By: Fern Sidman
Now that the Covid pandemic is in the proverbial rear view mirror, New Yorkers and others are heading to upscale restaurants once again in the pursuit of fine dining, terrific ambience, and top notch service. For the kosher consumer, there is much to celebrate. In the past, those who strictly observe the laws of Kashrut, unique, rare and exotic cuisines have been nothing short of circumscribed to them. The usual kosher Chinese food as well as such American staples as pasta and pizza at dairy restaurants and perhaps some good ol’ burgers, steaks and chicken at meat restaurants were all that one could expect.
Now that the kosher dining experience has flourished over the years, other exciting and unique selections have been added to menus, however if one is searching for something that is in a total class by itself, then the next epicurean event on your dining schedule must include midtown Manhattan’s Sen Sakana restaurant.
Located at 50 West 44th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in the heart of midtown, Sen Sakana is a perfect choice for slaking your lunchtime appetite or your dinner cravings after a long day at the office or perhaps for joining friends and family on weekend getaways.
The best part of Sen Sakana is the absolutely sumptuous selections available on its menu of Nikkei cuisine. If that word should happen to stump you, don’t worry. The restaurateurs are glad to explain it. While many are confounded by the Peruvian-Japanese dishes, they do exist and have been delighting food lovers since the 1800s.
Speaking with Sen Sakana owner, Allan Wartski, is not only a real eye-opener for the unique cuisine novice, but one can easily become transfixed on a part of history that many are not aware of.
Wartski told the Jewish Voice in an exclusive interview that the Peruvian-Japanese dishes evolved when a wave of Japanese immigration hit the shores of Peru in the late 1800s. Due to an onerous plague that fell upon Japan, farmers arrived in Japan seeking a new life and new livelihoods. While Peruvians were for the most part carnivores, few had any clue as to what lie beneath their exquisite shores. Because the Japanese diet was predicated on an assortment of fish, it was their skilled fisherman who, to their surprise, discovered that the Peruvian coast contained more fish than any other place in the world and that each ocean current carries its own species.
Hence, the name Sen Sakana is Japanese for “one thousand fish” and refers to the 1000 different species that are said to swim off the waters of Peru.
Soon after their arrival in Peru, the Japanese began to adapt to Peruvian culture, especially as it pertained to food. They began to use ingredients that were regularly contained in Peruvian cooking and before long the Nikkei cuisine, which is a living and breathing hybrid of Japanese and Peruvian food was born.
“Just to offer an example of how different the tastes were between the Japanese and the Peruvians were, in Japan, octopus was considered a luxury. In Peru, they would throw octopus to their dogs, “ said Wartski. He added that the Japanese are skilled at adaptation in all respects and soon they began to be called Nikkeis. To this day, Japanese influence in all spheres of Peruvian life can be felt from food to politics.
“Two presidents ago in Peru, a Nikkei proudly held office,” said Wartski.
So, the question arises as to why a New York restaurant owner decided to delve into this kind of Mikkei cuisine.
Having owned Japanese restaurants since 1985, Wartski said that Nikkei cuisine it very popular in many parts of the world including Barcelona, Portugal, England, France and Italy. He added that for the person who is a fine dining aficionado this kind of cuisine would be right up their alley.
“In 2016, I went to Peru with my culinary team and after assessing the situation, we decided to take a chance on the Peruvian-Japanese concept. We wanted to do something different and we liked what we saw and ate while in Peru. We even brought a Japanese chef with us who stayed throughout our opening. Unfortunately, he became homesick and then left, “ said Wartski.
He added that today, his executive chef is Mina Newman, who is of Peruvian descent on her mother’s side and is an expert in Nikkei cooking. She has been part of Warstki’s culinary team since 2005.
Mina has long awaited the opportunity to present the cuisine of her heritage to New York diners, and it is with great pride that she finally does so. At Sen Sakana, she collaborated with Osaka native Taku Nagai, a well-respected chef in his own right, who worked in New York at the Ootoya restaurants, to blend Japanese and Peruvian flavors and dishes, showcasing the cuisine that was created with the migration of Japanese people to Peru. Sen Sakana also marks Mina’s return to a restaurant kitchen, having served as executive chef of the elegant event space Edison Ballroom since 2008, and as a consultant on Christo’s Steak House in Astoria.
Early in her career, Mina served as the chef of Drew Nieporent’s Layla, one of the first restaurants to showcase Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, and Dylan Prime, which billed itself as a female-friendly steakhouse. Mina also owned and operated the catering company, Boutique, which served clients such as Citigroup, J. Crew and jewelry designer Judith Ripka.
Throughout her career Mina has worked with some of the best chefs in New York including Marc Murphy, Joey Fortunato and Laurent Tourandel. She was also part of the kitchen team at C.T., the restaurant that brought Brazilian celebrity chef Claude Troisgros to New York City.
