Last time my Jun and I visited Causa earlier this year, we left the restaurant still fairly starving, despite some really delicious dishes. When we sat down, our server brought a list of whole fish supplements that are prepared both cold (raw) and hot styles. Our immediate reaction was why would we even need a supplement when we are about to have a multi-course tasting menu? Well it turned out the portion for each item in the tasting menu was fairly modest and it didn’t help that the early dinner at Causa was our first meal on that day. After that first experience, we vowed to get a whole fish supplement on our next time for a more complete experience at Causa. We finally did it on a recent visit in June and I am happy to report that Causa is one of the most exciting dining destinations in DC at the moment.

There are not many Peruvian restaurants in DC, at least not a more elevated version that has helped make the country one of the most exciting culinary destinations in the world (you can legitimately complain about all the flaws about the World’s 50 Best Restaurants award, but I doubt you will object to the choice of Central in Lima as the top restaurant this year). A young chef by the time of Carlos Delgado has decided to change that lack of a defining Peruvian restaurant, opening two restaurants in Blagden Alley, a more formal tasting menu experience at Causa on the first floor and a casual version Amazonia on the second. After a few delightful bites of snacks and dry aged fish ceviche with cilantro leche de tigre sauce, you will know instantly that there is something special going on.

The menu shows that chef Delgado pays very close attention to the rich culinary tradition of the country, like the potato (encased in a shell) with traditional uchucuta sauce, or the skewers of salmon belly, pork belly and wagyu beef heart paying homage to the street foods in the Barranco neighborhood of Lima (I seriously could have a full meal just eating these skewers!). My favorite dish from the tasting menu was a bowl of bomba rice with crab and aji amarillo (think a type of chili pepper native in Peru). The textural combination of the rice and crab, enhanced by the wonderfully citrusy flavor of leche de tigre as well as the subtly spicy kick of aji amarillo was nothing short of sensational, and my only gripe was that I couldn’t have more of it! Jun wished the duck in the final savory course had a bit juicier texture, but combined with canario beans, it was still better than most of the duck entrees you would encounter in other restaurants.

Oh right, what did we get for our fish supplement? We ended up getting a Rhode Island flounder, prepared in tiradito style (thinly sliced raw and garnished with aji amarillo leche de tigre sauce) as well as al natural josper style (grilled in wood burning Spanish josper oven and seasoned with salt and parsley chimichurri). Both dishes were outstanding, displaying the full range of the restaurant’s superb skills with expressing fish in the distinctively Peruvian fashion, and I could now see why getting a supplement is so much worth the relatively hefty price tag (most of the fish items were at least over $200). Finish your meal with a standout mousse dessert based on macambo, a Peruvian relative of cacao, with passion fruit, and your memorable culinary exploration at Causa is now complete.  

Getting a reservation at Causa won’t be overly challenging, but I suspect that will likely change with recent accolades (the restaurant was featured as the top restaurant in Washington Post’s 2023 Spring Dining Guide and also won the New Restaurant of the Year award in DC’s acclaimed RAMMY Awards recently), so I suggest you plan ahead in advance. The beverage menu at Causa has significantly improved from our first visit to the second one, with cocktails inspired by the ingredients and flavors of Peru (definitely do yourself a favor and get at least one pisco sour) and a globally sourced wine list designed to complement the dishes fairly well. The clean and modern atmosphere of the dining space makes it a great option for romantic date nights and the service was also overall friendly and attentive. During our meal, chef Delgado came by to check in with how we were doing and served one dish personally himself. After our meal, Jun noted how she could see a great level of ambition in the chef’s eyes. If Jun is right (and I am certainly very confident in her eyes for talent and character), I think Causa will be a special place in the DC dining scene for a very long time. I can’t wait to visit again with Jun later this year.

KenScale: 8.5/10 (Jun’s Score: 8.25/10)

Address: 920 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001

Website: https://www.causadc.com/

Reservation via Tock