Sushi Mastro Nikkei, Kepong: Japanese-Peruvian Cuisine

Nikkei cuisine is the marriage of delicious Peruvian and Japanese flavours and one of the best places to experience this in Kuala Lumpur is at Sushi Mastro Nikkei. Located in Kepong in Fortune Centra, this Halal restaurant occupies the first floor above Baskin Robbins, with both indoor and balcony seating. 

The menu comprises of soups, cold selections, sushi and sashimi, with an injection of Peruvian influences as well as Peruvian favourites such as ceviche, with a local twist (using local fish such as golden snapper) and much more. Service is friendly, with staff knowledgeable about the ingredients and ever ready to offer their recommendations on dishes to order here.

We started our meal with the Nikkei Salmon Mango (RM58). First mouthful, and I was in love. The sweet mango, luscious salmon sashimi slices and the salty ikura shoyu zuke worked magic together. No wonder this is the bestselling dish here at the restaurant. A must-try!

Next to arrive was the Mastro Ikejime Ceviche (RM42) using our local jenahak fish (golden snapper), prepared using the Japanese ikejime technique, to maintain the quality of the meat. The fish is marinated in leche de tigre, or tiger's milk, the Peruvian term for the citrus-based marinade that cures the seafood in a ceviche. 

For drinks, try one of their creative Mocktails; we had the tea-based El Morado (RM13.80) as well as Pepino Asam Boi (RM13.80)

If you're a fan of sushi or sashimi, go for their signature Surtidas platter for an assortment of their best selections. We went for the Sashimi Surtidas (RM158) which comes with 8 kinds of fish (2 pieces each); featuring local fish such as siakap, jenahak, and Malabar snapper as well as Hokkaido scallop, salmon, hamachi, akami and maguro otoro. Ponzu sauce is poured over the local fishes. Everything was really fresh, a pure indulgence and joy to savour.

Possibly one of the most Instagrammed dish from this restaurant is the Seafood Shirashizushi (RM75), a delicious bowl of sushi rice topped with diced salmon, hamachi, hon maguro, amaebi, unagi, ikura, tobiko, baramundi, red snapper, and Malabar snapper. Once you're done snapping photos, turn over the contents of the bowl onto the plate provided, mix everything well, and dig in! The sushi rice is marinated with teriyaki and furikake, so it's an extra flavorful dish. It tastes just as good as it looks, amazing!

For dessert, we shared the Graham Cake (RM20), made from cream cheese, crackers and fruit cocktail. A nice, sweet end to our meal here.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here, totally worth the 45-minute drive to get here! The seafood was super fresh, and the flavours were well-balanced and spot on. Food presentation had the wow factor and is very Instagrammable too. As the restaurant is quite small, I highly recommend that you book a table before your visit.

Check out our reels here:

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Opening hours: Tue- Sun 12pm - 3pm; 6pm - 10pm. Closed on Monday.

Location: Sushi Mastro Nikkei, Unit 1-1, Fortune Centra, No 2, Jalan Metro Perdana 6, Taman Usahawan, 52100 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Park at AEON BIG Kepong and walk over (about 150m away). Free parking for first hour, RM1 for subsequent hour).

Tel: 012-312 4112

Website: http://letsumai.com/widget/sushi-mastro-nikkei?tracking_id=6a2fd456 (click on delivery/pick-up to see full menu)

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Perú Mucho Gusto - A Peruvian Culinary Showcase @ The Ritz-Carlton KL

The Library at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur welcomes yet another talented guest chef, Executive Chef  Carlos Pardo Figueroa, who will debut his Peruvian specialties for the first time in Malaysia. Peru Mucho Gusto - A Peruvian Culinary Showcase, held from 26 November until 4 December 2016 is a much anticipated collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Peru in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Peru and Malaysia's diplomatic ties.

Peru has one of the oldest, richest and most diverse culinary traditions in the world which dates back 5000 years. Recently on our trip to Germany, we had our first taste of Peruvian cuisine, and loved it, so we were delighted to be invited to sample Chef Carlos' exquisite 4-course menu, which will showcase modern Peruvian cuisine to complement the hotel's elegant setting.  He will also be preparing a special menu for Sunday Roast.

The menus will feature traditional, high-quality organic products specially flown-in from Peru such as quinoa, kiwicha, chirimoya, lucuma, amaranto, camu camu and Peruvian aji chillies to give diners an authentic dining experience. Chef Carlos is also a culinary professor at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola as well as Institut Paul Bocuse in Peru, so we definitely learnt a thing or two about Peruvian cuisine from him. During our brief chat, he gave us an insight into the history behind the food he served today and also some fascinating facts about Peru.

Peruvian music, our entertainment for the afternoon

Pisco, the national drink of Peru. The Pisco featured here is from Tacama, the oldest vineyard in South America.

