OUR STORY
A CONTEMPORARY FUSION OF JAPANESE & PERUVIAN CUISINE, BROUGHT TO YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME AS FOOD-TO-GO, NIKKEI GO FOOD.
Siblings Nino and Irakli, two Londoners, launched WAKA in 2017, as a fast/ eat-in/ take-away food concept based on Nikkei cuisine offering freshly made Sushi, Hot Bowl & Bento.
With many years of experience in the hospitality industry (they previously operated the Criterion restaurant in Piccadilly), they wanted to open something exciting for busy city workers, and found a gap in the market: Nikkei cuisine, the fusion of Japanese & Peruvian food.
Having grown up in three different cultures, opening a new restaurant serving fusion food seemed very natural for them.
OUR NAME. WAKA is a word that holds meaning in both languages. In Japanese WAKA means “poem”, standing for creativity. In the language of ancient Quechuan, it means “something sacred”, standing for value.
OUR LOGO. The Nazca line with the shape of a hummingbird on our logo stands exactly for that. The hummingbird represents speed and efficiency, fluttering the wings at a remarkable 70 beats per minute, and always eating on the go, every 20 minutes to be precise. Playful & fearless, fun & curious, our hummingbird holds the key beliefs of WAKA, being our mascot and the voice of Waka on social media.
OUR PRODUCTS. Japanese minimalism & harmony mixed with the fire & playfulness of Peru, it’s food that celebrates the vibrancy of a colourful menu, from Japanese togarashi to the vivid hues of Peruvian Aji amarillo. Made fresh daily, WAKA is proud to bring you food that isn’t bound to geography, broadening horizons and awakening taste buds.
From the Salmon Anticucho to the Nikkei Chicken along with the Sushi de Salmón, Waka offers a wide range of affordable Nikkei dishes, available to everyone.
OUR SAUCES. Recipes of our sauces are inspired by Peruvian traditional dishes. Our chefs make all the sauces on site and that’s why they are so delicious !
- Herb & Pepper - Spicy Peruvian
- Parsley & Garlic - Chilli & Garlic
Ask one of our chef to make you try if you haven’t already !
All our sauces are now VEGAN
DID YOU KNOW ? In the 1800’s rumours started spreading in Japan of a faraway land called Peru full of promise and gold. Settlers from Japan – known as Nikkei – adapted their home cuisine using local ingredients.
When the first combination of cultures happened, a new style of fusion food was born, and centuries later WAKA was born bringing you contemporary Nikkei Food to Go.