1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,300 Hi everyone, welcome to potluck food talks. Today we have a very special guest. It's my 2 00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:16,460 cousin Walter Sidoravisius. Being my cousin, I've known him since I was a little baby. 3 00:00:16,460 --> 00:00:24,320 But just recently he became the third Venezuelan in history to get a Michelin star, which is 4 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:29,120 quite an achievement with his project, Omakase by Walt, right? 5 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,400 Omakase by Walt. 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,440 And I'm also here with my homie Phil, as always. 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,560 Hey, congratulations, Walter. 8 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:41,280 Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, we are super, super happy about this. It was a huge, 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:42,680 fantastic surprise for us. 10 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,560 Yeah, like I was not expecting it at all. First of all, because I thought like that 11 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,840 your project was more like a private dinner in place more than a restaurant that could 12 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:58,520 actually get a Michelin star, like from the basis of the recognition. 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,680 So it was quite a surprise. I was like, what? What is this? 14 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:10,080 For me, for me too. So I think we saw the last year, some, a few, a few clients, a few 15 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:15,720 customers, they start to say, look, and the Michelin star inspector already came and the 16 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,880 Michelin star already say something. The Michelin star, what? I don't think so. 17 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,420 And you were not even thinking about it. 18 00:01:23,420 --> 00:01:28,480 I think the concept is not the concept of that Michelin star in Spain, because I think 19 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:34,320 for example, in Ibiza is just three recently three Michelin star restaurant and it's a 20 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:41,960 restaurant with a table and with a sommelier with a one waitress per person for guests. 21 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:48,360 And, and this is a type of Michelin star that I think is here in Spain. It's not like Asian 22 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:54,040 in Asian, you have amazing street food who have some Michelin star, no, it's a different. 23 00:01:54,040 --> 00:02:00,320 Yeah. I recently, I was recently in Singapore and I visited two places that had a Michelin 24 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:05,800 star and were street food hawkers. Okay. Yeah. And I mean, like, like it's nice. And I understand 25 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,960 that these places have Michelin stars because in one case they invented a new type of noodle 26 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,280 soup and the other one also something like really historic. But, but like if you put 27 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,840 it on the same level, I think there are a few pinch of places that could have a Michelin 28 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:25,680 star as well in Spain, you know, like here in San Sebastián. Exactly. It's what I was 29 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:31,080 thinking about here in Spain is a lot in Andalusia. You have amazing tavernas or taskers where 30 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:38,320 you eat amazing food every day, the same amazing dishes or in Pichu place in the north of Spain. 31 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:44,320 And this deserve no Michelin start to. So that's why I was thinking my concept, maybe 32 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:49,600 it's not like the concept they looking for, no, they're like with us sommelier, so many 33 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:56,040 waiters, so many huge elegant service to elegant place, but these are very minimalist, very 34 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:05,160 small, very Japanese. It's the Japanese proper way not to service omakase sushi and Japanese 35 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,440 food. Exactly. Tell us a little bit about your place. First of all, what is omakase? 36 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:14,760 I think we've talked about omakase on the sushi episode. I think we touched on it. Yeah. 37 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:25,600 So omakase omakase means trust in the chef hands. So it's where the chef is free to choose 38 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:35,600 now the menu he's going to prepare and always is looking for represent the season of the 39 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:41,120 of the year. And in washoku or in Japanese food is very important to represent also when 40 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:45,440 it's one season to the beginning of the season, the middle of the season and also the end 41 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:54,320 of the season. No. And I think the omakase is where the chef choose the menu depend what 42 00:03:54,320 --> 00:04:00,720 part of the decision there. They are no. It's always sushi, right? Omakase omakase can be 43 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:08,560 a tempura place can be a jacquitori sukiyaki place and omakase is a is this concept. Okay. 44 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:16,120 So it's yours. It's not really a print menu. You don't choose know it's a tasting close 45 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:24,000 menu for say something. Yeah, I recently visited omakase in Singapore. It was quite nice. In 46 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,520 French kitchens, you would call it like a carte blanche, you know, basically where you 47 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:32,440 just go somewhere and you completely like give yourself up to the chef, you know, and 48 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:37,520 it's like a like an experience like a surprise, you know. Exactly. I think it's part of it's 49 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:43,560 part of the beauty of the this experience, no, the people don't expect nothing, no, no, 50 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:49,880 no, no suspect what we went to service. And also my concept is, is a mix of a spiky sea 51 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:57,560 place with a omakase. So I think it's a double unexpected experience. Exactly, because that's 52 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:04,920 what I heard why with my aunt, she went to visit and she told me, yeah, the entrance 53 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,840 is like a garage, like you don't expect like you enter like to a house and suddenly you're 54 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:15,840 in like this beautiful sushi bar. It's like a storage. Yeah. With it's only 12 seats, 55 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:22,160 right? It's 10 seats. We start with eight seats. And after we do 10 seats. Yes. Okay. 56 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:29,000 And how many guys are you in the kitchen? We are Jonathan is my right hands in the kitchen 57 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:34,080 and Francesca is the waiter. We are three only. That's awesome. Super cool. Three three 58 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:39,760 person for 10 person per day. Only only only one service. Yeah. And what about the drink 59 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:46,280 offer? Do you have like only sake and teas or is there anything else? Or yes, I try the 60 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:57,040 people going more for the sake choice, not drink more to wine or champagne. For example, 61 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:03,720 I don't offer champagne here in Ibiza. Champagne is serving I think in all the restaurants 62 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:09,520 around the island. And I don't want to service because it's not really Japanese. So I prefer 63 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:15,400 