Nikkei’s new surprises
NIKKEI’S name is pretty straightforward: it’s the name for Japanese migrants in Peru, which means the restaurant will be serving Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.
Although the fusion of Japanese and Peruvian influences has been around for over 100 years since the late 19th century, not to mention its appearance in fashionable dining spots worldwide like Nobu, what greeted us at a tasting on Feb. 28 in Greenbelt’s Nikkei Robata (part of the Nikkei group of restaurants) was still a pleasant surprise. The restaurant presented a refreshed menu, developed with the help of two Japanese-Peruvian chefs, Renato Kanashiro and Jorge Tomita, coowners of Shizen in Peru.
The late lunch’s wheels were greased by a Sake Sangria, with Havana Club 3 Years, sake, lychee syrup, orange juice, apple juice, and ginger syrup. The diverse set of flavors ranging from earthy to fruity, opened up the tastebuds, so our tongues were prepared for whatever else they had to offer.
The meal started with a selection of Tiradito (a Peruvian dish slightly resembling sashimi, but splashed with Peruvian dressings and spices). We then consumed the Usuzukuri, including an anonymous catch of the day, rocoto topping, tobiko, ponzu, and chili oil. It had a great texture, balanced heat, and vivid citrusy flavors. We had fun with the Kiiroi, with fish, and yellow chili sauce, and something else the chef drizzled in front of us, its lingering sharply herbal drops on the plate we had to spoon. We had the Yokai (salmon, batayaki parmesan, and rocoto leche de tigre), and the luxurious Bigmac (tuna, foie gras, truffle oil, garlic, and eel sauce), both of them displaying indulgent flavors, but a certain respect for the integrity of the fish’s flavor.
The Kazan (crab meat, avocado, furai prawn, parillero sauce, batayaki, and eel sauce) had an excellent sweetish taste of crab punctuated by a wellrounded kick. We also remember the Navajas (razor clams), and the Conchas Bataparme (scallops) which had sweetish and indulgent flavors. The meal ended with very rich udon noodles with sea urchin, garlic, and cilantro (Nikkei Yaki Udon); and then creamy rice with Smoked Seafood (Kai Meshi).
Mr. Kanashiro, one of the chefs from Peru who worked on the menu, acknowledged the seafoodcentric nature of the menu. “We have a really rich coast,” he said about Peru, so seafood, much like it is in Japan, is very accessible.
He also makes a point about the convergence of the cuisines, a result of the stories of people’s movements across time and the ocean. “Peruvian and Japanese ingredients make a really nice fusion. Japanese soy sauce with Peruvian peppers go really well (together),” he said. “It has been so organic, so natural.” To that point, he points at a tattoo on his arm, bearing the crest of their restaurant, Shizen, which means “nature” in Japanese. “We want to feel that it (the seafood) was caught just minutes ago,” a point, we feel, they successfully made.
Perhaps the reason for Nikkei cuisine’s ability to satisfy the Filipino palate is the mixture of Latin American, European, and Asian influences that are marked in the story of both Nikkei people and Filipinos. Mr. Kanashiro pointed out that in the meals he has eaten in the Philippines, he has found counterparts in Peruvian cuisine, like Sinigang (sour soup), arroz caldo (spicy rice porridge), and kare-kare (peanut-based stew). “We’re really hoping that Filipinos understand and get familiar with these Peruvian flavors,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nikkei group cofounder Jackie Lorenzana (she shares the title with her husband Carlo), talked about the reason for the refreshed menu. “For some reason, we had evolved the Japanese menu part of it further, but the Peruvian side of it kind of, like, lagged. Probably because we have not exactly visited Peru in a long time,” she said. —