NIKKEI Roots

The Japanese and Peruvians had a love of fresh fish in common, and it was this that would become the foundation of Nikkei cuisine. Just as the Japanese traversed the sea to work on the land, so too would their food be, inspired by the water and married to ingredients grown in Peruvian earth. Ingredients are grown in rich soil. Corn, potatoes, lime and chili brought new, earthy flavors and sweetness that complemented the fresh and clean fish & rice.

When the sakura maru traveled from Japan and landed on the shores of Peru in 1899 it took more than 800 people with it. Every passenger carried with them the recipes of their favorite dishes from home, and when they’d finished working the sugar plantations, they set to bring them to life once again, using locally sourced ingredients.

You can see examples of that combined energy in every aspect of our restaurant, from the food, of course – but also how the bold, Peruvian geo-architecture houses Japanese design, lighting, and even colors. Influencing everything, from a vase of flowers to artwork. The result is a free-flowing, natural space with simplistic shapes, and harmony reminiscent of a home built from land and sea.