To start, we were served an amuse bouche of octopus with olive sauce. The baby octopus, which reminded me of the Japanese chuka idako had a lovely, crunchy texture.

Next came the trio of appetizers, namely the Quinoa tabbouleh, Causa Rellena, and White cream ceviche. Over the last couple of years, quinoa which originated from Peru, Chile and Bolivia has risen in popularity especially as a health food.  The quinoa, served with crispy cheese and avocado mousse, was light and fluffy, with a delicate nutty flavour, and the balsamic vinaigrette gave it an appetizing tang.

Quinoa tabbouleh, balsamic vinaigrette

According to Chef Carlos, causa rellena is a Peruvian street food, originating from the 1879 war between Peru and Chile. The women collected potatoes, and created this and offered it to the soldiers fighting "for the cause". Made from mashed yellow potatoes, and avocado, it is served cold and the version we had was topped with tuna and acevichado sauce.

Possibly one of the most famous Peruvian dishes we know of is ceviche. Ceviche is usually made using lime, however Chef Carlos' version uses tumbo, also known as banana passionfruit. He marinates the fish (he used flounder) and serves it with bruleed sweet potatoes and corn.

White cream ceviche 

For main course, guests can choose from three options - Aji de Gallina (chicken), Anticuchos de Pescado (fish) or Risotto a la Huancaina (beef).

Hubby had the fish skewers, which is marinated with red chilli, vinegar and soy sauce. Chef Carlos used swordfish, which was firm yet juicy. This was served with grilled potatoes, Peruvian onion salad, and cumin-sauteed corn. I had some and it was indeed delicious!

Anticuchos de Pescado

Meanwhile, I had the risotto, which is one of Chef Carlos' signature dishes, served with huancaina sauce, made from aji pepper, cottage cheese, milk and crackers. The risotto was extremely rich and creamy, and was topped with classic lomo saltado , which is Peruvian-Chinese dish of stir fry marinated sirloin strips. The beef was very tender and still pink in the centre, much to my delight.

Aji de Gallina - spicy creamed chicken, mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese, pecans, olive sauce

Dessert was a delightful combination of mazamorra morada, and quinoa and rice pudding. Mazamorra morada is a popular Peruvian dessert made from purple corn and fruit and thickened using corn starch. Rice pudding is Hubby's favorite childhood dessert, and this definitely did not disappoint. Chef Carlos tells us that he added some white quinoa into the rice pudding, topped it with mazamorra morada and glazed fruits.

The four-course Peruvian dinner will be available from Nov 26 to Dec 4 at The Library and is priced from RM250 nett (dinner - from 7pm) and Sunday Roast (from 12pm) from RM198 nett. For reservations, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.


Location: The Library, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2142 8000

GPS Coordinates: 3.146901, 101.715438

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/kuala-lumpur



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Peruvian Food @ Restaurant El Inca, Cologne, Germany

Other than German cuisine, you will also find an excellent range of International cuisine in Cologne. One of the restaurants recommended to us was Restaurant El Inca, a hidden gem serving Peruvian food.

Located in the basement, the restaurant is cosy, homely and bustling. The restaurant can get very busy, so reservations are essential. English menus are available for tourists. The menu consists of entrees, salads, nachos, tortilla, beef, lamb, fish and sweets.

Guayaba juice (pink guava)

Pisco Sour, also known as the national drink of Peru. Good, potent cocktail :)

To start, we shared a cebiche de pescado (€8.50), fresh fish slices marinated in lemon, coriander and onions, along with fresh corn and toasted corn. The ceviche portion was generous, and this was very appetizing and whet our appetites for what's to come next.

For main courses, we ordered three dishes to share. First to arrive is the aji de gallina (€11.80), a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of chicken cooked in a mildly spicy creamy sauce. The dish gets its spiciness and yellow colour from aji pepper.  It is served with rice, boiled egg and black olives, as well as a side salad. Hearty and delicious.

We also selected a fish dish too, the Borrachito (€15.80), pike dish topped with tequila sauce, as well as two large grilled king prawns, rice and a side salad. Very nicely done.

The highlight of our meal was the anticuchos de carne (€14.50), two skewers of grilled beef, served with yuca (cassava) and side salad. The meat was beautifully cooked, well seasoned and tender.

Every piece was cooked to medium rare doneness. YUM :)

Verdict: Generous portions, delicious Peruvian food. Highly recommended.


Opening times: 6pm - 1am daily.

Price: Total bill €72 (inclusive tips), for 3 adults 2 children.

Location: Restaurant El Inca, Görresstr. 2, am Rathenauplatz, 50674 Köln, Germany

Tel: +49 (0) 221 245503

Website: http://www.el-inca.de




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