History
Kamo River, Kyoto
Carlota Akaneya is the first sumibiyaki in Europe and one of the five restaurants in Spain that serves wagyū certified as Kobe Beef. It is also, together with Pilar Akaneya in Madrid, the first establishment in Europe that serves the Japanese Crown Melon muskmelon. National Geographic Travel explains it in a report published on October 22, 2020.
Carlota Akaneya's story begins in Kyoto. During his time in Japan in 2009, Ignasi Elías noticed the Akaneya Junshinken restaurant, located on the emblematic Ponto-chō street, on the banks of the Kamo River, in Kyoto. Inspired by this, in August 2011, Ignasi opened the first sumibiyaki in Europe in Barcelona with his friend Felipe Fernández. As a sign of friendship, Ignasi baptizes the restaurant with his mother's name.
The beginnings are difficult. The first crowd surprises them with Albert Adrià sitting down to dinner and leaving without eating a bite. "It was a disaster," they lament. But word of mouth continued unstoppable, leading to other celebrities such as Andrés Iniesta or Ferran Adrià much sooner than desired.
In October 2013, Albert Adrià invites you to visit his restaurant Tickets, from the inside. "That afternoon we learned more than in 24 months working," says Ignasi. Since then and until the pandemic, Carlota Akaneya is only open at night and dedicates the day to preparing the mise-en-scène.
In 2014, Carlota Akaneya added grade A5 Japanese or wagyu beef to her menu, famous for its buttery, subtle, and velvety marble flavor and texture. Until then, A5 wagyu had never been served outside of Japan, except in Hong Kong and Macau. Thus, Carlota Akaneya becomes the first western sumibiyaki to serve wagyu A5, the highest rating awarded by the JMGA, the official certificate issuing association in Japan. In November of the same year, Carlota Akaneya decided to make herself known and launched her website, despite the fact that "when you have so much to learn, it never seems like a good time to talk about yourself," says Ignasi.
In 2016 Carlota Akaneya is reinforced with the incorporation of chef Eloi Soriano first, and Josep Gómez later. In the summer of 2016, Chiho Murata, from Fukuroi, Japan, begins to collaborate with Carlota Akaneya in the progressive improvement of the menus, plate by plate. In its annual Travelers' Choice Awards, TripAdvisor includes Carlota Akaneya in the Top 10 restaurants in Spain. In November 2017, Albert Adrià mentions Carlota Akaneya as one of his favorite restaurants in the magazine time out.
In 2020, Carlota Akaneya becomes the first restaurant in the city of Barcelona and the fourth in Spain to serve certified Kobe Beef. Forced by the time restrictions on the hospitality industry in the face of Covid, Carlota Akaneya reopens at noon on the weekend. In 2021, it incorporates the Crown Melon muskmelon to its menu, from Fukuroi, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the restaurant and the centenary of the Shizuoka Crown Melon company, founded in 1921.
Kamo River, Kyoto
In 2016 Carlota Akaneya is reinforced with the incorporation of chef Eloi Soriano first, and Josep Gómez later. In the summer of 2016, Chiho Murata, from Fukuroi, Japan, begins to collaborate with Carlota Akaneya in the progressive improvement of the menus, plate by plate. In its annual Travelers' Choice Awards, TripAdvisor includes Carlota Akaneya in the Top 10 restaurants in Spain. In November 2017, Albert Adrià mentions Carlota Akaneya as one of his favorite restaurants in the magazine time out.
In 2020, Carlota Akaneya becomes the first restaurant in the city of Barcelona and the fourth in Spain to serve certified Kobe Beef. Forced by the time restrictions on the hospitality industry in the face of Covid, Carlota Akaneya reopens at noon on the weekend. In 2021, it incorporates the Crown Melon muskmelon to its menu, from Fukuroi, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the restaurant and the centenary of the Shizuoka Crown Melon company, founded in 1921.
Restaurant
Kyoto barbecue
Kitchen
Popular haute cuisine
Chef
Joseph Gomez
Born in 1985 in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona, Josep is in love with cooking and good food. Since he was a child he helped in the kitchen of his house on weekends, holidays or on special dates. Above all, he was fascinated that his parents were able to spend an entire morning locked in the kitchen preparing a single meal that was eaten in a few minutes. When asked about the flavor of his childhood, however, the grandmother's cannelloni always come up.
