If you´re looking for quality food served by friendly people in a relaxed atmosphere, new Vietnamese bistro Indochine may just be the place.
A stone´s throw away from Plaza Foch, Indochine stands out from rival restaurants due to its uniquely attentive approach to service.
The highly qualified staff, who have worked in various locations around the world, prepare delicious, affordable dishes and take them out to the tables themselves.
In this way, customers are assured a detailed and direct insight into their food if they have any questions, rather than waiting for an answer to be passed along the production line.
Guayaco chef Octavio Ycaza decided to open his restaurant in April this year with the half-American half-Vietnamese Patrick Madden when the friends saw a gap in the market for high quality Asian cuisine in Quito. Both have worked previously in hospitality in Washington DC, where Vietnamese food is immensely popular.
The other integral members of the small team are Octavio´s brother Oscar, Erin and Emily, who all complement each other´s styles with their contrasting experiences.
Octavio explains that many restaurants in Ecuador have no basis for comparison and are built "front to back", with pretty dining areas but corners being cut in the kitchen.
"I built my restaurant backwards," he says, stating that the focus is on the preparation of the food.
Proudly, he discloses that he is the only restaurateur in the Mariscal not to own a freezer or a microwave, so that everything put on the customers´ plates is completely fresh.
He also believes that good service is essential to the success of a restaurant as ´if the service is bad, you are already predisposed to not liking (the food)´.
All the ingredients used are carefully and ethically sourced, with all the meat on the menu being strictly free range. Meanwhile, a variety of rich flavours is developed by using a host of cooking methods including steaming, braising and baking.
Favourite appetizers on the menu include the pork-filled Imperial Rolls and the light, crispy Sakana red tuna Sushi rolls, while other choice dishes range from the melt-in-the-mouth Tofu in Caramel Sauce to Green Mango Salad and Noodle Bowls.
The specialty dessert of the house is the sweetly satisfying Passion Fruit Crème Brulée, but customers can also opt for the coconut-laced Chocolate Tuiles or the rum-touched Stuffed Fried Bananas.
Indochine´s evident popularity has spread purely by word of mouth, so many of the customers it receives have become loyal regulars and personal friends of the crew, giving the place a homely atmosphere.
Somebody here recognises the importance of music in creating a mood, and artists including Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra appear on the playlist.
The clientele, sitting in low-lit corners and sipping on wine and cocktails, covers all spheres and nationalities. To our right a group of Ecuadorian teenagers is huddled around a table and to our left two European girls, while in front of one of the brightly painted murals is an older, professional couple.
People seem at ease here and it is no surprise that the owners harbour plans to expand in the future. As the place is non-smoking, Octavio hopes to create an outdoor area in which people can light up without disturbing other customers.
'There has to be a certain level of respect for the food,' he asserts. And with the quality of the food he serves before us, we don´t doubt it for a second.
Would you like to learn more about food from Ecuador? Check out our section about Food from Ecuador!