they drink a sparkling sake. For example, I had a sparkling sake recently at the Wakan 64 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:21,760 in Singapore and sorry in Kuala Lumpur. It was super nice. I really, really liked it. 65 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:27,880 Little by little is that this is for the beginning. The first sparkling sake I tried was very 66 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:33,640 sweet. But nowadays it's more like it's really nice. More dry sparkling sake. And it's getting 67 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:39,040 I think a little bit better now in Spain, maybe in Japan. They are very good. And yes, 68 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:46,280 we offer no alcohol drinks. Tea. I think tea is a very good combination, very good pairing 69 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:52,800 also with the food. And we offer kombucha. We have a person here in Ibiza. She makes 70 00:06:52,800 --> 00:07:00,720 amazing homemade kombucha. Japanese beer. We have a selection of seven different sake. 71 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,120 Every night we select the sake depending on the menu. But if the people want to drink 72 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:12,960 more than seven, we have 20 different sake. And also we do a selection of wines. We have 73 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:21,400 like five, six different wines as well. Cool pairing with the food too. But it's like this. 74 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:27,280 So I prefer the people feel like they are in Japan. So when you are in Japan, it's not 75 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:35,320 there is nowadays a wine selection, but not. It's more like sake, soju, Japanese drink 76 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:41,320 selection. Super nice. This is the idea. So I'm talking about Japan. If I am correct, 77 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:46,560 you first learned cooking in Spain, then you went to Japan. If I'm not wrong, you went 78 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:56,760 to a sushi contest in Japan and you became finalist, right? Yes. Yes. So for the beginning 79 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:03,560 I started studying the culinary institute in Porto La Cruz in Venezuela where I was growing 80 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:10,760 up. And after I moved to Madrid, I started working in the proper way, like in a Japanese 81 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:16,800 restaurant like Sushi Chef. And after this I was missing the sea place because I grew 82 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:23,720 up very close to the sea. And I get a very good relation with bartender. He's my friend 83 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:29,720 nowadays and he's here from Ibiza. And he said, look, why don't move to Ibiza? Stay 84 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:35,200 in my house the first season to try and maybe you will like. So it was the best decision 85 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:40,680 I made in my life. So I moved to Ibiza. I started to work in a type of a beach club. 86 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:50,400 It's a huge famous beach club where a part of the kitchen is a sushi bar with seven chefs. 87 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:57,760 And I was working with a chef from London. He's a very good professional. Nowadays he 88 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:06,160 has his own restaurant in London. And he inspired me to move after the season in Ibiza to work 89 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:12,640 in London in some Japanese restaurants. So I work in a Japanese restaurant in the wintertime 90 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:20,000 in London. In summer back to Ibiza again. Next winter I moved to Australia working 91 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:27,480 in a niche restaurant compared with maybe with Nobu where I meet Sebastian. So Sam 92 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:32,960 Pinchera. We was working together in this. I didn't know you work together. I knew you 93 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:39,840 went to school together, but not that you. No, no, we work together. I think 12, almost 94 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:45,960 12 years ago, something like. And yes, in the same restaurant. I remember very, very 95 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:53,520 busy restaurant, like 500 guests per day. Very good quality, very good product, very 96 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:58,880 nice Japanese chef, but super, super busy, super busy slave place. 97 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:03,680 Actually, Sebastian Pinchera is someone who I was expecting to get a Michelin star. The 98 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:07,720 first time I went to his new place, I was like, okay, this place could easily get a 99 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,960 Michelin star at some point, you know, but I never saw this about you. You know, it's 100 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:18,120 crazy. Yeah, it's amazing. Something you can't. I don't know. It's very difficult to know 101 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:26,080 how they choose and how how it's coming. And after this, I back to Ibiza again for the 102 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:31,000 summertime and I decide if I really want to know about Japanese food, I think I need to 103 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:38,840 move to Japan. So Australia, I get working holiday visa and I start to look if I can 104 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:47,120 find the working holiday visa to Japan. And so I moved to Japan. I started to work for 105 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:52,600 the beginning in a in a farm. It's a kind of association of farms called Goof where 106 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:57,080 you work five, six hours a day and they give you accommodation and food and the good things 107 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:02,680 they have the rule who say in the end of the day, they need to teach you some Japanese 108 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:08,040 culture like calligraphy or the instrument or the language. So for me, it was a very 109 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:14,840 good way to introduce myself in the Japanese culture before to start to work in a Japanese 110 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:20,400 restaurant. That's amazing. After this, I made my own Kishu, my CV with a Japanese friend 111 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:30,400 help and I went to very traditional sushi place like Kimura, Saito, Sugita, Jiro, these 112 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:37,040 very top level famous chefs. Do you recall any memorable experience in these places? 113 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,480 Because I remember once we were drinking and you were telling me about this place that 114 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:45,640 they counted the exact amounts of grains in a nigiri and they were the way they would 115 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,740 let it fall into the table would make like an impact in the pressure of the in this kind 116 00:11:50,740 --> 00:11:58,640 of micro details, you know, like micro awareness of nigiri. Yeah, I remember for me, one of 117 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:05,000 the chef inspired me a lot is Sushi Saito because I think I already watched all the 118 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:14,800 videos and all the articles about Saito. And I remember one thing is amazing from the chef 119 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:25,760 when he put the piece of nigiri on your plate and how soft is the rice, how eerie is inside 120 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:32,480 of this bowl of rice. When he put on your plate, you can watch the fish is going a little 121 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:41,280 bit down, no? And you don't need to wait too much because more you wait, more pressure 122 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:51,880 make the fish to the rice. For me, it's the wow, this level is the master level now and 123 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:59,600 inspired me a lot. You worked in Nobu, Tokyo, right? Yes. Finally, I get the job in Nobu, 124 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:06,680 Tokyo. I remember I give my CV to the to the manager and was a very tall guy looked like 125 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:13,920 Yakuza, all style Japanese without hair. And he said to me, this is not a Japanese way 126 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:20,680 to give me your CV, you know, you need to send first an email or a letter by post. And 127 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:26,480 after we answer if you can come to give us the CV or not. I said, Okay, sorry, sorry. 