DC’s Latest Plant-Based Obsession: Ceviche

Some of the most inventive and impressive ceviches in town don’t contain any seafood—in fact, they’re vegan. These refreshing plant-based spins on the classic Peruvian dish of citrus-marinated fish offer a cooling counterpoint to summer swelter.

Mita

Star ingredient: Young coconut
At this Latin-minded vegan tasting-menu spot in Shaw, young coconut is marinated in mushroom powder for umami oomph, then set in a pool of coconut-milk-powered leche de tigre alongside cachaça-infused pineapple and crispy tapioca pearls.

China Chilcano

Star ingredient: Coconut
This brunch-only, tropical twist at José Andrés’s Penn Quarter Peruvian place sets tender cubes of coconut in a leche de tigre sauce enriched with fiery habaneros and a wallop of lime juice. Served in a coconut, the app comes dappled with sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs.

Imperfecto

Star ingredient: Flowers
A bouquet of flavors, colors, and textures bloom in chef Enrique Limardo’s radiant rendition. The rainbow of delicate blossoms and microgreens, including marigold and sorrel, is combined with silky leche de tigre sauce and puffs of popped cancha corn.

Centrolina

Star ingredient: Watermelon
What’s cooler than being cool? Ice-cold fruit ceviche. This one features cubes of watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, and snowbanks of beet-Campari and lemon­grass granitas.

Nobu

Star ingredient: Tomatoes
Although this sushi restaurant’s ceviche is available all year, summer is the best time to savor the vibrant mélange of local tomatoes. Tossed in a mix of yuzu and lemon juices, soy sauce, and tongue-tingling aji amarillo paste, the dish artfully blends Japanese and Peruvian flavors.

DC Vegan

Star ingredient: Strawberries
A jumble of citrus-splashed strawberries and hearts of palm is enriched with creamy avocado. Scoop everything up on a tortilla chip for a bite that’s bright, bold, sweet, and savory.

This article appears in the August 2024 issue of Washingtonian.

Nevin Martell

Contributing Writer

Nevin Martell is a food, travel, and foraging writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, USA Today, Men’s Journal, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, The Daily Beast, BBC, and many other publications. He is author of eight books, including Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip, and The Founding Farmers Cookbook: 100 Recipes From the Restaurant Owned by American Family Farmers. When he isn’t working, he loves spending time with his son, foraging for wild foods, and traveling.