Mision Ceviche
It’s a sunny Wednesday afternoon here in New York and I came across an online ad about Nikkei cuisine and it sparked some curiosity. What is Nikkei cuisine and who is responsible for this modern gastronomic juggernaut that has been slowly taking over the world?
Nikkei cuisine is Peruvian ingredients – tropical fish, quinoa, Aji Amarillo peppers and then molded by Japanese techniques. Nikkei is an intercultural exchange of flavors brought about by the union of 2 dynamic cultures. These were the basic answers I could get and with my thirst for knowledge not being satisfied I decided to do more first-hand research.
Mission Ceviche located at 1400 2nd Avenue in the UES has been serving fantastic Nikkei cuisine for quite some time now so I figured this is where I should start my research. I arrived at the restaurant around 4 pm and was seated at an outdoor table perfect with natural light and thankfully a cool breeze.
James my server explained to me the menu and suggested that I started with a “Pisco Sour” which is one of the most popular drinks from Peru. Pisco is a yellowish to amber colored brandy produced in wine making regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high proof spirit. This was such a cool and refreshing beverage to start the meal with.
My first course was Ceviche which was the Classic dish consisting of the day’s catch, rocoto’s tiger's milk, corn, and sweet potato. The dish was perfectly balanced and the leche de tigre was light and bright.
My second course was from the Nikkei bar which was the Roll Anticuchero with white asparagus, avocado, American wagyu, anticuchera sauce torched with a soy sauce reduction. The torched sauce gave the roll a nice smoky flavor and a perfect blend of Peruvian and Japanese.
The third course was the Maitake appetizer which was pan seared Japanese mushrooms, panca sweet chili sauce, radish and peanuts. This is another perfect representation of a cultural exchange between Latin and Pacific.
It was time for my 2nd cocktail which was called Rinda served with citadelle gin infused with cherry tea, momokawa nigori sake, lychee and yuzu juice. This was a bit stronger and more pungent than the first beverage but equally as good and bold.
At this time my main course arrived which was Lomo Saltado which was an 8 oz stir fried filet mignon, soy sauce, onions, tomatoes, fried potatoes and white rice. Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian style stir fry but this was a level above the rest with the quality of ingredients and technique.
Finished my meal with the Algarrobina Tres Leches cake and this was insanely good, hands down one of the best cakes that I’ve ever tasted in my life.
Mission Ceviche this was an epic meal… I will be back for more…
#KULINARYATRAVELS will be back next week with some Italian at Saint Ambroeus in the UES…