128 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:32,960 And he said, guys, I know you are not Japanese, so give me your CV. This day I get a short 129 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:40,280 interview with him. And after this, I get another three interview one per week. So the 130 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:48,400 next one was with a head sushi chef, the other with a head chef, and after the four together 131 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:54,440 until I get the answer. So I was, I think there was a little bit worry about I was the 132 00:13:54,440 --> 00:14:00,800 first foreigners who joined the kitchen. They asked me things like you have to do if you 133 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:06,000 have to do you cannot work. Okay. I saw you need to shave your your hairs in your arms 134 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:11,920 and all these kind of things, you know, very, very strict. So maybe double looks like very 135 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:18,000 modern restaurant and Tokyo very modern city but I think they they respect and they keep 136 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,800 very traditional knowing some in some point was amazing experience. I work almost one 137 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,920 year for Nobu Tokyo. The first three months was very, very hard, very complicated because 138 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:35,280 I was the only foreign ace who works in the kitchen. And all the dish I finish and give 139 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:41,440 to them waiters pass so many scams. No, the first scam from the waiter, the second scam 140 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,480 from the manager and the third scam from the daughter of Nobu because she is in charge 141 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:53,440 of the restaurant. And after this three scams is finally going to the table. That was a 142 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:59,880 huge pressure. Wow. But amazing. No, Tokyo has what like two stars? No, no, they never 143 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,920 they never get they never get a start because I think that I think that one from London 144 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:09,240 made two stars. One from London he get the he get one Michelin star. I think it's not 145 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:15,240 a concept they want to to keep Michelin. That's crazy. Yeah, there is one that opened recently 146 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:20,640 here. I haven't been there. Okay. And San Sebastian. Yeah, there's a new Nobu. It's 147 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,800 it's been open like for two months, but I have a rule. I visited a new opening after 148 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:32,280 it's been open like at least one month. Okay. Exactly. One year. Yeah, yeah. You don't have 149 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:40,880 to be the tester of the mistakes of the restaurant. And what about the contest? What's the story 150 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:47,920 behind that sushi contest? So I remember working in Nobu, Tokyo is coming one supplier and 151 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:58,320 he gave us paper with the publicity of these contest. And the content is they looking for 152 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,480 the best sushi chefs around the world, the best from America, the best from Spain, the 153 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:12,440 best from England. And after they choose from some many, many other countries, they make 154 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:20,200 a big contest, international contest in Tokyo. So all the chef was lovely. You can do you 155 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:26,000 can do you can do it. Okay, why not? I will I will try it. So why not? And it was was 156 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:32,540 fun. It was the most important for me for us taking fun about these and meet so many 157 00:16:32,540 --> 00:16:40,560 chef around the world with the passion for the same things and and be the first big finalists. 158 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:46,560 It's like, okay, maybe not too important. But the important things was know all these 159 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:53,360 people around the contest. Yeah, I think it's most important for me. What did you have to 160 00:16:53,360 --> 00:17:02,160 make it a contest? So the first day you need to do 15 pieces 15 traditional sushi pieces 161 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:11,600 in one plate. And they check the way how you do the way how you got of course your technique 162 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:20,720 and your creativity as well. And this is the first contest and the next day you make a 163 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:27,360 dish with 15 different pieces about your type of sushi you know about your fusion your own 164 00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:32,080 style your own style. I have a question before you go on. You said like the three 165 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,440 traditional they value your creativity. But what is creativity and something traditional 166 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:43,480 is it like a little twist your own exactly what type of for example, some chef made a 167 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:51,920 nutty sushi not a sushi is very is the beginning of the of the sushi. No, or Aussie sushi of 168 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:58,920 fresh sushi is typical from Kansai area. No. So they are traditional. Yeah, there's this 169 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:05,080 ones that are rectangular right this square exactly. So this is the what I mean with the 170 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:13,560 creativity node is fine different type of traditional sushi in 15 different pieces. 171 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,960 Okay, you can make nigiri you can make sashimi you can make a fosomaki you can make futomaki 172 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:23,880 you can make you can choose your the 15 is your own choice. Okay, all of these need to 173 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:33,800 be the traditional way super traditional style sushi. That's that's what they want. Interesting. 174 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:40,240 Yeah. The next is just your your creation or your own creation. And it was very good. 175 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:46,920 I was the number six on the beginning and after they passed the number eight I didn't 176 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:55,520 understand why. But that was very interesting. Very nice to to meet all the suppliers, because 177 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:00,760 the supplier was the sponsor of the contest and all the chef was was very interesting. 178 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:06,520 Yeah. Yeah. Japan visiting the fish market. I've seen every time you travel there, you 179 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,880 visit the markets that has to be amazing. