Cholapink, a Peruvian grill built around anticuchos, the fire-grilled skewers sold on street corners across Peru, is now serving at 32 Spring Street in Nolita. It is the first New York restaurant from Lima chef Jaime Pesaque, and its co-founder is Daddy Yankee, the reggaeton artist.

Pesaque was born and raised in Peru, trained in Europe and in Michelin-starred kitchens, and runs Mayta, a tasting-menu restaurant in Lima that has appeared on the World's 50 Best list since 2022. Daddy Yankee came to the project through repeated trips to Peru and its food, according to the restaurant.

How it works

Cholapink is a fast-casual room. Diners take a seat, scan the QR code on the table, order and pay from their phones, and the food comes to them. There are no reservations: it is walk-ins only. For now it is dine-in only too, with takeout, pickup orders and delivery due in the coming weeks.

The menu

The menu is built in four steps: pick a skewer, add sides, choose sauces, finish with dessert. The skewers are cooked on a robata grill and come five ways:

  • Chicken thigh in an ají mirasol and miso marinade, with crispy sweet potato and pickled jalapeño
  • Pork belly in a rocoto and gochujang marinade with pineapple chutney
  • Beef steak with smoky ají panca, huancaína sauce and chimichurri
  • Market fish with ají amarillo and yuzu mayo
  • Oyster mushroom, the vegan option, with a peanut and ají panca sauce

Any skewer can come with pan chapla, a soft Peruvian flatbread. Sides include a sea bass ceviche in leche de tigre, chaufa rice (the Peruvian-Chinese fried rice that is a staple in Lima), house fries with a Peruvian chili rub, and choclo corn in huancaína sauce. Desserts are a Peruvian shaved ice called raspadilla and a crema volteada, the Peruvian flan.

The house drinks lean Peruvian as well: chicha morada made from purple corn, a camu camu lemonade, a muña mint iced tea, Peruvian cold brew and Inca Kola, plus house wine and draft beer.

What the founders order

The menu marks each founder's picks. Pesaque's order is the pork belly and chicken thigh skewers, the ceviche, the spicy ají sauce and chicha morada. Daddy Yankee's is the beef steak skewer with chapla bread, chaufa rice, Cholapink sauce, camu camu lemonade and the flan.

How to go

Cholapink is at 32 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry Streets, New York, NY 10012. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and closed Monday. The Spring Street station on the 6 train is two blocks west, and the Bowery station on the J and Z is a short walk east.

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