She has appeared on countless television shows, and was the winner of “Chopped” in 2009.
Originally, Wartski took a leap of faith and launched a non-kosher version of Sen Sakana but then in August of 2021, he decided to launch a kosher version of this delectable cuisine.
“I have always wanted to establish a kosher restaurant. I have many friends who exclusively eat kosher and I felt that they should have the opportunity to try this kind of food. The timing seemed right and I am quite familiar with the midtown section of Manhattan. I knew that a significant number of Orthodox Jews and others who like kosher food would really enjoy Nikkei cuisine, “ Wartski said.
He added that, “It took us a long time to get out of the box. By the time the pandemic rolled around, we had finally made this kind of cuisine popular. I must say that I was a little uncomfortable in terms of trying to be successful. I thought to myself: “Was I going to have to start all over?” I wasn’t really willing to see if it would be or would not be successful. I was very undecided.”
Speaking of his own experiences in the world of kosher restaurants, Wartski said that he has been dining in kosher restaurants for over 30 years. “I always thought that kosher restaurants could have done a much better job in terms of treating their clientele and guests with more courtesy. I felt that the service and the choice of options on the menu and how they were prepared could use a substantial improvement. The bottom line was that I felt that kosher restaurants always took their audience for granted since there were so few choices in terms of kosher restaurants, “ he said.
He added that people expect kosher restaurants to have an edge over other restaurants and kosher consumers are keenly cognizant of prices on the menu have to be higher than non-kosher restaurants. “We must take into account that kosher restaurants need to hire a mashgiach, and that we are not open the same number of days per year as non-kosher restaurants due to the number of Jewish holidays on the calendar, “ Wartski explained.
As it turned out, Wartski was to discover that Sen Sakana and its Nikkei cuisine slid very conveniently in to the kosher format. From August until now, Sen Sakana has created an ever increasing clientele of repeat customers and new customers from across the globe.
“One problem that we did not face was what was going to be on the menu. The Chabad of Tokyo and the Chabad of Lima, Peru were a true blessing in terms of getting us the kosher ingredients that we needed, “ said Wartski.
Sen Sakana has received its kosher certification from Rabbi Berach Steinfeld of Dover Tov in Brooklyn.
And now for the part that should cause your taste buds to stand and applaud. Going over the menu at Sen Sakana is truly a revelatory journey through an epicurean fantasy. For lunch goers, you can try the signature Nikkei Maki such as the “Spicy, Smokey & Crunchie” which consists of Avocado, Cucumber, Asparagus, topped with Torched Salmon, Spicy Mayo, Jalapeño, and Masag. Perhaps the Tropical Sen Sakana might appeal to your tastes as well. It consists of Tuna, Avocado, Mango, Scallion, topped with Tuna, Cocogurt Rocoto Sauce, and Masago. There are others as well such as the Mauro Tartar,Rainbow, Snow White and others.
There is also a mouthwatering selection of both cold and hot starters such as salmon and tuna tacos, Ceviche Nikkei, Beef Tataki salad, chicken soup, traditional Miso soup, beef skewers Nikkei style, Chicken Gyoza and much more.
For the main course, one could try the quinoa crusted chicken breast, seared Norwegian salmon, bone in rib steak, the veal shoulder katsu and other exquisite pleasures.
Of sushi is your thing, you won’t be disappointed as Sen Sakana has nine different sushi lunch specials that will satiate you in such a delicious manner.
For dinner, there is also an impressive array of both hot and cold starts, signature Nikkei Maki, Sushi specials and of course, the amazing main courses. USDA prime aged steaks could be yours for the asking. How about the chateaubriand for two, the cote beouf Tomahawk, the bone in rib steak or the boneless ribeye? Those steak lovers out there will have more than field day with Sen Sakana’s choices for carnivores.
If you feel like showering your palate with pure joy, you can also try a prime aged “vegan” cheese burger or Miso braised short ribs. There is also Robata grilled bronzino, beef yaki soba, or Miso Chilean sea bass to name just a few.
If you are not sure what to order, the experienced and friendly wait staff at Sen Sakana will be more than glad to assist you and your party.
If you can’t make it to Sen Sakana in person, this restaurant also offers catering for every occasion including private events, office parties, meetings, trade shows, large corporate events and more.
Sen Sakana’s private dining room is perfect for hosting small parties, business meetings, and more. The private dining room accommodates up to 50 people seated and 75 people cocktail reception style, and it is equipped with a projector and 5′ X 5′ drop down projector screen.
Sen Sakana’s hours of operation are: Sunday: 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Monday: 11:30am – 10:00pm, Tuesday: 11:30am – 10:00pm, Wednesday: 11:30am – 11:00pm, Thursday: 11:30am – 11:00pm, Friday & Saturday: CLOSED. Open at 9 pm on Motzei Shabbos.
