It is May, springtime in the northern hemisphere where many will be able to appreciate and admire the beauty of cherry blossom trees in all their splendor. In Japan, families will gather around these sakura trees and feast for days reflecting about life and nature. Here in Lima, they are difficult to spot, but still can be found in certain parks and streets. We found one sample that we liked and decided to explore further.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”649″ gal_title=”Sakura”]Situated in a new modern building, Sakura Sushi is a family-owned restaurant that serves excellent nikkei food. The love for Japanese cuisine and everything it represents: balance, detail, perfection, flavor, and health, made Andrea and Verónica Baca open up their own food venue. After a year experience in their San Isidro premises, they moved to the busy Ejército Avenue in Miraflores where a large pink sakura tree stands firm ready to greet you.
The décor
The décor is minimalistic, with wall to wall glass windows, wooden tables and chairs dispersed along the two floors of the establishment, and a classic open sitting bar where you can delight yourself watching the preparation of your nigiris or makis. I liked the space, the light, and the elegant simplicity of it all.
The food
Soon after we took a seat, a few Gyozas Crocantes (s./29), Japanese fried empanadas arrived at our table. The gyozas are a house courtesy and are served in a lovely bamboo round box as soon as you sit; however, you can also order them as a dish where you will get six of them. The fillings may vary depending on the day. The day of our visit, we had them with salmon, negi (Japanese onion), and spicy garlic. They were wonderfully crunchy, super tasty, juicy and slightly spicy; a real joy to have.
Nigiris are quite popular in Sakura, and they have quite a few. We tried the Crunchy Salmon Nigiri (s./15), two pieces of salmon nigiri with teriyaki sauce. The nigiri was so good on its own that it needed no sauce. The salmon was fresh, the rice of very good quality and well-compacted, and the teriyaki sauce was delicately flavorful. We noticed a slightly citric touch that we certainly enjoyed in this popular appetizer.
A couple of ceviches and tiraditos figure in their menu. On this occasion, we tried the Ceviche Sakura (s./42), a colorful mixed ceviche with fried calamari, glazed sweet potatoes, and a fabulous Andean crunchy mix made of crushed chullpi corn, dry fruits, and house spices. The ceviche was super fresh, juicy, and slightly spicy, decadent in one word. The Andean mix added an interesting crunchiness to this well-accomplished dish and it immediately became the table’s favorite. No doubt, the best nikkei ceviche I’ve ever had, so far. Not to be missed. The portion is generous so you can consider sharing it with a friend.
We also tried the Tuna Tiradito Nikkei (s./30), several good-sized slices of tuna fish, negi, a very nice oriental lemon and sesame sauce, and crunchy Andean mix. The tuna was fresh and so yummy that it basically needed nothing more, although the sauce with its perfect citric levels together with the Andean mix, elevated this dish to higher levels.
It was time for makis, another popular order amongst customers, and now I understand why. There are over twenty types of makis, both traditional and non-traditional, and a range of possibilities to order. You can have six units for s./20, ten units for s./34, 3 x 2 sets, or pay s./59.90 for the Open Maki Bar that lasts all day long; your choice.
We started with the well-known Acevichado Maki, shrimps, avocado, togarashi (Japanese spices), a tuna topping and seaweed tempura, a delicate house-made acevichado mayo sauce, and crunchy Andean mix. My colleagues enjoyed it more than I did as I am no fan of mayo, but still appreciated the freshness of the ingredients, the delicious spicy flavors, and the crispiness of the tempura. We also tried the Kani Maki with crab meat, buttered shrimps, cream cheese, avocado, covered in quinoa pop, and a spicy batayaki sauce. These makis were delicious and disappeared quickly from the table. The New Inka Makis with smoked trout, cream cheese, avocado, crunchy mix of quinoa, and tare sauce, were a complete success and became my favorite ones.
