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A new Peruvian restaurant is getting ready to open in Centereach — and the faces behind it will be familiar to local food lovers.
Pisco Peruvian Nikkei is set to debut next week in the new section of the New Village shopping center on Middle Country Road. Owners Christina and Harry Caldera both grew up in Centereach and already run Picchu Peruvian, a popular spot just three miles east in Selden.
This new venture, they say, is something different.
“We want to bring a different vibe — more modern, more upscale,” Harry said. “We’ll bring the staples, but better.”
Two years in the making
The Calderas opened Picchu during COVID, but even before then, they had their sights set on New Village. They first hoped to land the space now home to Brownstones Coffee, but when that was leased, the landlord told them another building was in the works.
“This has been two years in the making,” Harry said.
Picchu has since become a neighborhood favorite, known for its rotisserie chicken, homemade juices and traditional Peruvian dishes. The only downside? It’s small. Pisco will give them a much larger space — and the chance to introduce Long Island to something the Calderas say is rare in Suffolk County: Peruvian Nikkei.
Peruvian meets Japanese
Peruvian cuisine is famously diverse, drawing influences from Japanese, Chinese and Spanish cooking. Nikkei, Harry explained, refers to the blend of Peruvian and Japanese flavors — including sushi.
“They have a lot of sushi, believe it or not, in Peru,” he said. “And we wanted to bring that over here. There’s no Peruvian Nikkei in Suffolk County, and we wanted to be the first.”
The new restaurant will feature dozens of tables for small and large parties, a lounge, a sushi bar, a liquor bar, and handcrafted cocktails made with Peruvian pisco. Murals inspired by Peruvian culture line the walls, along with a large indoor tree for a warm, inviting touch.
Pisco also aims to make dining an experience. Christina said they’ll torch sushi tableside and pour ceviche’s leche de tigre — or “tiger’s milk” — right in front of guests.
Sharing the culture
The Calderas hope Pisco will help introduce more people to Peruvian food, which Harry said is still less common on Long Island than other Latin cuisines.
“Since I opened Picchu, I’d say 10 more Peruvian restaurants have opened up on Long Island,” he said. “I feel like people just don’t know about Peruvian food, so this is a great opportunity to introduce it on a different scale.”
They’ll still serve traditional dishes at Pisco, but with their own twist, staying true to each culture represented in Nikkei cooking.
Pisco also plans to host music nights, special events and prix fixe menus in the near future.
“It’s something different,” Christina said. “And we wanted to bring that here — where we live.”
Scroll down for more photos by Julianne Mosher.
Top: Owners Christina and Harry Caldera both grew up in Centereach and already run Picchu Peruvian.
