A chef's Japanese heritage and travels to Peru inspire Konpa Nikkei in Corona del Mar
'Growing up in Orange County, I was around Latin culture my whole life,' Yamaguchi said.
When his travels took him to to Peru, he was inspired by the Nikkei culture he encountered there.
Diplomatic relations between Peru and Japan established in the late 1800s led to a large diaspora of Japanese immigrants in Peru with a long tradition of using Peruvian ingredients with Japanese culinary techniques to create what has become known as Nikkei cuisine. The cuisine has been popularized by concepts like Nobu and spread in Southern California by restaurants like Akashiro Nikkei Sushi in Fullerton and Sushi Nikkei in Long Beach. It was a melding that felt familiar to Yamaguchi.
'Having Japanese heritage and living here, the two flavors coming together seemed very natural to me,' said Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi recently opened a new concept in Corona del Mar called Konpa Nikkei, a tribute to Nikkei cuisine. The restaurant offers a fast-casual experience and take-out from a walk up window on East Coast Highway. The name is derived from the phrase 'Konpa-Konpa,' which Yamaguchi's grandmother used as a Japanese invitation to eat together informally. The menu not only reflects Yamaguchi's Japanese culture, but also his travels to Peru and Argentina as well as the time he spent cooking on O'ahu.
'Inspired food should tell stories. Konpa is my story of family, of culture and of travel,' said Yamaguchi. 'With Konpa, I want to share the harmony I've found between two of the world's great culinary traditions.'
A long narrow counter that runs the length of the restaurant allows diners to pull a stool right up to the open kitchen where the chef and his team are assembling bowls that start with a choice of base like sushi rice, Peruvian quinoa or mixed greens. The base gets topped with handpicked ingredients like the maki bowl, made up of salmon, cucumber, avocado, sesame, pickled cabbagem yuzu crema and shio shoyu, or the Nikkei bowl of kanpachi, avocado, tomato, tempura flakes, escabeche and lilikoi amarillo.
Makinui, or wraps, are also available stuffed with fresh ingredients and wrapped in rice and nori. Makinui citron is filled with salmon sashimi, pickled cabbage, avocado and lilikoi amarillo that incorporates passionfruit for a sweet and savory bite.
Yamaguchi's Hawaiian cooking experience he garnered working under his uncle, Japanese American celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi, presents itself in dishes like OG spam musubi and mac salad made with grated carrot and kewpie mayo. A fun fusion of Peruvian and Hawaiian favorites is the lomo saltado musubi that wraps prime short rib beef and papas crisp with tomato salsa in rice and nori. Bowls and wraps range from $15 to $20 while starters and appetizers are priced from $4 to $7.
'We wanted to elevate the take-out experience so people can get incredibly fresh fish that is processed every morning for $20 or less,' said Drew Sciarra, general manager at Konpa Nikkei.
During a recent afternoon many repeat customers filtered in during lunch hour to get what is fast becoming their favorite menu item. Yamaguchi said he is glad to see people connecting with the concept, since it is so personal.
'I created this space based on my experiences,' Yamaguchi said.
Konpa Nikkei is located at 3333 East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday to Monday for dine in and take out. For more information visit konparestaurant.com
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