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The restaurant Ikigai Velázquez has just presented its new menus and we are sure that they will become one of the sensations of the season. These are three menus in harmonies, both in sake and wine or combining both options, where the purity and simplicity of the accompaniment, exalts the product in a subtle and delicate way.
Under the leadership of chef Yong Wu Nagahira, the new menus are composed of six courses and are priced between 69 and 78 €. Yong Wu Nagahira has been consecrated in this restaurant where he has reached his maximum expression by designing a gastronomic proposal in his image and likeness. Here, the simplicity and honesty of his cuisine are what support his creations that mix classic Japanese influences with Spanish and French.
Sake harmony menu: €69
Among the six courses on this menu, diners can enjoy dishes such as korokke, to which the floral and incense notes of Muoka Nama Genshu Vintage add enveloping nuances. There is also the croissant-do (here you can see the French influence, for example), which is accompanied by Tanaka x Chartier Pavillon, a fruity, round, low-acidity sake with a very long finish. There is no shortage of nigiris with Shiro Masumi Miyasaka sake as a perfect match. Or temaki that goes great with a Keiryu Koshu Vintage 89&99 Endo Shuzojo.
Harmony menu with wine: €69
It is the perfect choice for those who prefer to pair Japanese cuisine with a good wine. Among the references that will be tasted include an Albariño from Pazo de Barrantes, vintage 2019 that accompanies the gyoza; for the cruasan-do, they travel to Italy with a Feudo di Mezzo from 2018; the nigiris are accompanied by a wine from Burgundy, an A. O.C. Côte de Beaune Chardonnay grape and a superb German wine, the 2015 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf-Hoheburg Erste Lage, a great Riesling with a long finish; the temaki has found the perfect pairing in a single varietal Cabernet Franc wine, a 2018 Les Poyueux.
Menu in harmony Ikigai: €78
The last proposal combines both options, rice and grape, for the more indecisive, or those who want to try it all. In this case, the korokke is accompanied by a 100% Palomino Fino grape sherry, La Barajuela Raya, with notes of quince, jam and honey. For its part, the croissant-do can be enjoyed with a Tanaka x Chartier Pavillon, with its notes of stone fruit, mango and anise; the nigiris are accompanied, in this menu, with a wine from the Spanish Levante region, a Sopla Levante, La Horca del 2020.
Any of the three options will immerse you in a journey through the palate that you will enjoy with all your senses.