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Nikkei-style nigiri at the Kuuru Nikkei Bar

Nikkei · 日系

What is Nikkei?

A cuisine born of migration, explained by the kitchen that serves it in Saudi Arabia.

The short answer

Japanese technique, Peruvian flavour

Nikkei is the Japanese Peruvian cuisine created by Japanese migrants in Peru and their descendants. It applies Japanese technique, knife work and restraint to Peruvian ingredients such as ají chillies, lime, corn and the Pacific catch. The result is bright, citrus-driven and gently spicy: ceviche cut like sashimi, nigiri dressed with Peruvian sauces, rice and grills seasoned from both pantries.

History Lima, 1899

Born of migration

The word nikkei (日系) is Japanese for people of Japanese descent living abroad. In Peru it came to name a community, and then a cuisine.

Japanese migration to Peru began in 1899, when the ship Sakura Maru arrived at the port of Callao. Peru went on to have one of the largest Japanese communities in Latin America.

Far from home, the newcomers cooked with what Peru offered: lime in place of yuzu, ají in place of wasabi, local fish in place of the catch they knew. Over generations their techniques reshaped Peruvian cooking too. Tiradito, raw fish sliced like sashimi and dressed in citrus, is the clearest example, and Nikkei cooks are widely credited with the shorter, fresher marinade that defines modern ceviche.

Today Nikkei is one of the most influential styles in modern dining, and Lima remains its home. Kuuru carries it to the Arabian Peninsula. Read the Kuuru story.

Side by side

Japanese, Peruvian, Nikkei

How Nikkei cuisine compares with Japanese and Peruvian cuisine
Aspect Japanese Peruvian Nikkei
Core idea Seasonality, precision, restraint Bold acidity, chilli, generosity Japanese technique applied to Peruvian flavour
Raw fish Sashimi and nigiri with soy and wasabi Ceviche cured in lime Tiradito and nigiri dressed with citrus and ají
Seasoning Soy, miso, dashi, yuzu, wasabi Lime, ají amarillo, rocoto, cilantro Both pantries at once: ponzu with ají, miso with rocoto
Heat Rarely spicy Often spicy Gentle heat, balanced by citrus
Classic dishes Nigiri, tempura, teriyaki Ceviche, anticuchos, lomo saltado Tiradito, acevichado rolls, Nikkei-style nigiri

Glossary

The Nikkei pantry

The words you will meet on a Nikkei menu, and where to taste each one on the Kuuru carte.

Ceviche
Raw fish or seafood cured briefly in lime juice with chilli, onion and cilantro. Peru's national dish.
At Kuuru: Kuuru Ceviche , Ceviche Limeño , Peruvian Wasabi
Tiradito
Raw fish sliced thin like sashimi and dressed in a citrus and chilli sauce, without the onion of ceviche. The most Japanese of Peruvian dishes.
At Kuuru: Tiradito Hotate
Leche de tigre
"Tiger's milk": the citrus, chilli and fish marinade of ceviche, served as a sauce or sipped on its own.
At Kuuru: Kuuru Ceviche , Ceviche Limeño
Ají amarillo
Peru's golden-yellow chilli, fruity with moderate heat, and the backbone of many Nikkei sauces.
At Kuuru: Carretillero , Panca Hitoaji , Inca Black Cod
Ají panca
A dried red Peruvian chilli, smoky and mild, used in marinades and glazes.
At Kuuru: Tori Panca , Nikkei Sando , Chupe Lobster
Rocoto
A thick-walled Andean chilli with serious heat and a fresh, fruity flavour.
At Kuuru: Ceviche Limeño , Beef Gyoza
Chalaquita
A fresh relish of onion, tomato, chilli and lime from Callao, Peru's port city.
At Kuuru: Carretillero , Tako Furikake
Chifles
Thin, crisp fried plantain chips from northern Peru, a classic partner to ceviche.
At Kuuru: Ceviche Limeño
Chulpi corn
An Andean corn toasted until crunchy, scattered over ceviche for texture.
At Kuuru: Hotate Gratin
Chicha morada
A Peruvian drink of purple corn simmered with fruit and spice, deep violet and gently sweet.
At Kuuru: Chicha Kakigori , Chicha Biru
Pachamanca
An Andean way of cooking food in an earth oven of hot stones; its flavours inspire the corn side dish.
At Kuuru: Pachamanca Corn
Chupe
A rich, creamy Peruvian chowder, classically made with shrimp.
At Kuuru: Chupe Lobster , Chupe Gratin
Acevichado
A roll finished with a ceviche-style sauce, one of the defining dishes of Lima's Nikkei bars.
At Kuuru: Japanese Acevichado
Nigiri
Hand-pressed rice topped with fish. In Nikkei style it is dressed with Peruvian sauces instead of only soy and wasabi.
At Kuuru: Nakka Truffle , Nigiri Tasting
Makimono
Rolled sushi. At Kuuru they arrive as hand rolls built from both pantries.
At Kuuru: Tako Furikake , Crispy Niku
Itamae
The sushi chef at the counter, literally "in front of the board". At Kuuru, the itamae works the Nikkei Bar.
At Kuuru: Nigiri Tasting
Ponzu
A Japanese citrus and soy sauce, bright and savoury.
At Kuuru: O-Toro Nikkei , Chu-Niku Ponzu
Yuzu kosho
A Japanese paste of yuzu peel, chilli and salt, fragrant and sharp.
At Kuuru: Tiradito Hotate
Nitsuke
The Japanese technique of simmering fish or meat in sweet soy.
At Kuuru: Shake Nitsuke , Beef Gyoza
Kakigori
Japanese shaved ice, finished with syrups and fruit.
At Kuuru: Kakigori , Chicha Kakigori

