The annual Sushi Nikkei anniversary celebration came for the second time in Belmont Shore, with Chef Eduardo Chang Ogata and his wife Daiwa Wong offering patrons a menu that heavily diverted 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 Nikket 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—it proved one very telling thing. And that is that his talents reach far beyond sushi.
There were many beautiful parts that, as with last year, favored dishes that don’t fit Sushi Nikkei’s normal operating menu. (And, if there were something to be shared in terms of pure food news, well… There could very well be an expansion of Chef’s talents in a space that one would describe as more traditionally Peruvian soon. But that is for a later time.)
A wonderful fried plate of seafood: squid, potato, shrimp, commonly called “jalea.”. A Peruvian flan that proved heftier and thicker than its Mexican counterpart, if not outright superior. Like a panna cotta gone Peruvian. A witty play on Japanese batayaki with a tempura-fried portabella stuffed with shrimp and spicy mayo.
But there were some dishes, just like last year, 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.
Last year, he offered a beautiful take on causa—the mashed, served chilled potato dish that often defines Peruvian appetizers—with chunks of tuna but this year, there were those taters better for frying. Perfectly browned, addictingly crispy potatoes sat atop a traditional ocopa sauce, a bright green concoction that uses the minty-meets-tarragon-meets-citrus power of the Andean herb huacatay. Next to it? A perfectly braised’n’charred tenatacle of octopus.
This and one other won the evening, the latter being a humble dish. Perú has one of the richest culinary traditions—but there was perhaps no better melding of Chef Eduardo’s ability to filet a fish and Peruvian traditions than his tuna machame. A play on tiradito muchame, a self-layered stack of tomato, tuna, and avocado are added onto saltines. Each layer dressed with an oregano-rich salsa, I could eat this all day, every day. Refreshing, simple, wonderfully creamy.
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 Perú are no exception—and through ups and downs, turmoil and struggle across a century-plus of existence in Peru, they’ve become an essential aspect of Peruvian culture itself. Chef Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura’s Maido restaurant in Lima—one of the leading pillars of Nikkei cuisine—jumped one spot further up to #5 on the 2024 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.
