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Marcos Granda has become one of the most coveted hotel and catering entrepreneurs in our country. With six establishments and five Michelin stars, the Asturian continues to bet on differentiating and high quality haute cuisine proposals. If in February he surprised with Marcos, his restaurant in Gijón with a traditional Asturian cuisine, now in April he has just opened TOKI, which promises to become the essential Japanese restaurant in Madrid.
TOKI has all the ingredients for it. Toki’ means ‘time’ in Japanese. And that seems to stop when you enter this place located at Sagasta Street, 28. Once you pass through the door, the premise is to focus on the here and now and let yourself be carried away by the enjoyment of Japanese haute cuisine with the stamp of chef Tadayoshi Motoa. Marcos Granda always bets very strongly on his teams and on this occasion, aware of the need to repair the subtlety of the concept he wanted to offer, he made an exhaustive search to find the perfect chef. And with Motoa he has hit the nail on the head.
For this new opening in the capital, Granda has remained faithful to its philosophy: service for a small number of diners and everything taken care of down to the last detail. This is also thanks to the good work of Mexican Hilda Olvera, TOKI’s head waitress and sommelier. The sophisticated space -with an exclusive wine cellar that welcomes guests- helps to create a relaxed atmosphere. The interior design is by Alejandra Pombo (also the architect of the Gijón restaurant, Marcos).
A gastronomic journey
Marcos Granda himself defines the experience at TOKI as “a gastronomic journey into the past through innovation and culinary tradition, to enjoy Japanese haute cuisine here and today”. Its gastronomic proposal focuses on two tasting menus: one at noon (€109) and another at night (€139). And they will offer two services a day from Thursday to Sunday (at 2.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.).
The dishes will vary weekly. The idea is to go for less common products in Japanese cuisine, such as the Maresme tear peas, without losing sight of tradition. Two of TOKI’s strong points are the quality of the raw material and the mastery of Tadayoshi Motoa. The chef works each piece with a sublime technique, especially in the preparation of rice, which he prepares following three recipes with different seasonings, from the most contemporary taste to the purest tradition.
Among the delicacies that diners will be able to taste are the Snapper Sashimi with White Asparagus & Irizake Sauce or Octopus with Daikon and Japanese Mustard. Also Chawanmushi of Galician Clam and Maresme tear pea. In the niguiris section, we find Baby squid with lime and Japanese salt or Mullet with lime and salt. Other options are tiger prawn with sweet sauce or marinated mackerel with Akazu vinegar. Not forgetting dishes such as sea urchin or the exquisite tuna (Otoro, Chutoro, Akami, Temaki tuna). Of course, there is also room for a sweet touch with matcha tea leaf, yuzu and strawberries.
Embark on a sensory experience! Take note of this Japanese restaurant: TOKI, Calle Sagasta 28 (Madrid). Make a reservation here.
Nor can you miss other spectacular proposals from Marcos Granda such as the Nintai restaurant (also Japanese) in Marbella.
