Kabuki Wellington
This starkly handsome gray-stone–and–dark-wood shrine to raw fish is locted in the plush Hotel Wellington. Kabuki Wellington’s chef-owner Ricardo Sanz has come a long way since the days when his wife berated him for closing his thriving beer bar and slaving for minimal wages at a local Japanese restaurant to learn the tricks of the trade. But Sanz just couldn’t beat his sushi addiction. Working mainly with a Spanish catch—tender calamari from the Strait of Gibraltar; sweet Galician scallops—Sanz puts a modern-Iberian spin on his sashimi and sushi, pairing raw pez limón (yellowtail) with a tiny Canarian potato and truffles; or devising ingenious maki rolls and nigiri around huitlacoche (corn fungus) and Galician Arzúa cheese. Desserts from El Bulli–trained star confectioner Oriol Balaguer complete what would be a perfect experience were it not for the sticker shock: one raw cigala (a small spiny lobster) may set you back $130. Order carefully.
From the May 2008 Food & Wine Go List
In the serene dining room at the Hotel Wellington’s fancy new restaurant, chef Ricardo Sanz adds a Japanese accent to Spain’s choicest seafood, such as Galician clams and Almerían langoustines. The adventurous desserts, prepared by avant-garde pastry chef Oriol Balaguer, are also wonderful.
We loved: Sake-steamed Galician lobster with ponzu; nigiri sushi with wagyu beef “burger.”
Insider tip: Seats at the sushi bar are easiest to score.
Last updated May 2008 lastArticle = and lastAward =
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