PERU BY WAY OF JAPAN
Why this new fusion restaurant is everybody’s best-kept secret
South American restaurants have slowly been trickling into the Manila dining scene, the latest being Peruvian cuisine. Located along Rada street in Legaspi Village, Nikkei is named after the Peruvian culinary tradition that fuses Japanese techniques such as sushi knife work with Peruvian recipes and ingredients.
The zen storefront, whose picture windows reveal an elegant, minimalist interior, sets the scene for an interesting meal. “The main idea was to create a cozy, homey ambiance where people would like to sit and enjoy the music (amid) dim lights,” consultant and interpreter Victoria Balda says. “The idea of having a Japanese open kitchen also adds attractiveness because people can sit at the bar and watch the cooks work. Everything is made fresh, and you can see people really working on your dish.” Nikkei is helmed by Chef Christian
Cejas, an Argentinian who discovered Nikkei cuisine when he picked up a Nobu cookbook several years ago and never looked back. “The main idea of (Nikkei) fusion is applying Japanese techniques to Peruvian products. That’s what the Japanese did when they got to Peru; the basic concept is based around fish, seafood, fresh products, and the use of these ways of cutting and preparing fish that were initially brought by the Japanese, (but) with Peruvian ingredients,” he says through Balda. “Japanese food and Peruvian and Japanese concepts match perfectly because they use many similar ingredients, so you will find many things that Filipinos are familiar with, but with different enhancements to the ingredients and flavors.”
Nikkei serves everything in small portions to enable the diner to try a variety of dishes and maximize flavors. “The tastes are different and sometimes strong, so we thought it would be very good for people to try many differ- ent dishes; you can go along the menu trying maybe four or five different things that are mostly new. I think the best approach would be trying a ceviche and also a tiradito,” Cejas says.
A tiradito is the Peruvian way of slicing sashimi. The Nikkei (R160) tiradito is a choice of white fish, salmon, octopus, or tuna drizzled with Nikkei sauce and topped with red chili and cilantro. The mildly spicy sauce lets the fresh fish shine, the cilantro keeping the already subtle umami from becoming too overpowering.
The parmesan scallops (R180) are two scallops piled on top of each other baked with Japanese butter, parmesan cheese, and onion leeks. Served in a Chinese soup spoon, it is sour and salty, with a hint of spice. Tako confitado (R260), octopus skewers coated with pankomiso sauce, is very spicy. The octopus is firm but not tough; a simple dish with complex flavors, perfect with an alcoholic drink.
Causa, or appetizers, are singleserve Peruvian soft mashed potato bites topped with fish or seafood. The
ebi (R110) is topped with guacamole, prawns, rocoto sauce, and togarashi; the salmon (R120) has guacamole, salmon tartare, sesame oil, and togarashi; while the tako (R105) has guacamole, octopus, confit, pankomiso sauce, and chives.
There are maki rolls, too. The panko (5 pcs R140/ 10 pcs R280) roll contains salmon, avocado, kampyo (Japanese dried gourd), truffled cream cheese, shiitake, onion leeks, and salad sauce, everything wrapped with nori and sushi rice and covered in Japanese breadcrumbs. The ebi furai (5 pcs R140/ 10 pcs
R280) has fried prawns, avocado, white fish, and ceviche sauce, the entire thing sprinkled with togarashi. Despite the long list of ingredients, the well-made tempura shines through.
The lomo saltado (R420) is Peruvian comfort food. Sauteed tenderloin and vegetables, with french fries and poached egg on the side. Cejas says that it’s traditionally served with everything mixed in. The beef stew is very salty-sweet by itself, but its flavors even out and acquire new layers when eaten with the egg, fries, and herbs. Heavy and satisfying, the lomo
saltado could possibly be a new addition to Manila’s list of comfort dishes.
Of course, one cannot dine at a Peruvian restaurant without ordering ceviche—raw fish or seafood marinated in leche de tigre, a traditional Peruvian ceviche marinade usually made with lime juice, onions, and peppers. The classic ceviche (R280) is composed of white fish, red onions, rocoto (pepper), and cilantro, served with cancha (toasted corn) and glazed sweet potatoes. The leche de tigre is served separately, enabling the diner to adjust the ceviche to their exact preferences. The fish is fresh, the ceviche’s tartness a nice contrast to the corn and sweet potato.
Cejas says that he didn’t have to tweak the dishes very much to adapt them to the Filipino palate, except to lower spice levels, as Peruvians like their food very spicy. “Japanese food is not spicy, so I (skewed) it more toward Japanese tastes, which is more familiar to Filipinos.”
Nikkei has an extensive beverage menu that includes different coffee preparations using their own roast, Japanese whiskeys, Japanese craft beer, and pisco (Peruvian brandy) cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like a selection of ice teas. The passion fruit tisane (R125), made with elderberries, cranberries, hibiscus, rooibos, and rosehips, is a refreshing caffeine-free drink that helps cut through the meal’s stronger flavors.
There are only a few desserts to choose from, but the tres leches (R198), sponge cake soaked in custard cream, packs a punch. To the writer’s barbarian tongue, it tastes like lady fingers, but with the texture of a sponge cake studded with the occasional crystal of concentrated sweetness; the textural variety is an unexpected delight. The tres leches pairs well with coffee or dark liquor like rum or whiskey.
Nikkei is an interesting addition to the growing array of international restaurants in Legaspi Village. This can only be a good thing as more people flock to neighborhood joints to eat, drink, and relax, bringing more vibrancy to city living.
The main idea of Nikkei fusion is applying
Japanese techniques to Peruvian products. That’s what the Japanese did when they got to Peru.