Exodo Group Launches Trio of Innovative Mexican-Peruvian Restaurants

Exodo, the group behind the Peruvian restaurant Kayao, is set to open Ayayay in the Loop next week, a Mexican-Peruvian fusion restaurant. Led by Chef Jose Luis Chavez, the menu will feature tacos, burritos, and creative sauces. The group plans to follow this opening with two upscale venues, Matilda and Clandestino, by May.

The team behind Kayao, a Peruvian restaurant in Old Town, plans to launch three additional restaurants by spring 2024. The first venue, Ayayay, is set to open next week in the Loop, featuring a fusion of Mexican cuisine with Peruvian influences in a setting that blends fine dining and casual ambiance.

Chef Jose Luis Chavez, known for Mission Ceviche, will lead the culinary efforts at Ayayay, which aims to blend modern aesthetics with reasonably priced, high-quality food. Partner Daniel Briceno clarifies that this establishment is not a typical fast-casual chain like Chipotle; rather, it will serve freshly made tortillas and teleras filled with creative marinated proteins.

The restaurant’s opening menu will include options such as tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, salads, and grain bowls. Featured ingredients will encompass carne asada, al pastor, pork belly chicharrones, braised chicken, and Portabella mushrooms. Notably, the menu will integrate traditional Peruvian elements like a torta with lomo saltado, substituting fries for crispy potatoes and featuring aji verde sauce.

Chavez emphasizes the uniqueness of Ayayay’s sauce offerings, distinguishing them from mass-market fast food options filled with overly processed sauces. “Peru and Mexico, they share a lot in common,” he explains, while highlighting the differences in chiles as foundational ingredients in both cuisines. The restaurant will creatively mix smoky morita chiles in sauces with rocoto chiles from Peru.

In addition to food, Ayayay will serve margaritas and unique cocktails, alongside non-alcoholic options like horchata chai, created by Gilberto Mendez, the group’s beverage director. Daniel Briceno mentions refreshing ingredients like hibiscus, guava, and cinnamon that will feature in the drinks menu.

The emerging restaurant group, Exodo, plans to launch Ayayay in the Loop as a Mexican-Peruvian fusion restaurant, followed by two more venues, Matilda and Clandestino, this spring. Under the leadership of experienced chefs, particularly Jose Luis Chavez, the restaurant aims to provide high-quality cuisine inspired by both culinary traditions, complemented by unique beverage offerings. The group seeks to establish a significant presence in Chicago’s dining scene.

Original Source: chicago.eater.com