Showcasing the coming together of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines, DIP’s menu at Sheraton Mactan goes from simple to soulful, fresh and refreshing
to bold
I have a new favorite restaurant where the food is exciting and where each dish tells a story. It also has a captivating view of the ocean, and though it takes some time for you to get there, it is well worth the trip.
Welcome to DIP at the beautiful Sheraton Mactan, Cebu. It is where Peruvian chef Daniel Alejandro Gonzales dela Fuente showcases his roots, and where he expresses himself on a plate.
The food at DIP is Nikkei, that is the coming together of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines—born over a century ago, when Japanese nationals settled in Peru.
I thoroughly enjoyed dining at DIP; the memory of it lingers in my mind.
I was captivated by the menu as well as the range of flavors this Peruvian restaurant has to offer—from simple to soulful, from fresh and refreshing to bold, from comfort food to hearty meals reminiscent of mama and abuela’s kitchen, as well as of masterfully prepared plates that are unique and one-of-a-kind.
Food at DIP is personal. The offerings are a reflection of the chef’s evolution. Dela Fuente’s food is as eclectic as his persona. As a young boy, he never dreamt of being a cook, though he professed that as a child, he was solely focused on eating. He also preferred watching cooking shows over football.
“My career choice was obvious to everyone but me,” he said.
He set his eyes on being a lawyer or a philosopher, but destiny had other plans for him.
It was when he turned 18 that he enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu. He became a father at 20, and graduated at 21.
Dela Fuente matured quickly, and was forced to work better, faster and harder than the rest, to feed his child. His efforts were recognized by a three-star Michelin chef who asked him to be part of his kitchen. This was where Dela Fuente’s obsession with perfection and consistency grew.
With his wife, they started a small catering and banquet company that they christened La Santa Fe, and later opened Kuma, a Nikkei restaurant in Lima.
An email from the Sheraton Mactan’s executive chef Christian Frigo brought him to the Sheraton.
Nikkei food
Dela Fuente’s first “true friends” were twins of Japanese ancestry, whose oba-chan (grandmother) cooked the best Japanese meals he had ever tried.
It was then that he first tasted wasabi, onigiri and furikake—which all prominently figure in his repertoire.
Since then, he has been preparing dishes still true to Nikkei fashion, but stamped with his personal touch.
For starters, we had Tuna and Prawn Ceviche. The Nikkei Ceviche is the true embodiment of Nikkei cuisine. The Japanese lends its light-handed approach of simply drizzling fish with acid, in stark contrast to the bold Peruvian way of leaving the seafood in acid for hours.
Dela Fuente executed the Nikkei Ceviche perfectly by tossing the tuna and prawns in his subtle blend of leche de tigre (a spicy citrus-based curing marinade). The starter was delightfully refreshing, and a tasty prelude to the heartier dishes that followed.
The Tuna Tiradito is another dish that best captures the essence of Nikkei cooking.
Japanese sushi is raw fish served with wasabi and soy. The Nikkei way is done by serving sashimi with a yellow sauce made from aji amarillo (yellow) peppers and lime.
An umami-packed Papa Queso Huevo Trufa was presented—layered potato and cheese gratin with a crunchy poached egg and miso truffle sauce.
Then came Tacu Tacu and USDA Prime Short Rib-Seco. The short ribs in green curry sauce were so tender and so intensely flavorful, not for the curry but for the beef itself. It took its flavor from the cilantro and spices it was braised in. Had with Tacu-Tacu (a refried bean and rice rolled cake), the dish is an experience in every bite.
To pay homage to the iconic Cebu lechon, he prepared a dreamy, to-die-for butter-crunch pork belly. It is not Peruvian at all, he says, but when he came to Cebu and tried lechon for the first time, he fell madly in love with it. Thus he decided to create this dish and include it in DIP’s menu to pay homage to our beautiful country. There’s something for everyone at DIP. The Honolulu Bowl is perfect for those lounging by the pool. It consists of poke, ebi fry, slaw and mangoes over sushi rice.
For those who eat healthy, the Cholito Bowl consisting of salmon poke, artichoke hearts, quinoa, cancha corn, avocado cream nori, acevichado sauce, asparagus and cooked corn is excellent!
I cannot wait to have a taste of DIP once more, and to go back to the Sheraton. It is where staring at the beach from your hotel room is in itself bliss, and where you are served always with a smile.
The chef shared his Acevichado Maki recipe—Nikkei concept in one dish, a bestseller at DIP.
Acevichado MakiSushi rice
Prawns, breaded and fried
Chili paste
Cream cheese
Nori wrapper
Sashimi grade tuna
Acevichado sauce (mayo, soy sauce lime, garlic, ginger, cilantro)
Spread rice in a sushi mat and place the nori wrapper on top.
Over the nori, do a straight line of freshly fried breaded prawns, cream cheese and chili, and roll.
Cover the sushi roll with fresh tuna slices, drizzle acevichado sauce, sesame seeds and spring onions. INQ
Thank you to Sheraton GM Dottie Wurgler not only for her warm welcome, but also for championing women in the industry. Contact Sheraton Mactan at tel. 032-5205500, @sheratonmactancenu on Instagram.
Follow the author @iamreggieaspiras on Instagram and Facebook; reggieaspiras.com.
Reggie Aspiras has been writing her food column Kitchen Rescue for Inquirer Lifestyle since 2003. Her columns have been collected in three books released in 2005, 2007 and 2011.
