There are endless reasons to love Latin America; from the vivacious people to the rich culture along with its exotic and flavourful cuisine. And the newly opened Waka has brought a pivotal piece of Latin America to Dubai - complete with a menu of amazing dishes, infused with a creative culinary twist.
Derived from the word ‘huaca’ which means ‘blessed’, Waka is the perfect space to enjoy a taste of Latin culture. From the vibrant decoration on the floors to the artwork adorning the walls, you can tell every detail has been carefully curated. Under the expert direction of Executive Chef, Roberto Segura, the bespoke menu is a fusion of Latin American flavours combined with Japanese seasonings, using French techniques.
We started with the Wakamole nachos with avocado, onion, chili, lime served Waka style in a smoking stone bowl! The Veggie Makis with spring onion, carrot, leek, mango, chili sauce and the Abura Tuna Maki with prawn tempura, avocado, sesame sauce. Next up were the Tacos and we opted for the Crispy Tuna Tuna tartare with avocado, chives, aji Amarillo and the Beef Barbacoa with pulled beef, pico de gallo, guajillo.
The mains included Josper Anticuchos - meats, chicken or veggies slow cooked in the Josper oven on skewers. We chose the mushrooms with honey, rocoto, ají panca, thyme, pistachio and the Black Angus Tenderloin with Ají panca and beer marinade, roasted potatoes, choclo, spicy rocoto dip. From the Chifa Wok style dishes (a fusion of classic Peruvian ingredients with traditional Cantonese elements) we chose the Lomo Saltado Beef tenderloin, yellow potato, onion, soy sauce. And from Waka’s Signature dishes the Pollo A La Brasa with roasted baby chicken, crispy potatoes and the Merluza Negra Quinoa risotto, ají amarillo, truffle, wild mushrooms.
To say the food is amazing does not actually do it justice, the flavours are simply fabulous and each dish was as good as or even better than the last which is rare. The atmosphere is fantastic, the resident saxophonist plays in impressive sync with the DJ and every table is enjoying themselves. And though it was busy you could still keep up the conversation.
Top tip: if you chose the Merluza Negra Quinoa risotto order two or be prepared to share! Call 04-4441455.