Panko will bring Peruvian Nikkei cuisine to NoDa
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Rendering courtesy of Luis Miguel Soleno/Panko
Panko, a Peruvian Nikkei restaurant, will open on 36th Street in NoDa this winter.
Why it matters: "We want diners to feel like they've traveled to another country when they come to Panko," owner Luis Miguel Soleno tells Axios, adding that they hope to give people a full sensory experience.
- "Everything from the music that's playing, to the service, to the plates the food is served on, will be high level," manager Juan Sierra said. "We want people to feel good and have a good time."
What to expect: The nearly 1,800-square-foot restaurant will be located on the ground floor of the Inkwell Apartments at 730 E 36th St.
- It'll seat 90 people inside and on its covered patio, local development writer Jason Thomas first reported.
- Soleno and Sierra, who immigrated to Charlotte from Colombia, along with co-owner Efraín Aguirre, who's from Mexico, say they want to give people here the kind of experience they would have in a restaurant outside of the U.S. But they want to do it with the help of the NoDa community.
- "NoDa already has a lot of culture, we want to embrace it and give back," Soleno said, adding that a portion of proceeds from the restaurant will be donated back into the community.
Dig in: Nikkei is a globally popular cuisine that blends Peruvian ingredients and Japanese techniques. Soleno hired Colombian chef Gustavo Muñoz to create the menu.
- Panko's menu will have ceviche and other seafood dishes like shrimp, calamari and grilled octopus, to name a few. It'll also have sushi and nigiri rolls.
Between the lines: Charlotte is no stranger to Nikkei cuisine. Yunta Nikkei, which opened in South End in 2022, popularized food style here. We recently ranked it as Charlotte's best restaurant.
Zoom out: Globally, Peruvian gastronomy is rising in popularity too — restaurants like Central and Maido in Lima, Peru, have been named among the best in the world.
- Other Peruvian restaurants that have recently opened in Charlotte include Pisco Gastrolounge in Uptown and Calle Sol's expansion to SouthPark.
My thought bubble: Charlotte is seeing a trickle-down effect when it comes to global cuisine. Our city's palate is evolving — a positive sign of cultural growth.
What's next: Construction for Panko will start in August. Its owners hope to open the first week of December.
- To start, it'll open for dinner on weekdays, lunch and dinner on weekends, and eventually, they'll offer brunch on weekends.
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Editor's note: The interview for this story was conducted in Spanish. Quotes have been translated and edited for Smart Brevity.