First look inside new NoDa Peruvian restaurant Panko

Laura Barrero

Interior of a modern restaurant named PANKO with wooden tables, black and brown chairs, red cushioned bench, decorative patterned plates on a dark wall, and a bar with hanging glasses and red lighting. — Panko is nearly 1,800-square-feet. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Panko opens Wednesday, Nov. 12, in NoDa. We got a sneak peek inside and a first look at its menu offerings.

Why it matters: It's one of the most anticipated in the city, offering a unique blend of traditional Peruvian dishes, Latin American flavors and Japanese cooking techniques.

The vibe: The 60-seat restaurant has dim lighting, a nightly DJ and traditional Peruvian touches — from plates made with stones found in the Lunahuana river, to Nazca artwork inside and outside.

"We want diners to feel like they've traveled to another country when they come to Panko," co-owner Luis Miguel Soleno told Axios in a previous interview.

Chef with glasses and gloves using a blowtorch on sushi rolls on a stone plate at a restaurant with illuminated "PANKO" sign in the background and patterned wall decor. — Chef Gustavo Muñoz serving the Niko Roll ($23) — crispy shrimp, avocado, togarashi, topped with spicy blue crab cream, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon, scallions and eel sauce. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Dig in: The menu, created by Peruvian chef Gustavo Muñoz, offers a fusion of Mediterranean, Japanese and Latin American Flavors.

Expect ceviches and other seafood dishes like pescado en luto, Peruvian dishes like chaufa rice, plus sushi and nigiri rolls.
Panko's cocktail menu has plenty of pisco-based drinks served in fun glasses, plus mocktails and flavored sodas with syrups made in-house.

Overhead view of a black marble table with gourmet dishes, including scallops in shells with yellow sauce, a dish with yellow sauce and a gold fork, and a plate with fried bites on a green leaf. Drinks with lime and blackberries and gold and black utensils are also on the table. — To start, you'll be served a free appetizer — plantain chips and a spicy dipping sauce. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Stop by: Panko is at 730 E. 36th St., at the North McDowell Street intersection.

To start, it'll open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5-11pm; Friday and Saturday from 12pm-midnight; and Sunday from 12-11pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
Parking is available on the street, and there are a few retail parking spots available inside the new Inkwell Apartments parking garage.
Reservations are recommended.