El Doncel: bluefin tuna 1,000 m above sea level
A logbook by Sensei Hiroshi Umi. He gives off the aura of days gone by, out of the ordinary, like a man of the Golden Age, veteran of a thousand battles, arising from a literary world. A rakishly piratical beard, professorial glasses, sharp...
Sharaku: hidden island, supreme nigiri
A logbook by Sensei Hiroshi Umi. One of the most reassuring experiences for the nomadic, investigative, analytical, gluttonous and loquacious guild of culinary critics is for our taste buds to come across some unsuspected discovery. The few...
Hermanos Vinagre, or why bluefin tuna is a sublime tapa
I first set foot in Spain as a gastronomic correspondent back in 1989. And what my bosses got me to explore to begin with was what I then defined as holy ground: the bars of Madrid. Notebook in hand, my bewildered face betraying my stupefac...
Nippon 2: a quixotic story and a cult sushiman
“My name is Yuho Matsushita. I was born in the south of Japan, in Kagoshima province, 57 years ago. It is 30 years since I moved to Spain. I came to the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, because I love athletics. I got my ticket and saw Fe...
The self-taught Romeo who has conquered Alicante
No restaurant sector consultant or business strategist would wager a dime on such audacity. An intrepid young Italian émigré, with no prior experience and no Japanese roots, investing in setting up sushi restaurants in the heart of Alican...
Masa Naomi: the marathon man belly whisperer
A logbook by Sensei Hiroshi Umi. Masa Naomi. Make a note of the name for your gastro stopovers… if you have not yet sampled its history and talent. It is no newcomer. In two years’ time they will be blowing out fifty candles on ...