Across the world, Nikkei is a term for Japanese people living abroad. In Peru it also signifies a kind of Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine. Early Nikkei immigrants added small Japanese touches to Peruvian ingredients. Today’s Nikkei chefs bring even more Japanese flavor to the table. Travelers can experience high-end Nikkei cuisine at such spectacular new restaurants as Maido, helmed by Mitsuharu Tsumura, a young Peruvian-Japanese chef trained in Japan. Several older family-run Nikkei restaurants, including El Encuentro Otani, have also been inspired to innovate: Once a week, Chef Lalo Otani serves special ceviche sushi rolls with a creamy sauce of leche de tigre (ceviche juice).