Things of destiny, in his tender youth he was always surrounded by friends and acquaintances from the world of restoration. However, cooking was such a natural passion that, paradoxically, he did not see it as a way to make a living "because he enjoyed it too much". Until one day a friend asked him to be a waiter at the opening of a restaurant. After a short time of living together, and in the most natural way, they realized that they had to take advantage of their background between the stoves and began to make room for themselves in the kitchen. There he discovered that his talent could change a business for the better, and he decided to dedicate himself.
He tried different restaurants in Barcelona before making the leap to haute cuisine at the Tram-Tram restaurant, where he worked with chef Isidre Soler, trained alongside great names such as Ferran Adrià, Fermí Puig and Santi Santamaria.
At the Hofmann cooking school in Barcelona, he discovered the true importance of knowing the product and how to treat it. There he was lucky enough to learn alongside the teacher and chef Lluís Rovira, who knew how to transmit to him, like no one before, the immense love for the trade.
Finally, the opportunity came for her to train at Carlota Akaneya, starting from the bottom. He accepted because he loved Japanese cuisine and because, entering the restaurant, he felt "something special, love at first sight." From the hand of Chiho Murata, he learned the simple details that determine the excellence of a dish in Japan and the factors that elevate it to the category of experience. It took him very little time to gain his trust and go on to run the kitchen, first, and then the restaurant itself.
Crockery
Earth, fire and water
There is something in Kyoto that inspires Carlota Akaneya. The very name of Kyoto makes you breathe more deeply. Its beautiful scenes, sumptuous cuisine, and calm rhythm make it easy for you to enjoy every moment. The Tawaraya ryokan, the Ogata restaurant, or strolling through Shirakawa Gion and Shinbashi Dori streets represent the very essence of beauty, sometimes unnoticed because it lacks all pretense. The simple and rustic architecture separates you from the overwhelming outside world and plunges you into an almost meditative state.
Carlota Akaneya transfers this harmony with nature to her cutlery and plates, using metals and simple woods adapted to each need and season of the year. It also uses carefully selected rustic ceramics created by Japanese artisans. Japanese handmade tableware stands out for its delicacy, resistance and exquisiteness in its forms. Many of the pieces come from the Yuu workshop in Barcelona, directed by the artist Motoko Araki. Using traditional methods, Araki spends time crafting each piece. It begins with the good kneading of the clay in the original Japanese way and continues with the creation of the form using the wheel. Each piece is left to dry for 8 hours before being glazed and fired at a high temperature for another 14 hours. The resulting colors, shades and shapes give the Japanese tableware and the diner a feeling of beauty and Zen well-being.
menus
Akaneya
Option is ideal for a first visit and discover an experience sumibiyaki complete. The diner enjoys typical Japanese dishes and a wide range of barbecued wagyū beef, as well as fresh fish and vegetables.
Bookings
Important
To reserve it is necessary to accept the following reservation conditions.
- Reservations made before 9:00 p.m. correspond to the first shift and have a maximum of 2h 30m.
- We keep the table for 15 minutes.
- Reservation valid exclusively for the number of people specified.
- The following must be respected Standards of Conduct
Frequent questions
Our menus are closed menus for 2 people and are based on a wide range of meats. We do not have vegetarian or vegan menus. However, if one of the two people is vegetarian or vegan, we can adapt the menu, prior notice, so that they can enjoy different dishes without meat or animal protein, and the other can enjoy meat normally. We cannot substitute meat for fish.
Of course. The menus consist of several shared dishes, so the adaptation applies to both diners. To adapt the menu, you only need to indicate your intolerance when making your reservation.
No. The restaurant resembles a Japanese tavern. It consists of a small room with 9 tables without privacy or noise. If you are looking for an elegant restaurant in its most classic sense, quiet and spacious, it is likely that Carlota Akaneya will not meet your expectations.
It can be reserved for a maximum of 4/6 people, depending on availability. Reservations for larger groups are not accepted.
Thanks for thinking about us. Write to us at reservas@carlotaakaneya.com
The air extraction and supply system of the sumibiyaki They guarantee a constant circulation and ventilation of the air. In addition, the restaurant has the Zonair3D air purification system, the most advanced on the market. Contains viricidal nanofibers that filter microparticles and inactivate viruses, including Covid-19. More about this technology
Please call us at +34 933 027 768
Company events can be held for a maximum of 30 guests. If you are interested, write to us at reservas@carlotaakaneya.com
We welcome all requests, but unfortunately we don't do this type of collaboration.
Contact