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Well, 180 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:19,040 for me, the fish market is like a world is now. No, it's like for the kids what this 181 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:25,360 is for me is the sushi market. I think every other place in the world have a fish market 182 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:33,640 like this. No, it's the freshness of the fish. Most of them are in life is still in life. 183 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:43,600 The variety of the of the fish clams and seafood are amazing. How huge is this fish markets 184 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:51,480 is is incredible. Huge. I remember the first time I was very early and visit all the parts 185 00:19:51,480 --> 00:20:00,120 that tune apart the all the all this fish and you get sushi like breakfast as well. 186 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:08,080 Nice, delicious, delicious sushi and outside of the market and around the market is another 187 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:16,400 market know with a lot of street food, a lot of great seafood making in the grills and 188 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:22,680 grill hotate or real scallops and just a little bit ponzo sauce on dashi broth and things 189 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:30,000 and yeah, it's wow. It's super nice. Super nice. Yes. Yes. I also I also remember I was 190 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:35,400 living in Bolivia. I don't know if this was maybe later, but I was living in Bolivia and 191 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:42,360 I was talking with you and with Phil at the same time and we had like a lot of time without 192 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:47,060 talking like maybe more than a year with both of you. But that day I was talking with with 193 00:20:47,060 --> 00:20:52,160 both of you at the same time and you tell me, yeah, I recently finished studying at the 194 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:57,920 Vasculinary Center and now I'm in Japan and Phil and I was like, oh, that's crazy because 195 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:04,080 my friend Phil, he just he was working at Mugaritz in the Basque Country and now he's 196 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:10,000 also in Japan and he's working at Riojin and you tell me, oh, that's crazy because I'm 197 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:15,640 just going to Riojin right now to have dinner and I was like, what are the odds? You know, 198 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:21,520 like this is like. That was amazing coincidence. Was really, really amazing coincidence. I 199 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:31,760 was followed the Senji Yamamoto a few, few years before I arrived in Japan for me on 200 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:37,040 the videos. Of course, I didn't meet him before on the video. She was a wow, it's a alien. 201 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:43,320 No, it's another planet's chest. No. Yeah. Yeah. I've seen the like the technique videos, 202 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,680 the cooking videos. Yeah, it was the most. It's the most technical thing I've seen in 203 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:52,240 my life. It's so baroque, so over the top, over the top, more and more and more technique. 204 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:58,320 Yeah, I don't know if I can talk about this joint, but I remember I smoke a joint one 205 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:05,600 night before going to the bed and I was watching in my computer a video of Senji Yamamoto taking 206 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:13,560 a thing was like Amadai or some some snapper and he peel, he take out all the scales, he 207 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:19,840 dry the scales, he fry and he do like kind of panko just with the scale and after take 208 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:29,440 out the middle spine with a tube and fry and put the game back in the raw meat and after 209 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:38,720 put in the grill. Wow. The next day I wake and say, wow, that was real. It was real what 210 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:45,640 I watched in the videos. Because he also makes like 3D animations to explain the processes 211 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:50,320 of the spines of the fish and everything like it's really, really crazy. The crazy thing 212 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:55,520 is that they actually do those techniques, you know, like and I think the cool thing 213 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:00,960 about that is that they like they take like traditional techniques and dishes like for 214 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:06,800 example, like a grilled unagi, you know, and they do it kind of in a traditional way, but 215 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,720 like thinking about every detail and then they go in, they're sort of like, how do we 216 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:15,600 fillet it? How do we cut like taking like a tiny scissor like crisscross cutting the 217 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:21,760 bones and like the way that they cut. I have like drawings in my notebook from there because 218 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,840 they cut the skin, but they cut it in like a different width depending where on the skin 219 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:30,240 it is and yeah, it's crazy. They're so, so detail oriented. 220 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:35,040 Yeah, I remember Phil telling me that while he was in the restaurant, there are like this 221 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:40,640 cameras to see the tables and when he was watching your table, you were like looking 222 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:45,440 at all the plates, the brats and everything and being like, like really aware of everything 223 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:50,400 around you. Wow. For me was eating in a Senji Yamamoto restaurant, 224 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:58,160 three Michelin restaurant. I was so focused. I read all the, the politics and the website 225 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:03,200 about the restaurant and he said, I remember one politics say, uh, it's better you don't 226 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:08,960 use your cell phone to take pictures because you can be a little bit tipsy and break some 227 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:16,080 crockery and these crockery have many, many years as I work and no fun or nothing. Just 228 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:21,040 focus watching everything. Phil, you told me a story of a chef that 229 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,720 broke a plate and he was on his knees like, oh, sorry, please. 230 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:31,200 Yeah, yeah. I mean, this, I mean, the crockery in that restaurant was like, I remember we had 231 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,200 these like really beautiful bowls. They're like quite famous for them. Uh, it had like 232 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:42,560 Fujin and Raijin, the two like gods of thunder and wind like painted on them. And, uh, we 233 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,720 only had like three of them or something like that, you know, and it has like the ball with 234 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:52,960 the matching lid. And one day we went to a museum in Roppongi and we saw the same ball 235 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:57,920 like in the museum and we were like, oh, okay. Like, but like exactly the same one, you know, 236 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:03,760 and we're like, oh, shit, you know, and, uh, and yeah, like they, they were super, super strict. 237 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:08,240 And yeah, like it was so funny when you came to eat because it was like, so Eric told me so 238 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:14,000 spontaneously and I told the chefs and they were like, okay, all right. Um, but they're like very 239 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,560 reserved, you know, because they have so many like VIP guests coming in every day and we had 240 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:23,760 cameras on every table. There was a camera so that you could see what's going on on every table. 241 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:25,840 Wow. And, um, so in the beginning, 242 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,040 there was sort of like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Your, your friends coming. All right. 