Today we’d like to introduce you to Pedro Gonzalez.
Pedro, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first fall in love with cooking back in Cuba where I am from being in the kitchen with my dad. I studied in Havana’s culinary institute but couldn’t finish my degree because I came to the United States looking for a better life. When I moved to Miami I started working in a Cuban restaurant doing traditional dishes that I had learned back on the island but I was longing for more experience in other types of cuisine. I then enrolled in Le Cordon Blu culinary institute and graduated after a couple of years. During my school years, I worked in several restaurants from Italian to French cuisine. It wasn’t until I started working in a Japanese restaurant that I learned the art of making sushi and fell in love completely. I felt right at home and decided to be the best that I could be. I ended up being the head chef in this restaurant until I felt ready to follow my dream and open my own restaurant.
In 2016 along with my father in law Lazaro Borroto and my wife Elena we opened our first Japanese with Peruvian Fusion restaurant. It is called Nikkei cuisine and the flavors are amazing. It is the mixing of these two amazing cuisines that allows me to create my recipes. Because of how good we did with Inari West Kendall we opened up a second location in Kendall last December and have been doing amazing as well. We hope to open our third location by the end of the year in the downtown area. My dream is to have everyone try my food and just keep on working hard to create unique dishes that will amaze all my clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are always struggles when opening a business, especially when it is a family business like ours. We really came from nothing and at the beginning, it was hard to get clients at the door but once they tried our food they always come back that is how we have created our clientele mostly just on word of mouth.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in the nikkei cuisine which is the fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines. Our rolls are also different from the rest in size, we use less rice, more fish, always use the freshest ingredients and are packed with flavor. Our ceviche is also unlike, we make our own leche de Tigre and that sets it apart. We are most proud of maintaining the same quality since we opened.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My biggest supporter has always been my family, my wife who is always by my side and follows all my dreams with me, my father in law who always believed in me without any doubts, and of course my awesome team of employees who makes it happen every day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 15672 sw 72th st Miami fl 33193
10712 sw 113th pl Miami fl 33176 - Website: inari-sushi.com
- Phone: 7863912099
- Email: inarisushi@hotmail.com
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