Moche

Christian Motte's weekly-changing ode to ceviche, tucked into a quiet corner of Amsterdam Oost.

Christian Motte didn't invent ceviche, but he might be the first person in Amsterdam to explain why it matters that he didn't. Born in Lima, he cooked in London, Dubai and Geneva before co-founding NAZKA, then landed on Linnaeuskade with a project named for the pre-Columbian people credited with curing fish in citrus centuries before the rest of the world caught on. The menu resets weekly: five starters, five mains, two desserts, built for the table rather than the plate. Ceviche and tiradito do the heavy lifting (scallop with blood orange, salmon brightened with citrus and plantain crisps), but the kitchen also sends out a beef lomo saltado worth ordering twice, and duck with miso-glazed pointed cabbage that reads more chef's travels than tourist-menu Peru. Pisco carries the drinks list, with a flight for anyone who wants the crash course. Book ahead: the room seats few, the crowd already knows it, and Tuesday through Saturday it fills fast on word of mouth alone.

Tuesday and Wednesday get you a table without the wait, and the pisco flight is the fastest introduction to the spirit in the city. Open Tuesday-Thursday 17:00-23:00, Friday-Saturday 17:00-01:00, closed Sunday-Monday.

Photo: Moche