243 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:33,120 Okay. Sure. And then you were sitting there and you were so focused. Like I could see like every 244 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:38,160 time a dish came, you could just see how you were looking at it. You really taking it in that looks 245 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,880 and you the smelling and tasting each element. And I remember after like one or two dishes, 246 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:46,400 the, like the chefs that were kind of like standing on the pass, you know, how Japanese chefs are, 247 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,000 they were kind of like, you know, a little bit, a little bit arrogant or like, yeah, you know, 248 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,600 they were looking at it. And after like two or three dishes, they came to me and they were like, 249 00:25:53,600 --> 00:26:01,920 who is this guy? You know, like, uh, because they could see, you know, they could see that you were 250 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:09,280 really, really into it and really taking it very, very seriously and really had an interest and a 251 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:14,720 respect for what was going on. You know, I think it was for me, one of the best culinary experience 252 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:22,880 I get. I remember I was, I think October or something similar, September, end of September, 253 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:29,440 end of September. And I was lucky because you still have a ju the river, the river fish. 254 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:30,320 Oh yeah. 255 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:40,080 And also you, you, the last time and the last year you get the eel, the unagi more than one kilo, 256 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:46,640 because the government after was forbidden to catch a wild, wild eel. So I was so lucky because 257 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:54,480 in the, in this menu, I tried both, you know, the end of the, the summer at you and the beginning 258 00:26:54,480 --> 00:27:01,040 of the wild, more than one kilo eels, unagi was amazing. Yeah. For me, it was the best unagi. I 259 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:07,120 tried the, I don't know if you got the Shio, the Shio version or the Shoyu version. I don't remember 260 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:13,920 exactly which one, but I think was a Shio version, the salty, the salty ones. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 261 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:23,680 I don't have pictures to remember. It was 10 years ago. So yeah, these long menus are super 262 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:28,960 hard to remember if you, if you don't make pictures. Yes. Now, nowadays it's complicated. 263 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:34,960 Then you went to the Basque Culinary Center and while studying there, you were working at like a 264 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:40,160 super standard sushi place here in San Sebastian. But I remember you told me you were doing like 265 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:45,280 super crazy things, like super high standards, so it is there just to, you know, to practice like 266 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:52,640 working with super baby shrimps, peeling them one by one to make like a special of the day and 267 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:58,080 trying to improve your own style. And so can you, can you tell us about that? Yeah. Yeah. I remember 268 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:07,040 I just, when I arrived in San Sebastian, I think what was Sebastian who recommend to contact with 269 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:15,760 Kenji Kenji at this moment, he have a small sushi bar restaurant in old pathways, all the pinchos, 270 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:21,360 all the pinchos bar. Yeah. It's basically a Japanese pinch over, right? Like exactly. But 271 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:29,520 it's, I remember I arrived super Japanese, no shaving me. Everything was still with the, 272 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:36,320 after one year working in Japan with only Japanese people around me. That was fresh after Japan. 273 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:43,600 Exactly. Exactly. Oh, it was taking me like three months after Japan be back on me again, 274 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:49,280 no, because I was maybe so Japanese. Yeah. I had, I had a similar experience after 275 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:54,400 Mugaritz, like working in other places after Mugaritz. I had to like de-wash my brain 276 00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:02,640 like to become normal again. I had to say, when I, when I came back from, from Japan, I was like, 277 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:09,120 I felt so culture shocked in a way. Like I went straight to like Belgium, I think, and then like 278 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:14,400 to Paris. And I remember like bumping into somebody like on a, on a square and being like, 279 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:23,840 Oh, come on aside. You know, cause you're so in the zone, you know? Exactly. Well, even when you 280 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:31,120 go into eat in the sun restaurant, like guests and you pass a troll back to a waiter, you say 281 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:35,200 Torimas, Torimas backpack, like you are working in the kitchen. Like you're still 282 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:42,240 working in the kitchen. Yeah. It's, it's a funny, funny things. Yeah. And in San Sebastián with Kenji, 283 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:50,640 he's a very simple, simple sushi bar with more, maybe I can say more American sushi. 284 00:29:52,080 --> 00:30:00,240 In the kitchen is, is was working Hideki. He's a, he's a amazing Japanese chef and very good 285 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:08,640 friend. And she makes some more like, no sushi plate, but the sushi was very like more Americans. 286 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:15,520 And so sometimes I get a guest who sit in front of me on the bar and I can make like 287 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:21,760 omakase experience, you know, you say, okay, I make whatever you want. And I do like omakase 288 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:29,120 and this, in this moment, no. And I start to make my creativity with a Japanese technique and try to 289 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:36,800 find a local fish. And then really once we make a gunkan who is a bowl of rice around a seaweed. 290 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:43,360 And I take them at this moment in the fish market was a live shrimps, 291 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:52,960 kisquillas. And we take, we peel the kisquillas and we make a roll, move kisquillas, gunkan to 292 00:30:52,960 --> 00:31:00,800 the guest. What was amazing is just a little bit salt and lime. I remember. And yes, this kind of 293 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:07,600 things. If you could choose like five sushi dishes you've had, or you, you made that you could say, 294 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:12,560 wow, this was really memorable. Like for instance, this one gained such a special produce and making 295 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:17,920 something that, that you can't really scale up. You can build a restaurant that produces this every 296 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:23,920 day because it's so hard, which would be your list of five in no order. Wow. Five. I don't know if I 297 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:31,440 have, but I have one. I really liked a lot. Of course, I don't think like I invent because I 298 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:38,000 think everything's almost invent and it was a Torbots nigiri and rodabayo. Yeah. And wild 299 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:46,560 rodabayo nigiri. And on top is a special part in Japan they call engawa. So it's the fins around 300 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:55,360 the