At the table

How to order Nikkei at Kuuru

Plates arrive to share, in the rhythm the kitchen is built for.

  1. Start cold

    A ceviche or tiradito to wake the palate. Try the Kuuru Ceviche.

  2. Go to the bar

    Nikkei-style nigiri cut by the itamae, or the five-piece tasting. Try the Nigiri Tasting.

  3. Something hot and crisp

    Fried, glazed and made for sharing. Try the Shrimp Crocante.

  4. Share a main

    Black cod, wagyu rice, or the Josper tomahawk for the table. Try the Inca Black Cod.

  5. Finish Peruvian

    Purple corn, manjar and churros, with an alcohol-free signature from the bar. Try the Chicha Kakigori.

Jeddah · Riyadh 日系 Nikkei

Nikkei in Saudi Arabia

Kuuru opened in Jeddah in 2021 as a homegrown Saudi house serving True Nikkei, and arrived in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District in 2024. The house ceviche is made with najel from the Red Sea, and Peruvian staples such as ají and purple corn come from their origins.

In 2026, MENA's 50 Best Restaurants ranked Kuuru No. 6 in the region and named it The Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia, and the Jeddah restaurant is featured in the MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia. See every award.

Kuuru Jeddah → Kuuru Riyadh →

Good to know

Questions, answered

What does Nikkei mean?
Nikkei (日系) is the Japanese word for people of Japanese descent living outside Japan. In food, it names the cuisine Japanese migrants and their descendants created in Peru.
Is Nikkei food the same as sushi?
No. Nikkei includes sushi such as nigiri and maki, dressed with Peruvian ingredients like ají amarillo, rocoto and lime, but it goes far beyond sushi: ceviche, tiradito, grills, rice dishes and desserts. See the Kuuru carte.
What is the difference between ceviche and tiradito?
Ceviche is fish cut into cubes and cured in lime with onion and chilli. Tiradito is fish sliced thin like sashimi, with no onion, and dressed in a citrus and chilli sauce just before serving.
Is Nikkei food spicy?
Gently. Peruvian chillies such as ají amarillo bring fruit and warmth more than fire, and citrus keeps the heat in balance. Dishes with rocoto run hotter.
Where can I eat Nikkei cuisine in Saudi Arabia?
Kuuru serves True Nikkei in Jeddah, on Al Malik Road in Al Khalidiyyah, and in Riyadh, in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). Reserve a table.

Jeddah · Riyadh

Taste it for yourself

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