouper for me) with a sauce of chicha de jora and orange, served with a a side of the most delightful canario beans.  These white beans were rustic and chunky on the bottom, then topped with a velvety blend on top, which just made for a luscious bite.  Paired with two glasses as they could not decide which was best - 2019 Chapelle St. Theodoric, Les Sablons, Chateauneuf-du-Pape from France and the 2020 Rene Bouvier, Champ Salomon, Marsannay from France.  While both glasses were very similar with slight berry forward notes finished with heavy barnyard funk, we both thought the Marssanay paired the best.  However, to drink on its own Keith preferred the Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  I was not surprised as he tends to like the super classic non-blends and this one was 100% grenache. 

As a palate cleanser we ate a light orange granita with some lime zest.  The bowl was a decent serving and could have been dessert on its own.

Lastly, we ate the Chazuta - macambo, passion fruit, mint, and matcha green tea served with a house cream sherry blend.  The macambo is a white cacao and was presented in a soft mousse form that encased the passion fruit cream.  The nuttiness of the sherry really complemented this dessert.  I was too in the moment, and totally forgot to take a picture of this dish!

To finish the meal we were presented with some last treats - pineapple and rocoto pate de fruits (my favorite), bon bons with caramel, and chocolate biscuits with dulce de leche cream.  They came in a neat wooden puzzle box.

Overall, the flavors were bold and fresh with creative combinations that really highlighted the many regions of Peru.  We were very impressed by the knowledge of the staff as they explained each dish and each wine pairing as if reciting an executive summary to ace their final exam.  The decor was bright and sitting at the chef's table was entertaining to see what dishes they were preparing, but a little awkward to turn our neck behind each time they came to present the next course.  Nevertheless we had a wonderful meal and transported us back to Peru when we traveled there 8 years ago.

Total Rating: 4.03

Food: 4.5, Price: 2, Service: 5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5