A restaurant with a Japanese soul and a Mediterranean spirit

Joaquín Sánchez (Montevideo, Uruguay) and Ferran Aragón (Nou Barris, Barcelona) met out of a professional necessity during the pandemic. This necessity turned into friendship and professional synergy, and from there their first shared project was born: El Carnal, a steak house A success story that has become a benchmark for quality meat in Barcelona. But we'll talk about that another day; today we'll focus on Arko.

Joaquin and Ferran identified a gap in the market for a new Japanese restaurant in Barcelona. However, the challenge of filling a space with a capacity of 150 people didn't seem easy. What we find here is a restaurant with a festive, Mediterranean atmosphere, yet with nods to Japan and other parts of the world. It's a Japanese restaurant with diverse cultural influences that avoids being confined within the classic parameters of Japanese cuisine. An eclectic Japanese experience.

This eclecticism is reflected in the menu, where, in addition to the more classic dishes, you can also find grilled fish, wagyu Australian, tempura cod... But you already know us and know we want to try everything. That's why we ordered the Full Experience menu. (95 euros well spent), although you can also have lunch or dinner for half price.

The menu begins with a truffled Bluefin tuna belly carpaccio, with kizami wasabi and avocado cream, and an oyster with ponzu sauce. Passion fruit. We continue with kabayaki eel and garlic flower; salmon belly roasted with black miso and garlic; Nikkei fish nigiri with citrus mayonnaise and pachikay; wagyu with Grana Padano cream and truffle; tuna belly with yuzu mayonnaise and kumquats; and foie gras with pepper jam and kizami. As you can see, there's a blend of beautifully balanced flavors that make the dishes even more delicious.

The menu concludes with the eel, foie gras and green apple uramaki; the picanha of wagyu Grilled with fried yucca and teriyaki sauce; and a wonderful lucuma ice cream with shortbread, pecans, and salted caramel. Many of these ingredients probably seem exotic and unfamiliar to you, but they were to us too, and we loved discovering them. For example, lucuma is a Peruvian fruit that's mostly used in desserts; it's rarely eaten fresh, but it's ideal for ice cream.

"A unique venue where every detail matters"

The wine we enjoyed with this menu is La Finca La Garriga de Perelada (DO Empordà), a 100% Samsó, very fresh on the palate and which combines perfectly with the contrasting flavors of this long and surprising menu.

We spoke with Joaquin, executive chef and sommelier, and Ferran, the manager. "We opened last September. People have been getting to know us little by little, but now we work hard every day and are becoming a benchmark in Barcelona," Ferran explains. "The four pillars that define us are location, top-quality produce, excellent service, and the presentation, with a unique space where every detail is important," Joaquin emphasizes.

We're looking at a very varied and expertly executed culinary experience, all while staying true to the essence of Japanese cuisine. Oh, and don't worry, there are forks on the tables for those of us who aren't quite adept with chopsticks. The food is excellent, and the presentation is equally impressive. Details matter, and at Arko, they're very important.