The much-loved Peruvian chef of Japanese ancestry was one of the leading lights of Nikkei cuisine, and was in the process of building a gastronomic presence across South America, from Peru and Colombia, to Chile and Argentina. The chef, who had achieved so much in his all too short life, will be sorely missed, while his legacy will live on. Chef Watanabe was the image of this renowned Peruvian restaurant chain, which in the country is known as OSK Peru, one of the most prestigious restaurants in the gastronomic scene in recent years. He returned a few months ago from Chile, where he moved in 2009 to promote Nikkei cuisine which is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. There he opened the restaurant Osaka, which has stores in Buenos Aires, Quito and Bogotá. In the 2019 edition of the 50 Best Latam 2019 event, Osaka from Santiago de Chile was again present at the ranking; ranked 44th. They also stood out in this list Peruvians of the restaurants Central, Maido, Osso, Isolina, Astrid and Gastón, Kjolle, Rafael, La Mar, Mil, Malabar and Mayta.