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Creating Japanese, Peruvian flavor fusion
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SAKEMATE is Shanghai’s first Nikkei restaurant and bar, serving innovative Japanese and Peruvian fusion creations. It invites guests to escape and lose track of time with exciting flavors from both cultures.
“Nikkei” is a word describing people of Japanese descent who live as immigrants in another country; nowadays, it usually refers to a type of cuisine — a delicious combination of both Japanese and Peruvian ingredients.
This style of food wasn’t found much outside of Peru until celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa brought it to the United States and beyond. It is now gaining international recognition thanks to dedicated chefs. Foodies in Shanghai have, naturally, welcomed it.
Sakemate recently opened its door on the Bund by the same crew behind Goodfellas, The Fellas and Captain Bar.
From the moment you step in, you are greeted by the striking decor, fusing elements of both cultures in a contemporary, sleek setting. And the lighting is well adjusted for an intimate dinner mood.
Chef Jaime Ajito heads the kitchen, honoring Nikkei tradition and culture, while simultaneously making innovations with his own personal style.
Hailing from Peru, with Japanese origin, Ajito began taking his vision of Nikkei cuisine to different countries after graduating in Australia.
At Sakemate, the menu is split into a sushi bar menu of nigiris and makis, appetizers of refreshing causas, ceviches, and tiraditos, as well as mains where Nikkei cuisine truly shines through with cross-cultural influences.
I started my night with two nigiris choices: blue-fin Japanese tuna sushi with oyster sauce, tiger milk and crunchy quinoa on top and salmon sushi with panca red Peruvian chili pepper sauce. The flavors were obviously more complex. The panca chili pepper gave it an aromatic, smoky taste with a mild lingering heat.
The makis are equally creative. I liked the Sakemate roll, composed of fried shrimp, avocado, quinoa, deep-fried squid, red onion and lime juice. The typical Peruvian ingredients contain the high acidity. When eaten with soy sauce and wasabi, the acid combines with the saltiness perfectly. My favorite dish of the evening was the Australian beef lomo a la parrilla. Beef tenderloin slices seasoned in delicious sauce with red onion, cherry tomato, yellow pepper and fresh cilantro, served with mashed potato and garlic rice. Rice being a staple in both Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, it is naturally a core of the menu in support of sushi, rolls and mains.
The drink list contains a decent wine and sake selection. Cocktails feature Peru’s most beloved pisco sour, along with other libations, including a creamy matcha twist on the old fashioned.
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