fish. And of course to make a, in my restaurant, I have 10 guests is for one fish. It's impossible 301 00:31:55,360 --> 00:32:02,640 to make a 10 piece of nigiri of engawa. So I need to choose who's going to eat engawa. So 302 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:10,960 it's not choose. I make a kobujime, it's a kind of a technique where you put the fillet of the, 303 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:18,960 of the Torbots you wrap in the, in the combo and curate for a few hours. I make a nigiri with this 304 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:26,480 and on top I get the engawa and grill, grill engawa and put just a small piece of engawa 305 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:35,280 on top. So I mix a Torbot with the engawa with a grill thing of the fish on top. This is one of my, 306 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:40,000 I think one of my favorites. That sounds delicious. Yeah. Sounds amazing. Yeah. Like 307 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,760 the excreting with combo and then grilling sounds really, really nice. Yeah. It's a type of 308 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:50,800 technique that I normally use for this type of fish. I think it's one of the fish with very 309 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:58,560 elegant and light, light tests and also a little bit hard texture. And this technique, I think 310 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:04,640 increase. So first the salt of the seaweed, take out the excess of water and increase the 311 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:13,600 concentrate the fat of the, of the meat. And, and after pass all the umami and sea taste to the meat 312 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:19,760 without kill the proper taste of the, of the fish. And the result is amazing texture with very 313 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:28,000 nice and elegant sea taste of the fish. Then I remember I was living with a friend and we had 314 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:35,440 a visit from, from a cook that came from Chile and he came to make a cooking course at the 315 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:43,520 Vasco de Inari Center with you as a professor for a special sushi course. And I remember the guy 316 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:50,080 telling me about how impressed he was about you butchering an eel with this technique where you 317 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:56,560 put like a nail in the eye and then you, you clean the thing. And can you tell us about this whole 318 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:04,000 world of fish butchering? I know you also worked at a Ponyente. You're probably also interested 319 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:10,480 in the work of Josh Neelan, you know, the world of fish pieces and everything. What, what can you, 320 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:16,080 you tell us about that? Yes, I remember teaching in a, in a Vasco de Inari Center. It was an intense 321 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:25,520 course of five days. So I tried to teach the most I can to the professional because they are already 322 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:31,760 our chef or they are owner of the sushi restaurant. And I remember one part of the teaching was 323 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:39,200 fillet, fillet fish. So the, all this type of, and different way how you can cut and fillet, 324 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:48,160 for example, a sea bream, how you fillet a flat fish like a turbot or how you fillet the eel, 325 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:55,360 the unagi. The unagi you need to fillet when it's still in life because when it's dead, it's like, 326 00:34:55,360 --> 00:35:05,040 rigor mortis, no? Yeah, the shape becomes stiff. And exactly. It's not straight. It's impossible 327 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:12,480 to fillet a unagi with a rigor mortis. That's why you need to cut in life. And this was very 328 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:19,680 interesting. Every, I think it was like a 20 person, they tried to fillet a unagi, a lot of blood 329 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:29,840 everywhere. It was a little bit crazy, but this is there is in the same time is respect, no? From 330 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:36,080 the animal and for the product, no? It's the best way how you can kill the fish and how you can 331 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:43,200 process and prepare the fish. It was amazing, amazing experience. And what about Aponiente? 332 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:50,000 Does the work of Angel Leon has had some influence in your own work or not so much? 333 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:58,400 Yes, yes. In Aponiente, we just worked a short time, less than three months. Yes, 334 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:04,560 have some influence. I think Angel Leon is a very innovative chef. You have some products like 335 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:13,280 Placton. I mean, the taste of Placton is amazing. It's not really a Placton, no? It's just a few 336 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:21,280 types of seaweeds. Of a microalgae, right? Exactly. Microalgae and tastes amazing. Tastes like 337 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:28,720 you eat oyster or Perseves and have amazing seafood taste. And also the botchery, how they do 338 00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:37,520 chorizo with mullet. Mullet is, I think, not appreciated fish, no? Where you see the mullet 339 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:44,720 in the port, no? Where is the boat? It's always the people associate the mullet with the dirty 340 00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:53,760 waters, no? But it's a wild mullet, amazing fish. And this fish, first he don't eat another fish. 341 00:36:53,760 --> 00:37:03,360 He just eat like a wild, just by filtration. And second is one of the fish have a lot of 342 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:10,480 percent of fat. So it was amazing to make a botchery or chorizo with this. And I remember we 343 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:17,280 take the belly part caught in cubes and make like, you know, when you open chorizo and you get 344 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:24,640 this cube of fat, no? Yeah, the white parts, right? Exactly. The same with this thing. It's 345 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:33,600 not Japanese. It's not Japanese kitchen, but I think I learned a lot how to use local fish and seafood, 346 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:41,520 no? This is one of the challenge always for me, no? Mix Japanese technique with the local seafood 347 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:49,600 and vegetable without change the tradition and the Japanese philosophy, no? So try to 348 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:59,360 don't make a huge fusion, no? To change the tradition. For me, what I do is very simple, 349 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:08,160 very focused in the quality of the products and the quality of the technique. And it's nothing else, 350 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:14,960 no? I think it's the most complicated. Make something easy, nice, no? This is the 351 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:22,160 complicated part for me. Absolutely. Yeah. You were also like involved in fishing, if I'm not 352 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:32,000 wrong. I love to fishing, yes. And I have more into kayak fishing, but I have free time, not 353 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:40,480 too many. And I try to fish. Now it's the squid season here in Ibiza. So I love to want to catch 354 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:45,360 the squid and this kind of thing. But you use your own catch product for your restaurant or is it 355 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:52,720 only for self-consumed? It's just self-consumed. Yes, self-consumed. Also first, because I think 356 00:38:52,720 --> 00:39:00,480 it's not legal, I need to pass from the costradia first to make it legal. But you catch and sell to 357 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:06,480 the restaurant. And second, because when I start the restaurant, I