Summer: Lima and Portonovo
The sun is shining and sushi is on your mind! Welcome to the first of our Japanese Cuisine Worldwide series! We are going to focus on two amazing international destinations for a great summer travel.
Both of these cities have top-notch reputations as foodie capitals of the world. And both have done things with traditional Japanese cuisine that not only takes it to new heights but makes it uniquely their own as well. So let’s dig deep into the Japanese fusion taking place both in Europe and Latin America. Time to give our taste buds a blast as strong as the summer sun.
Portonovo: Pasta Sushi and More
Italy might seem like the unlikeliest of places to run into some Japanese food worth writing home about, but the white sand-lined beach resort of Portonovo will have you sending out mass mailings to your foodie friends. Portonovo is located right on the turquoise waters of the Adriatic sea. It has been known to Italians as a seafood lovers destination for centuries. The recent influx of international visitors, however, has now also made it a hot spot for Japanese-Italian fusion, too.
To sink your teeth into one of the highest rated of these fusion restaurants in the entire country, pull up a seaside seat at chef Moreno Cedroni’s acclaimed Clandestino. While the Portonovo restaurant serves up a full selection of classic sushi items, it also specializes in sushi pasta. Dishes like raw salmon wrapped in spinose pasta and smothered in wasabi sauce await you here. Gorgonzola cheese-infused oysters and other delights round out the menu.
Lima: Nikkei to Die For
Already famous for its amazing ceviche — made by curing raw fish from the open Pacific in lemon juice and hot sauce — Lima has knocked the socks off the culinary world by inventing Nikkei. A fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food, Nikkei mixes classic spicy ajis with standards like raw fish. The result with truly out-of-this-world creations like tiradito, which must be tried to be believed.
Beyond being a culinary destination that no Japanese food lover should miss, Lima also has plenty of golden sand beaches along the Pacific Ocean. This makes it a perfect summer travel destination. Historic bohemian neighborhoods like Barranco offer unique lodging options. The best Nikkei restaurants however, lie just to the north in the trendy Miraflores area. Check out La Mar, where celebrity chef Gaston Acurio offers awesome tuna and salmon causas. Then, head to Nikko, which stuffs rolls with local ingredients.
