The Olympic Games in Barcelona marked a turning point in the Japanese perception of Spain. Traditions like the Running of the Bulls or those wine leather skins used in the Ernest Hemingway days were left behind in favor of Gaudi’s architecture, La Liga’s football championship and tapas.
In the following years, the world’s craze for Spanish gastronomy helped to expose the country’s wines. Chefs and sommeliers-to-be travelled to must-go destinations like Paris or Rome, but continued the trip to Sant Celoni, Hondarribia, Toro, Bierzo and a long list of places where the new principles of gastronomy and wine were being written.
Nowadays, words like tapa or ibérico ham are part of the language of an average Japanese. And Spanish restaurants spring up across the country’s major cities, where it is not uncommon to hear punters ordering a glass of “tempura-nillo” or “garu-nacha” to drink with a “pin-cho”.
Gone are the days of garlic sauce and paella; nowadays, there is a growing interest to learn more about Spain’s regional cuisines at specialist restaurants where wine lists are not constrained to specific areas.
I have selected three restaurants that are good examples of this renewed interest for regional specialities. The first two were set up by former protégés of Basque chef Martín Berasategui and the late Santi Santamaría whereas the third one counts with Catalan chef Josep Barahona as consultant. A small representation within Tokyo’s sophisticated culinary choices aimed at a clientele of demanding gourmets who are careful in their choices of new gustatory adventures.
Hidden in an alleyway in the heart of Ginza, a posh area in central Tokyo within walking distance of the Imperial Palace and Japan’s business district, País Vasco Jatetxea is an essential pit-stop for late-working executives in search of a place to eat and drink good wines. Chef Tomohisa Yamada, who learnt with Martin Berasategui, takes no risks and cooks traditional Basque dishes and tapas that are a safe bet. Rumor has it that his bacalao al pil-pil (cod with garlic and olive oil sauce) draws in nostalgic Basque expats.
The drinks list shows a clear penchant for Txakoli. “We are number one in Japan in terms of choice”, explains director Toshio Kudo, who is proud to have taught his staff to pour Txakoli in the Gipuzkoa way (from a 30-cm height so it ends cloudy, the same as with local cider). País Vasco Jatetxea clients include businessmen and media and film executives who meet up in the district and drink Tempranillo wines from Rioja such as Macán, Viña Pomal or LZ by Telmo Rodríguez. Occasionally, some customers order iconic wines such as Vega Sicilia Único, priced at €400. When it comes to Garnacha, the house’s recommended wine is Pegaso Granito, made by Telmo Rodríguez in Gredos, a high altitude area near Madrid. Only a handful of places in Ginza have their kitchens open till two am making it a handy place for hotel guests in central Tokyo and those who fancy a late night stroll in this safest of cities.
Chuo Ku Ginza 7-3-16. Closed on Sundays. Opening times: 17:30 - 2:00. Tel.: +813-6228-5601
When it comes to fideuà, the consensus among specialists and aficionados is that there’s no other place in Tokyo like Bikini’s. As well as its famed noodle-based paella, this chic gastrobar also offers pinchos in small portions. Bikini has three restaurants spread across the Japanese capital; all of them have been designed by Catalan chef Josep Barahona, a culinary celebrity in Tokyo known for being the man who made Japanese fall in love with pinchos. For Barahona, Spain’s tapas culture and Japan’s cuisine with multiple dishes share two key elements: both are based on small portions and a large variety of ingredients.
Bikini TAPA Shibuya’s branch is the group’s most central restaurant, located inside a building facing the infamous crossing that fills up with pedestrians every couple of minutes and seen on films like Lost in Translation and Babel.
Customers here prefer moderately priced beer and young fruity wines. The house’s recommended wine is Sierra Cantabria Selección (DOCa Rioja) by the Eguren family. The wine list includes reds such as Abadía del Roble, Marqués de Turia and Ercavio Tempranillo and top selections like Clos Mogador from Priorat.
Shibuya Ku Dogenzaka 1-12-5. Shibuya Mark City Building, 4th floor. Open daily. Opening times: 11:00 - 15:00 (last order); 17:00 - 22:00. Tel.: +813-5784-5500.
As the theatrical entrance sign over the barrel and wine leaves makes clear, wine is king in this restaurant. “Rumour has it that this is the best place in Asia to drink Spanish wines”, says owner and chef Shinya Sakumoto, Located in Nishi Azabu, near Tokyo’s most cosmopolitan area of Roppongi, Fermintxo sits just 24 diners. Spanish wine does not get the credit it deserves, Sakumoto laments, who thinks it should be better promoted. “Japanese cooking schools still ignore it”.
After cooking school in Osaka, Sakumoto travelled to Spain and in five years he managed to gain valuable experience in highly regarded restaurants such as Alameda in Hondarribia (Basque Country) and Can Fabes, the late Santi Santamaría’s restaurant in Sant Celoni (Barcelona). His wife Noriko is a professional sommelier, which explains the 400-strong wine list with some great selections. He is proud of stocking four of the 18 Remírez de Ganuza bottles available in Japan and of his own cava label, Brut Reserva Fermintxo by Agustí Torelló Mata. If diners feel like the sky is the limit, they could order the only known bottle in Japan of Teso La Monja (¥200,000 / €1,470) or a slightly less expensive Pingus (¥150,000 / 1,100 €).
Minato Ku Nishi Azabu 1-8-13. Evenings: 18:00 - 23:00. Tel: +813-6804-5850