don't have more time to 358 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:14,000 go fishing. That was the end of the whole thing. Exactly. Okay. Okay. So that's why. 359 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:21,840 I wanted to jump into the more technical questions. Okay, let's start with, let's go into rice. 360 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:31,360 What would you say are the key things like a chef should pay attention when cooking sushi rice? 361 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:38,800 It's like the most key element, right? In sushi. It's the protagonist. It's the most important part 362 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:46,800 of the sushi, of course. Sushi is rice and vinegar. For me, the most important to make a nice rice is 363 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:56,480 to know your rice. Practice a lot with your rice. I think every rice is very different. It can be 364 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:02,240 koshihikari. It can be koshihikari rice, but koshihikari grown in California or koshihikari 365 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:08,560 grown in Niigata in Japan or koshihikari grown here in Delta Del Ebro in Spain. What makes 366 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:14,800 koshihikari special compared to other rice varieties? I think for me, the koshihikari, 367 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:25,040 first I love the aroma of the rice, the side of the grain, the texture of the grain, and also 368 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:31,760 the, I don't know how to say, how malleable can be in your hands when you work with this rice 369 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:39,280 to make sushi. Okay. And what I mean, all the rice are different, so you just need to practice, 370 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:48,160 you know, because it's not the same you cook a rice when it's just less than one year this rice was 371 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:54,080 picked from the ground. And normally it's in autumn season, in October when they pick the rice, 372 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:59,440 it's not the same. This rice cook in December and the same rice you cook in July because it's 373 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:07,120 getting in your storage, getting more dry. So we need more water. And also it depends what type of 374 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:15,120 fish you use. So you change your seasoning, you know, for example, when it's winter time, 375 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:21,680 most of the fish are more fat, so you increase the acidity in your seasoning, you know, to 376 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:27,840 make the balance with the fat. And when it's summertime, you try to make more sweet your 377 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:35,040 seasoning with a little bit more mirin. And all these minimal details on your rice, I think, 378 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:41,280 affect in the good results in the end. So you first, you need to know your rice, where it's 379 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:50,160 coming from, how long is the storage, this rice and all these things after is the way how you cook, 380 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:58,080 the instrument or the pot you use, the type of water you use, the time you soak in the water, 381 00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:05,600 with what type of water you soak this rice and how many time you wash. Some rice need to wash less, 382 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:10,800 because we, for the beginning, we think you need to wash more, more, more rice, more wash is better. 383 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:16,000 I remember working in Novo Tokyo, my rice never was the same for them, for the Itamae, for the 384 00:42:16,720 --> 00:42:24,960 head chef. And I say, I asked, look, watching me, what I do wrong. And he watched me and he said, 385 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:33,040 you wash too much the rice, wash less. Yeah, he was true. So I think the most important is know, 386 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:37,440 know your rice, know everything about your rice and try to make better every time. 387 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:42,080 That's super interesting what you mentioned. We also talk about that on the sushi episode we made, 388 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:49,920 that the seasoning is not, I mean, it depends on the fish and the season. So you, it can vary, 389 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:53,760 like depending on what you want to achieve. This is something a lot of people don't know. 390 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:58,560 Well, I guess it's also difficult to learn how to calibrate that, right? 391 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:03,840 It's very, it's very complicated. So nowadays they, they're using a lot around the world. It's 392 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:11,680 a Akasu. It's a red rice vinegar. It's made with a, with a lease of produce sake, with sakekasu. 393 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:18,800 And it's a little bit more, more complex taste or aromas. But this vinegar, 394 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:27,920 it's not match really well with white fish. So nowadays it's a few restaurants you can find the 395 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:34,000 two type of vinegar, white vinegar with some fish and Akasu, the red vinegar with another fish. 396 00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:41,360 So every, the vinegar for me also is very, the seasoning is very important to the sushi. 397 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:48,320 I went to, to Anomakase in Singapore recently and it impressed me because I had never seen that, 398 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:55,360 the nigiri's like the rice was already like seasoned with soy sauce. So it was kind of, 399 00:43:55,360 --> 00:44:00,800 you know, gray or brown. And I was like, Oh, I've never seen this. Like, is that common or 400 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:06,880 something super modern? Like, I don't know. You mean without soy sauce, right? No, with, it was 401 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:12,160 like, you know, like a light brown rice, like the ones you would find like on a Chinese stir fried. 402 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:23,680 Yeah. I think it's the Akasu, the red rice vinegar. You use a hundred percent Akasu and the 403 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:29,680 color is more like brown, more like brown color. That was probably it. Yes. It's very tasty, 404 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:35,360 very complex. I've seen a lot of chefs also experiment with the, with the sugar. Okay. 405 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:40,800 As in like not, you know, like using sweetener or like a different sort of rock sugar to give it 406 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:44,640 like a little bit more complexity. And I personally, I saw a few times where that, 407 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:49,760 where they were using white rice vinegar with like a little bit of like a darker sugar. Okay. And 408 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:54,880 that would give the rice this like light brown color. And I thought it was quite nice. Like I 409 00:44:54,880 --> 00:45:02,000 went to one sushi place and they said they only use like, almost like Stevia or like, not Stevia, 410 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:06,720 but like an artificial sweetener because they thought it was like more subtle. Okay. I thought 411 00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:12,560 it was quite interesting also. Yeah. You know, Stevia, you can find Stevia in its natural form, 412 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:18,000 which is a leaf. And if you powder the leaf, it's a sweetener. It's amazing. I don't know. It depends. 