We loved their texture, creativity, flavors and presentation. Finally, we had the Crunch Makis, salmon, avocado, kiuri (Japanese cucumber), and cream cheese, rolled in a breaded cereal layer that gave crunchiness and made these makis quite unique. I will still have to come back to try the rest of makis as one could easily appreciate not only the quality of the ingredients used, but the amount of care and professionalism placed in the making of each one of them. These makis with their perfectly geometrical shapes balancing each and every ingredient and resulting in an explosion of flavors, looked almost like a Marie Kondo creation!
We moved on to the warm dishes and we started with the Udon Batayaki (s./42), a plate with thick Japanese noodles, big-sized shrimps, holantao (snow peas), some batayaki sauce, parmiggian cheese, and decorated with katsuobushi (dehydrated fish flakes). The udon had the right texture, the shrimps were tasty, and the creamy sauce with its spicy touch and garlic notes, was surely yummy.
We then had the Yakimeshi Amazónico (s./39), a large portion of mixed rice with vegetables, cecina (Amazonian pork), plantains, and several slices of pancetta topped with a cocona (a citric Amazon fruit) chalaquita (finely chopped onions and spices). Somehow this dish did not make it for me, perhaps it was the rice, the salt, but my other colleagues did enjoy it.
Our final dish was the Lomo saltado and miso puree (s./ 42), an original variation from the classic Peruvian dish as it replaces the fries for the miso puree. The sirloin meat was of excellent quality, red on the inside, juicy and succulent while the puree had a unique pleasant flavor and the perfect consistency. I enjoyed the particular presentation, the flavors, all of it.
On a second visit, I also tried their Chicken Katsu (s./30) that was crispy, tender and amazing. It comes with an avocado salad, and a bowl of gohan rice covered with sesame seeds. I left Sakura bearing a happy face.
Desserts
Fudge and blancmange Gyozas (Photo: Marco Simola/Traveling & Living in Peru)
There are three dessert options at Sakura: homemade ice-cream, Panna Cotta Nikkei and Gyozas. We tried the Fudge and blancmange Gyozas (s./16), four beautifully delicate gyozas, filled with fudge some and others with blancmange, a scoop of ice-cream (lychee, green tea, vanilla or chocolate), crunchy Oreos topping, and a coulis of strawberries and blue berries. This dessert was decadent, and the ice-cream was outstanding as one could truly feel the flavors of the fruit and the green tea, and I loved how creamy they were.
Drinks
At Sakura they have several alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including Japanese beer and wine. We had to try the Sake sour (s./25), the house version of the Pisco Sour made with Japanese rice wine. It looked exactly like a Pisco Sour and tasted very similar, it was delicious! We also enjoyed the Sakura Ice Tea (s./12), jazmin tea, ginger, lemongrass, passion fruit and orange slices. It was not only colorful, but refreshing, full of flavor, and well-balanced without any ingredient predominating. A pot of Jazmin tea (s./10) was the perfect way to end our meal. The delicate flavors of this tea were captivating.
Final remarks
Our experience at Sakura was top-notch. Not only were we impressed by the quality of the food, the creativity, the balance and beauty displayed in their food and drinks, the impeccable service, but mostly, the passion and care in the detail that makes Sakura a place you want to come back to. You may also want to ask for the ‘dish of the day’ as you may be pleasantly surprised.
Avenida del Ejército 820, Miraflores
Telf. 483 6357
WhatsApp: 915935530
contacto@sakurasushi.pe
Parking – yes for cars and bicycles
Opening hours – Tuesday to Saturday – 12.30 – 3, 30, 7 – 10.30, Sunday 1 -10 pm
Delivery apps: Rappi, Glovo, Uber Eats, Domicilios.com
Menu
Starters and finger food – s./ 16 – 39
Ceviches and tiraditos – s./ 30 – 42
Sashimi and Nigiri – s./9 – 76
Makis – 6 units s./ 20, 10 units s./ 34, Open bar – s./ 59.90
Poke bowls – s./ 30 – 35
Soups – s./35-39
Warm dishes – s./ 26- 42
Kids menu – s./25
Desserts – s./ 8 – 16
Refreshments – s./ 7 -12
Beers – s./10 – 18
Wine by the glass – s./ 18
