Asia is a delight for our palates, the luscious food with spices, textures, sauces, citrus, aromatic herbs … for this we are faithful devotees. Barcelona and Asian gastronomy get along very well together, and here we give you a list of the restaurants any Asian food fan has to visit.
Brazil and Catalonia.Chef Saulo Meireles and the swimming superstar Gemma Mengual. This fusion of cultures has created Sugoi, “the result of a job well done” – a Japanese restaurant in Sant Cugat del Vallès. Their constantly changing menu often features local ingredients prepared with Japanese techniques to create new and delicious dishes.
Surf and turf maki with fish and foie; tempura anemones that are crunchy on the inside and melt on the inside; smoked Mediterranean eel; bull confit; green tea mochi for dessert. All this and more is what Sugoi has to offer.
Photo: Marta Parera
Four key ingredients combined are the secret to Carlota Akaneya’s success: Felipe, Ignasi, Kioto and Akaneya Junshinken. They didn’t waste any time after opening in Barcelona’s Raval neighbourhood before getting to work.
Start with the sake sangria with pineapple and ginger, then choose between their two tasting menus. They begin by preparing the coals with aromatic rosemary, followed by miso soup, the seafood of the day, gyoza and a pan of thick noodles in duck broth (kamo mamban).
Next comes the star of the show, the wagyu meat, a breed of kobe beef imported from Chile that will melt in your mouth and always leave you wanting more. You’ll be back – we guarantee it.
Photo: Beatriz Janer
This time from Ireland and Sweden: Mark, Robert and Ross are the three owners of this fantastic Japanese joint in the Gothic Quarter. Robert is the chef, and his specialty is ramen. At Koku Kitchen you don’t have to think twice about what to have, and there are five ramen options to choose from:
Soy ramen: tonkotsu broth (made with pork bones, water, garlic and onion), soy, chashu (smoked pork known as Chinese barbeque), nitimago (boiled eggs), nori seaweed, pickled daikon and vegetables; miso ramen: tonkotsu broth, miso, chashu, nitimago, nori seaweed, wakame and vegetables; spicy ramen: spicy miso, chashu, nitamago, kim-chi, nori and vegetables; (spicy) vegetarian ramen: shitake mushroom and kombu broth, spicy miso (optional), tofu, wakame, nitamago, shitake mushrooms and nori seaweed.
Whatever you choose will leave you wanting to come back for seconds.
Photo: Mahala Marcet
Marcio and Ignasi, two fathers who were chatting one day while waiting for their kids to finish school, arrived at the conclusion they should be business partners – but not just for any old restaurant. They wanted a place with a well thought out and minimalist design, with original recipes in a pure Japanese style.
Sweet nigiri, one of Marcio’s inventions, is one of their most successful items. Rice topped with a slice of cheese, guava and caramelized foie gras.
Their philosophy to “respect the essence of the ingredients” can be tasted in their dishes that are original, excellent and high quality.
Photo: Tanit Parada Tur
Sakura-Ya is Spain’s first Japanese bar where you’ll find some of the best sushi-men in Barcelona.
Ana Saura, owner and aficionado of Japanese culture and cuisine, explains to us that nothing is purely decorative – everything has significance including the dishes and placements. Change doesn’t exist in this place and we can see why when trying their famous appetizers like the miso soup or gyogilete tataki (beef carpaccio with an exquisite sauce), and of course dishes like the yakisoba (sauteed noodles with vegetables and meat on a fine egg crepe and dry tuna flakes on top), kakiague soba (vegetable tempura udon), ebi frei (panko breaded prawns with ponzu sauce) or the amazing katsudon (breaded pork on a rice and egg base with soya sauce).
Photo: Beatriz Janer
Text: Alba Llamazares
Translation: Annie MacDonald
You might also like
