Nomadic Narrative

With Caribbean and Pacific access to fresh fish, there are a number of Japanese restaurants around Central America, and the trend is growing. Healthy and fashionable, sushi bars are popping up in swank hotels and up-and-coming neighborhoods.

In San José, Costa Rica, several new sushi places have opened up in the Escazú area of town, where a large number of the expat population lives. On the university end of town, which is popular in a more bohemian sense, you can find a couple of older Japanese spots as well as a fancy new one boasting a Peruvian flair. Both of the place pictured below are in San Pedro.

“Blend” being Peruvian.

Sushi is a big hit in Panama, too. I met a Panamanian sushi chef last month while writing a review of a new Vegas-like casino in the middle of Panama City. He runs the lobby sushi bar. I asked him where he learned to make sushi and interestingly he studied in Columbia with a Filipino chef. He created nigiri sushi and sushi rolls in meticulous Japanese fashion, with painstaking attention to detail. The result — a flavorful and artfully-presented dish.

However, after two years in Japan, I am undoubtedly going to scrutinize dishes. And to be completely honest, all of the sushi I’ve eaten so far just hasn’t been made with the “sticky” rice I’ve come to love. It’s always a bit crunchy. I’m all for cultures adapting and reinventing dishes — the Japanese are great at adding their special twist to foreign imports, but I personally prefer a stickier version of rice.

With growing interest in Japanese food, a new group has formed to tackle the sticky rice issue along with other Japanese culinary faux pas. Would you believe there is a new Japanese non-profit tasked with addressing international sushi standards? Read more about the Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO).