Japonesa, newest Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Makati, now open for lunch

Experience the best of both worlds with Japonesa’s inventive and delicious dishes that fuse Japanese and Peruvian flavors. Whether you’re looking for a new spot to try for lunch or you’re in the mood for something unique, Japonesa is a must-try restaurant in Makati City.

Notorious Concepts, the team behind some of Metro Manila’s most popular restaurants and bars, has done it again. This time, they’ve brought us Japonesa—a Japanese-Peruvian-themed restaurant in Poblacion, Makati City. Japonesa is the fourth establishment by Notorious Concepts in Poblacion, and it’s quickly becoming a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

Japonesa was conceptualized by Notorious Concepts CEO James Thomas and Luis Higa, a Japanese national who lived in Peru for nearly half of his life. Chef Luis Higa is the mastermind behind Japonesa’s menu, which features a unique blend of Japanese and Peruvian flavors.

“I was introduced to him by a friend during the pandemic and was told he had a great online food business called Little Peru,” enthuses James. “After trying the food, my partners and I requested a meeting with Chef Luis and his lovely wife Candy who handled the customer-facing part of their operation. We quickly got to talking about setting up a brick-and-mortar. Because Luis is Japanese by blood and lived in Peru for so long as a chef, we found that doing Japanese-Peruvian would be the obvious choice.”

James and Chef Luis began talking about Japonesa’s concept in earnest a full year before it opened. Because they had three other concepts to finish prior to opening Japonesa, it took them about four months to work on the concept. This Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Makati officially opened at the end of April 2022.

A walk into Japonesa, a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Makati

Notorious Concepts is on a mission to introduce fresh and exciting culinary adventures in Poblacion, Makati City.

“We feel that this neighborhood has the potential to become the next Lan Kwai Fong. As such, we strive to cultivate a strong epicurean culture here just as much as we focus on nightlife. That one serendipitous meeting with Chef Luis was all it took for us to realize that we’d be missing out on a huge opportunity by not pursuing a project with him. His food is unique, yet familiar, which is exactly the right way to introduce people to new things.

When restaurants get too creative with their food, he says, they might taste delicious, but there isn’t enough of a connection to make people crave them.

“With Japanese food being so loved here in the Philippines, it acts as a trojan horse for the Peruvian flavors and nuances that most restaurant goers aren’t accustomed to,” explains James.

Nikkei cuisine: mixing Japanese and Peruvian flavors

The fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines, known as Nikkei, may appear to be quite unusual, but it was created over 100 years ago and has been well established.

Japonesa honors the fusion by featuring some quintessential Nikkei dishes such as Tiraditos, Lomo Saltado, and an array of different signature rolls that highlights the bounties of both Japan and Peru.

Must-try dishes at Japonesa

If you’re not sure what to order at Japonesa Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Makati, you can’t go wrong with these bestsellers.

La Japonesa. It is deep-fried sushi rice topped with spicy tuna and green chili. The popularity of this signature sushi roll has been unrivaled since its inception. When they tried it during R&D, they realized that it would be a blockbuster, hence the name.

Lengua Katsu. It’s lengua that is deep fried katsu-style and served with creamy mashed potatoes with rich lengua gravy. It’s tender, crunchy, creamy, and one of a kind.

“Everyone who has tried it has mentioned they’ve never seen this dish before,” James shares this feedback from their diners. 

Lomo Saltado. This is a classic Japanese-Peruvian stew dish made with beef in a flavorful soy sauce-based broth.

“We use US tenderloin beef in our Lomo Saltado, so it tastes like a tender steak,” says James.

Hamachi Tiradito. Another popular Japanese-Peruvian dish, tiradito is essentially sashimi fish in a tasty sauce, usually soy sauce-based with some citrus and spice.

Japonesa offers three variations of Hamachi Tiradito: sake (salmon), maguro (tuna), and hamachi (yellow tail). Each dish has its own sauce that accentuates the subtle flavors of the sashimi.

“The crowd favorite at the moment is the Hamachi Tiradito which features a Yuzu emulsion and is balanced with garlic chimichurri,” shares James. “Our Hamachi is flown in from Japan weekly and is great on its own, but is even better when the delectable sauces our chef whipped up.”

Must-try cocktails for day drinkers

Japonesa has a great selection of cocktails that are perfect for day drinking.

The Watermelon Tub, the Instagrammable Sakura cocktail, the 7-spirit Hokage, as well as classic cocktails like the best-selling Amaretto Sour, Daiquiri and Cosmopolitan are just a few of the crowd favorites.

Nightlife at Japonesa Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Makati

Japonesa is also great for nights out since the beverage menu is quite broad. Choose from a variety of bespoke cocktails, wine, sake, beer, and premium Japanese spirits to enjoy.

The restaurant offers something for everyone. For those who are looking for an alternative to beer, you can enjoy Japonesa’s range of cocktails while people who prefer wine can choose from their broad selection.

The Japonesa dining experience is not complete without trying one of their Hai-Ball cocktails that come in three variations: pineapple, grapefruit and watermelon.

Discover a unique flavor profile with its Noricillin, which combines Japanese whiskey, Ileach and Nori to create a Penicillin-inspired blend.

Do you want to know more about Japanese whiskey but aren’t quite ready to purchase a bottle? Japonesa’s Dragon Flight offers one shot of each of the bar’s most popular whiskeys: Matsui Peated, Matsui Sakura Cask, Nikka from the Barrel, and Nikka Samurai.

Whether you’re looking for a place to have a casual lunch or drinks with friends, Japonesa is a great spot. With its great location, delicious Japanese-Peruvian dishes and amazing cocktails, Japonesa is sure to become one of your new favorite places in Makati.

Japonesa is open everyday starting at 11:00 a.m. The restaurant is located at 5660 Don Pedro Street, Poblacion, Makati City. All guests are encouraged to make a reservation before coming to the restaurant. Walk-ins are welcome but subject to table availability.

Reservations can be made by messaging Japonesa’s official Facebook page or Instagram page.

All images: credit to Japonesa

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