Annie A.
Yelp
We went to Sur Barra Nikkei a little after lunchtime on a weekday. We arrived around 2pm and the restaurant was pretty empty, which was lucky for us because it is a small space and from things I had read about it, it seems like it is a very popular spot that can be hard to get into. The restaurant is in a great location right by the art museum and has a small front patio with a few tables. Inside, there are a few tables and some bar seating. We took an Uber there so I'm not too sure about parking, but it didn't seem to have a parking lot and I think there was just some street parking out front.
The service was incredible. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive and knew the menu extremely well. He literally explained every aspect of every single dish on the menu to the point that I wondered if he was also the chef! He showed expertise and knowledge and helped us make decisions that turned out to be fantastic.
The menu is divided into multiple sections, including appetizers, ceviche, nigiri, and larger dishes. We ordered a few small plates and a couple of nigiri dishes to share and didn't get a main dish, but we were pretty full. The elements of each dish were thoughtfully crafted, and came together wonderfully. A warning to patrons, the menu is predicated around seafood, specifically raw fish, and while there are dishes that do have cooked meat, there are not that many options for those who are not interested in eating raw fish. There are some dishes that will appeal to vegetarians; in fact, the mushroom setas was a hit.
The Setas is a gluten free dish that consisted of mushrooms 3 ways: mushroom leche de Tigre with a bed of mushrooms and topped with dried mushrooms. It was a very umami dish. The Tiradito Nikkei consisted of slices of snapper with a leche de Tigre that had a yuzu flavor to it. The fresh was fresh and flavorful and paired very well with the leche de Tigre. The Nigiri Paracas consisted of thinly sliced squid atop sushi rice with pistachio. Our waiter explained that after we had finished the pieces of nigiri, we were to pour the a seaweed kombu onto the plate and mix it with the panko and sesame sprinkled on the plate and that would serve as a palate cleanser. The squid was wonderful, but the texture of the sushi rice was a little stickier than I am used to, and it was a bit sweet for me. The kombu, however, was deliciousWe also ordered a Tiradito Oeste, which was an off-menu dish that our waiter recommended and had a tuna that is caught off the west coast of the island. It was served with a creamy sauce that paired nicely with the fish.
The Tiradito Caliente was a bit spicy (as the name suggests) and had this really interesting scallop gelatine in the center with scallops that were perfectly tender, and calamari that were fresh and delicious. It was garnished with sweet, crunchy canchitas. This was the such a unique dish and I have never eaten anything like this.
The Renzo con Micha was probably my favorite dish. It was an El Capitan fish ceviche with ahi Amarillo leche de Tigre which had a great spice to it, sweet potato purée, and two types of Peruvian corn - chocio, and canchitas (similar to popcorn). It was a great mixture of flavors and textures with the tender fish and both types of corn.
We finished the meal with the matcha ginger tart and elected to try both ice creams, black sesame and toasted sesame. The size of the tart was perfect to share between the two of us and it was not too sweet. The ice creams were both great. The toasted sesame was a bit sweeter than the black sesame.
Overall, we had a wonderful meal here. The service was amazing, the menu was extensive and the each dish was crafted perfectly. From the inclusion of local seaweed to jellied scallops, each dish had a certain special element that set it apart
Overall:
Food 9/10
Ambience 8/10 (but this was in the middle of the day)
Service 20/10