A good century after its beginnings in Peru’s Japanese immigrant community, Nikkei cuisine has certainly risen to a grander stage. Creating an appetite for this in our own city is Nikkei, the premier restaurant that shares a name with this cuisine. It has become beloved through branches beyond its first one on Rada Street: the second in One Rockwell and newly opened, its first Ortigas branch in SM Podium.

            Through its breathtaking new wing, Podium has dedicated significant space to forward-thinking global concepts. It’s the perfect arena for once-niche flavors to flourish, allowing patrons in the north to discover such staples as the causa, a Peruvian classic cleverly layered with various ingredients, or well-traveled fare like seared tuna on a bed of sea urchin risotto. As business lunch specials and a formidable happy hour can attest, the social atmosphere of Nikkei is a destination in itself. After all, word of mouth is another reason this cuisine has come such a long way.