Heading Goa’s first Peruvian Nikkei cuisine restaurant

Heading Goa’s only Peruvian Nikkei cuisine restaurant Haliconia, is a responsibility which sits lightly on the shoulders of chef Arturo Castro Salazar who is possibly the only chef from Peru in the state. ET HospitalityWorld had a chat with the soft spoken Peruvian culinary master about his restaurant and working in Goa.

Salazar began his career in the kitchen in Peru and while studying culinary arts, he had an option of either taking Japanese or Italian food and given the growing popularity of Nikkei food in the country, he chose the former.

“There were already some solid Nikkei restaurants in Peru that were offering this fusion cuisine. So I began working in different restaurants after graduating,” Salazar said, adding that before he left for his first overseas job, he actually worked in a hotel in Lima under a Japanese chef, which honed his skills further.

It was with this confidence that Salazar travelled across the world, working in Kenya, Korea and even Guinea before getting the chance to open Goa’s first Nikkei restaurant in 2023, he said.

"When I got offered this opportunity, the one thing that I was asked by the chefs, was if I could adapt a cuisine that heavily relies on proteins—both Japanese and Peruvian— into a more vegetarian palate, which was I feel the main challenge here," he said on the questions of running the restaurant in India.

Salazar worked hard at building a menu which was half vegetarian, by replacing protein elements in some of what has become his most popular creations.

“I had to try things and discover what could work to replace some varieties of fish. What can replace the texture, or use some vegetarian proteins that will go well,” he remembers.

Working on vegetarian Nikkei creations was an opportunity he welcomed, having never really explored the possibilities before arriving in Goa, he added.

On the challenges of sourcing key elements of Nikkei food—some varieties of chillies and corn—Salazar said that there were challenges initially but eventually a supply chain was established for the dishes he showcases on his menu.

"Having to come up with vegetarian options so a vegetarian customer doesn't miss on flavours pushed me to try and create different dishes and see what works but doesn't work, which really pushed me and I think has made me grow into a more inventive chef,” he added.