What do you do if you are the owner of one of the most sought after passports (one that has the least visa restrictions in the world)?
Travel of course! And this is what the owner of Romina (Romihna) did. Having traveled extensively throughout South America, he decided to bring back some Latino heat back to the shores of Japan. Brimming with the exuberance of South America, this restaurant is retrofitted with all things South American, from the Brazilian flag, to images of Che and even typical toilet signs you will definitely catch in the region. In addition, the restaurant boasts a repertoire of the region finest cuisines which include Brazilian, Peruvian, Mexican and even Cuban food. You might even see the Peruvian ambassador here.
For starters, I decided on Coxinha, a street snack that is popular in the samba capital of the world. Don’t really know what Coxinha is exactly? Well, it's fried dough packed with pieces of succulent chicken meat in its interior. To better illustrate, its a little bit like fried mochi, shaped like a droplet of water and with chicken inside, sounds interesting aye?
To wash off the greasiness of the delicacy, I opted to try Incan Libre, a concoction of Pisco (Spirit of choice in South America) and Inka Cola (Peruvian Cola). But wait a minute! what`s Inka cola? or Peruvian Cola? well first off, Peruvian cola is Yellow, not black, unlike Coca Cola. It also sweeter than Coca Cola, with a little hint of Pineapple. So unless you are a sweet tooth like me, you may not like this drink as much. You can opt for juices such as Maracuya or other types of Pisco, such as Pisco Cola (Coca Cola with Pisco).
With my tummy rumbling, I ordered a plate of Mole Pobleado which consists of pan-fried chicken served with a sauce made with… wait for it.. CHOCOLATE! Strange isn`t it? But boy was it good! The sweetness brought about by the chocolate enhanced the richness of the chicken and with that; the plate was wiped clean in a matter of minutes!
I was totally satisfied with my meal and Romina has to be one of the best South American restaurants in Japan that serves up absolutely authentic dishes from the region. Thus, if you are looking to relive your Latin Adventures (like me), this is definitely the place to go!
