Yoka Loka

Flip

6 years ago in Antón Martín Market you could find a small kiosk that sells Japanese products, the first ever in the market. Kamada Yoka was the owner, a Japanese immigrant who came to Madrid and fell in love with the city. After 2 months she decided to open her own business and learning to speak Spanish was the next step. Typically the common visitors of the Antón Martín market are not well versed in Japanese cuisine. Yoka took this as a challenge and decided to introduce Japanese cuisine to the palate of the neighborhood. Among Sashimi, Maki and Niguiri, one of their star dishes: a bowl of rice topped with tuna sashimi, butter fish and salmon with special Yokaloka sauce, a veritable flavor fest. The dishes are traditional recipes from Japan but slightly adapted to the Mediterranean palate. Quail eggs, truffle or crispy onion usually give your dishes the finishing touch. Japanese teachers living in Madrid were responsible for teaching the craft to Yoka, who has done everything for her all-Japanese team, because she thinks it is critical to maintain the quality of their products. The Antón Martín Market began with Yoka’s transformation, modernizing the vendor’s stands and making them more palatable to young people. Yoka is a pioneer and a model of perseverance. Yoka Loka is here to stay.