Pinchos, Tapas, and Sake Experience
at L’estudi in Ginza, Tokyo
“The key to drinking alcohol at its best is to enjoy it in the company of your favorite people in a joyful ambiance,” says Josep Barahona Viñes, a genuine Catalan and a renowned expert in Spanish and Catalan cuisine in Japan.
We crafted a menu of unique Kubota sakes and a tempting array of 17 pinchos and tapas for a truly memorable meal.
Mr. Barahona was a founding member of the new wave of Spanish cuisine and played a significant role in Japan’s boom of pinchos and tapas. He served as the head chef at the Ogasawara Count's Mansion in Shinjuku and produced all over the Spain Pavilion's Tapas Bar at the Love Earth Expo. He currently runs their own atelier, “L’estudi.”
In crafting the menu for the special dinner at L'estudi, he commented, "pinchos and tapas complement sake as beautifully as they do any wine. Our pinchos and tapas courses, inspired by Catalan cuisine, are designed as bite-sized delights. I hope everyone will enjoy trying the different matchings.”
The experience unveiled new discoveries and encounters. Some commented, "I hadn't really thought that Japanese sake could pair well with different dishes, but after savoring various pichos and tapas with sake, I'm convinced that it's a great match for non-Japanese cuisine, much like wine."
The smiling faces as well as the comments of satisfied guests who "loved the taste and the network" and "had interesting new encounters with great sake and food," prove that Barahona's opinion was indeed correct.
1. Bikini of Jamon Iberico and Mozzarella
a snackable hot sandwich with a savory garlic butter spreader
2. “Gilda”
One of the most iconic sour-and-salty Spanish pinchos - olives, daikon radishes, anchovies, and chili peppers
3.Shrimp • Crab • Mayonnaise
on L’estudi’s original fried bread
4.Grilled Eggplant with Anchovies
on L’estudi’s original fried bread
5. Kabu salad
pesto cream cheese on turnip
6.Marmalade of Paprika with Sardine
on L’estudi’s original fried bread
7.Potato Omelette
Spanish omelette on L’estudi original fried bread
8. Jamon Iberico cream croquette
9. Codfish Frito
Fritters of codfish and potatoes
10. Cold Tomate Soup "Salmorejo"
boiled egg, anchovies, and Jamon Iberico on top of cold soup made with various kinds of tomatoes, olive oil, etc.
11. Quiche of Feta Cheese and Nuts
12. Quiche of Dry Tomato
13.Scallop, Shiso and Iberico Pancetta
on L’estudi’s original fried bread
14. Iberico Pork "Moruno"
pork marinated in spice for 2 days on L’estudi’s original fried bread
15. Meloso of Red Shrimp
creamy rice baked with seafood broth
16. Crema Catalana
one of the most iconic Catalan sweets
17. Mini Mini Sweets Pinchos
bite-sized quince marmalade and chocolate
L’estudi
Fukokuseimei Bldg B2F, 2-2-2,
Uchisaiwaichō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
03-3597-0312
https://lestudi.site/ja/
Instagram @lestuditokyo
Born in 1966 in Catalonia, Spain, he came to Japan in 1991 and opened his own restaurant in Tokyo in 1997, introducing modern Spanish Catalan cuisine to Japan. After serving as executive chef at the Count Ogasawara's Mansion in Shinjuku, he now presides over the cooking atelier "L’estudi" and produces "Bikini" in various locations in Tokyo and the long-established restaurant "La Venta" in Barcelona, and is active in many other fields, including seminars and catering.
Josep Barahona Viñes : Owner Chef
instagram @marco.garushia
EN