413 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:25,040 Every chef is a different world though. And some chef now recently we travel to Japan and we eat 414 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:34,960 in some, in many of Akasu place. Some of the chefs even don't use sugar. They use vinegar and salt. 415 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:44,880 And the sushi is very sour. No, it's a very salty mold in Tokyo. Tokyo cuisine is more salty. And 416 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:52,640 in Kansai area, like Osaka, Kyoto is more sweet. And some chef even doesn't use sugar, just added 417 00:45:52,640 --> 00:46:01,680 mirin. So mirin is like a type of sweet sake. And the whole mirin, the sweetness is coming from the 418 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:10,400 fermentation process. No, it's not. It's no added sugar in the process. And so every chef is different 419 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:16,000 and it depends also where they come in from and the style of sushi they serve. It's the small 420 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:23,360 details now. Your sushi ingredients like let's say rice, mirin, soy sauce, and so on. Is it always 421 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:33,040 Japanese or do you use also Spanish products? I try to be more local possible. I think in the fresh 422 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:41,600 products like fish and vegetables and all the other products I bring from Japan. Yes, the soy 423 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:51,040 sauce, the vinegar, the rice. Yes, I bring from Japan because here we have amazing rice. It's 424 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:57,680 Akita komachi is the second variety of rice more used in Japan to make sushi. And they grow in Delta 425 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:08,000 del Ebro. And it's very good, but still not good as Koscihikari from Niigata, for example, or 426 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:14,880 something like. I wish the future maybe we get amazing product too and be the most local possible. 427 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:20,880 Even the wasabi. Now they start to grow wasabi here in Catalonia. Yeah, the Sebastian was 428 00:47:20,880 --> 00:47:27,600 also getting he's getting fresh wasabi here from Getaria. Yeah, so it's nice. Of course, it's not 429 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:36,400 the asumino wasabi with sweets in the end. Very aromatic, but going the good way, maybe for some 430 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:44,720 other preparation I use to the Spanish wasabi. I like to be local as much as possible. We talk 431 00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:49,920 about everything in the restaurant except for desserts. What do you offer to close the meal? 432 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:55,840 OK, for the beginning, the restaurant is very complicated part because the dessert in Japan 433 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:04,800 are very minimalist, simple and very elegant. No, in the same in the same way. And for a sushi 434 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:14,560 omakase place, sometimes only dashi, dashi maki or atu yaki tamago or the tamago is the dessert. 435 00:48:14,560 --> 00:48:19,760 But for the finish, that's like a like a flan, like a sweet omelet, something like that. 436 00:48:19,760 --> 00:48:25,040 It's like a like an omelet, not like a flan, more like omelet. And if the pen every chef 437 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:30,240 have different. So when they do they wrap in like a dashi maki, they roll it like many crepes. 438 00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:38,400 Or sometimes they do atu yaki tamago is more like and I say like a cake and is if the pen, 439 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:45,280 every chef have different different way with the with the with the tamago. And also many restaurant, 440 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:54,640 they offer in the end fruits, some seasonal fruit like a pear or piece of melon. Amazing, of course. 441 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:59,120 I think the taste of the fruit. Yeah, I guess if you have to do that, if you do that, you have to 442 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:06,320 have like an incredible melon. Amazing, amazing. I remember this last trip to Japan, I tried a 443 00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:15,760 grape. They say, wow, how they can make a grape so sweet. Yeah, I know in Japan is also very common. 444 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:23,120 Like there are these trees where where they cut all the flowers. So it grows just one fruit per tree. 445 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:29,120 Exactly. So it's super strong. And it's very common to use this as a business present. So like 446 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:34,480 you close a business, you bring someone like a melon or something. Exactly. Omiyage. 447 00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:42,080 Omiyage. Exactly. So nice. It's a one melon can be sometimes a hundred euros, three hundred euros. 448 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:51,120 Yeah. Super amazing. Famous melons. Yeah. So in here and in this in my restaurant, I sometimes 449 00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:56,720 we make something simple like only tamago. Sometimes we make mochi. We start to make some 450 00:49:56,720 --> 00:50:05,600 melon and made mochi with a glutinous rice flour dots. And we fill with the atzuki for the beginning 451 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:13,520 with anko with red red bean sweet paste. But this is complicated. Not all the guests finish this 452 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:20,320 this in the sets. Like the cultural acceptance, right? Exactly. After we mix with 453 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:29,040 with white beans and matcha. It was a little bit more acceptable. And after we made we 454 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:36,480 inside with mousse, green tea mousse. That was OK. Now everyone finished the third. They enjoy. 455 00:50:38,000 --> 00:50:44,720 Yeah. I love desserts with with matcha. There is this place in Barcelona, 456 00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:50,480 something OK. OK. I mean, pastry shop, right? Like, yeah. OK. OK. Is there is a family name. 457 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:55,920 OK. Pastry. Yeah. They are one of the famous. Yeah. My style of mochi is very similar. Like 458 00:50:55,920 --> 00:51:04,800 OK. Mochi. They have this matcha tea croissants that are amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And nowadays we just 459 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:13,440 we bang out to ice cream with, for example, as a spring, we take a sakura leaf sakura leaf tree. 460 00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:21,600 And we make ice cream with almond because it's the almond season here as well. And we mix sakura 461 00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:30,160 tree leaf season with almond tree here in Ibiza. We make ice cream and wow, was amazing because 462 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:36,240 it reminded me like a tonka tonka beans a little bit. Sounds amazing. Yeah. Nowadays, 463 00:51:36,240 --> 00:51:45,280 nowadays, we do something like very simple. It's a very thin line being in the Japanese dessert 464 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:53,600 and Western style dessert. So I try to go so far with this. But it's nice that you also have the 465 00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:59,440 representation of the of the like the area where you're in and the season and stuff. And I like 466 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:03,920 that there's like an overlap of sort of like, you know, this what you were saying earlier, 467 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:11,040 this like Japanese very strong idea of representing the seasons and like some of my favorite 468 00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,720 restaurants, Japanese restaurants that I've seen outside of Japan, they were doing the same thing 469 00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:22,400 where they were, for example, in London, you know, where they were doing very Japanese food, 470 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:27,200 but with local seasonal influence, you know, and I was always like, yeah, that's really, 471 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:33,440 really true Japanese like mentality and spirits, you know, yeah, really representing the where they 472 00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:38,560 are in the time of the year, you know, super nice. It's very important in the Japanese cuisine. Yeah.