Photo by Ray from LA

Dining Bisnow got a nice little scoop yesterday—Lima Restaurant will reopen in 2012 as a new restaurant called Fujimori. The restaurant portion of the K Street NW property—Lima Lounge will remain in the basement—will serve food inspired by Asian migration to Latin America:

Cuban-born chef Raynold Mendizabal tells us the new concept is not a fusion restaurant. Instead, the menu will reflect the influence of Asian immigration on Latin American cuisine. Raynold explains that countries like Cuba and Peru saw a wave of Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s and a wave of Japanese immigrants after World War II. “They have a culinary history, and when they come here, they encounter different ingredients. They adapted to the new circumstances, and the food is very interesting,” Raynold says. The menu will include dishes like braised short ribs with a sweet and sour ponzu sauce and barbecued chicken with butter and soy sauce.

It’s an interesting culinary concept, as much as it is a name choice. Alberto Fujimori was a Japanese immigrant who rose to serve as Peru’s president from 1990 to 2000. While he is credited for rescuing the country from economic insolvency and a violent left-wing insurgency, he’s also accused of using some pretty harsh methods to do so. Since 2007, in fact, Fujimori has been in prison for a number of human rights violations, including using a death squad to do some of his government’s bidding against the notoriously violent Shining Path terrorist organization.

In short, while most people may not recognize the person behind the name, it’s an oddly controversial choice for a name — especially for a city as international as the District is.