The annual Sushi Nikkei anniversary celebration came for the third time in Belmont Shore, with Chef Eduardo Chang Ogata and his wife Daiwa Wong offering patrons a menu that heavily diverged from the space’s staple sushi offerings. With it, it expressed what a gem Sushi Nikkei is, reflecting the love of the Peruvian community and its diversity when it comes to cuisine.
Of course, the story of Sushi Nikkei is the story of not just one individual but of many. People brought to a space that wasn’t their own and learning acceptance. And it is why the Michelin-recognized food of Sushi Nikkei is such an important cog of the Long Beach food scene, particularly when it comes to the annual celebration the pair host at their Belmont Shore location.
The Sushi Nikkei anniversary menu? It’s the one time a year you can experience Chef Eduardo’s traditional Peruvian food.
The first time I had Chef Eduardo’s traditional Peruvian—a masterful take on Peruvian seco de carne while having the honor of visiting his home—it proved one very telling thing. And that is that his talents reach far beyond sushi.
There were many beautiful parts that, as with its first year, have dishes that feel like deviations from Sushi Nikkei when, in fact, they could work on the regular. And, if I am being completely honest, something that the space should explore more than just once a year. Surely, they co-operate the Lima space in Bibxy Knolls, which is one of the city’s finest reflections of traditional Peruvian food. But they’re specialty anniversary menu fits within the Nikkei vibe more than they think—and should take place multiple times a year.
A genuinely solid oyster began the meal: Massive hunks of the shellfish, grille before being topped with slivers of onion and doused in aji amarillo.
But there were some dishes, just like last year and the year before, that prove this menu is worth visiting annually.
If Sushi Nikkei’s annual anniversary menus say anything, it is that they are dedicated to the Peruvian love.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: When it comes to Peruvian food, the mighty potato reigns supreme. The country’s rugged climate allows some of the world’s most interesting varieties of the starch. Now? That variety stretches into the 4,000-plus range. Some are best for baking and mashing. Others for frying and crisping. Some run gorgeously yellow. Others have a deep, almost midnight purple in hue.
In his first year, he offered a beautiful take on causa—the mashed, chilled potato dish that often defines Peruvian appetizers—with tuna chunks. This year, similarly to last year’s menu, he opted for an octopus and potatoes dish, with chunks of fried potato layered with the cheesy Peruvian huancaína sauce while others were bathed in a lavender-tinged kalamata olive sauce.
Then there was a wonderfully buttery seafood assortment—”batayaki nikkei”—featuring strips of black sea bass, shrimp, and clams, paired with sweet potatoes, rice, and cilantro. Taking a cue from our seated neighbors (which included my friend and fellow food lover, James Tir), we poured the leftover sauce over the rice. And happily scooped up the grains with a spoon.
It remains a disticntly unique menu—and for those that may not know, Sushi Nikkei having not just one but two locations in Long Beach alone is important for our food culture.
The importance of Latin American and Nikkei cuisine coming together in Long Beach
When it comes to Sushi Nikkei, there still—after years of a presence—remains confusion over what, precisely, “Peruvian sushi” means. And to begin, it must be emphasized that this is not fusion food but a direct product of Japanese culture flourishing in Peru.
“Sushi is as Peruvian as it is Japanese,” Daiwa told me when we first met. “They are intertwined with the spirit of the Nikkei.”
“Nikkei” in Japanese means those of Japanese descendants, the literal span of the Japanese diaspora worldwide—and for a culture so subsumed in its own identity, with strong ties to family and geography, those outside of the island proper have had to doubly fight to maintain their sense of Japanese-ness while also assimilating to their new homes.
The Nikkei of Peru are no exception—and through ups and downs, turmoil, and struggle over a century-plus in Peru, they’ve become an essential part of Peruvian culture. Chef Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura’s Maido restaurant in Lima—one of the leading pillars of Nikkei cuisine—has officially taken the #1 on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. (And on that very list, multiple other entries from Perú.)
To have such representation in Long Beach in a place that has two locations is not just an honor but something worthy of highlight. And definitively something worth supporting.
Sushi Nikkei has two locations: 3819 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls & 5020 E. 2nd St. in Belmont Shore.
