/ Reviews / Fusion
Azul Revivified
by Jaki Faulkner
on Friday, September 10, 2010 12:00 AM
Having finally finished the promised renovations, Azul is desperately trying not to follow in the footsteps of its less fortunate brothers and sisters who have been closed over the past year.
Ramping up the booze, it has introduced signature pisco cocktails. In its true form, pisco is reminiscent of weaker and kinder tequila. Hailed as the ‘Spirit of Peru' and the nation's agua ardiente, it is distilled from white grapes. At Azul, it has its own page at the front of the menu, where it's mixed with sours, with passion fruit, with egg whites, or used as the base for the potent Pisco Punch.
Chef Jeffried Echevarria Hausser has also revitalized the menu. His new creations are just a month old and have re-injected some Peruvian flavors into the food. Scallops Tiradito (RMB100) is a definite must-try, permeated with lime and yellow pepper to give taste buds a zing. The Pop-Rice Prawns (RMB58), a labor of love for the chef, are drenched in a sauce of aioli, lime and the Peruvian chili, rocoto. It's a great combination of garlic aromas, sweet and sour juices, and spice.
Similar to tiradito, ceviche is another typical Latin American specialty that uses marinated fish. The sampler set at Azul offers three snippets: Classico Sea Bass, Chorillano and a Nikkei tuna (RMB158). The yellow finned tuna has a good spicy kick but the sea bass takes the prize with just the right amount of chili, which doesn't negate the fish's original taste.
Mains delve more into a mix of poultry and meats. Pato consists of a glazed duck breast with wasabi mash potato, crispy garlic and wild mushrooms: quite simply, a lovely combination. Just as packed with delicate ingredient touches, Lomo Saltado (RMB138) is a beef tenderloin steak with stir-fry onions, tomato, and cilantro swimming neatly in a soy demi-glaze, with a comforting white tacu-tacu underneath, finished off with a little quail egg.
Azul Tapas Lounge was once a popular dining destination but has increasingly found it difficult to keep a regular flow of diners rolling through the doors. Upping the ante on the exotic aspects of its cuisine, its new menu reintroduces Shanghai eaters to the wonders of Peru.
The Bottom Line: Drinks and food both get a kick up the backside with the enticing new additions at Azul.
