Sant Pau is located in the picturesque seaside town of Sant Pol de Mar, approximately an hour's train ride from Barcelona, Spain. At Sant Pau, owner-chef Carme Ruscalleda re-defined traditional Catalan cuisine with a modern flare which in the process has established herself as one of the most coveted female chefs in the world.
In 1990, just three years since opening its doors to diners, Sant Pau gained its first Michelin star and finally in 2006, it garnered its third Michelin star. In the same year, Sant Pau Tokyo was opened.
This award-winning restaurant has long been on my radar screen. How can it not be? But Sant Pol de Mar would be a bit far without some in-depth planning so for the time being, I settled for Sant Pau Tokyo.
In 1990, just three years since opening its doors to diners, Sant Pau gained its first Michelin star and finally in 2006, it garnered its third Michelin star. In the same year, Sant Pau Tokyo was opened.
This award-winning restaurant has long been on my radar screen. How can it not be? But Sant Pol de Mar would be a bit far without some in-depth planning so for the time being, I settled for Sant Pau Tokyo.
Tucked away in the business district of Nihonbashi, Sant Pau Tokyo is currently run by Carme Ruscalleda's young protégé, Yousuke Okazaki. I am really looking forward to be inspired by their innovative interpretation of the modern Catalan cuisine.
My first impression of Sant Pau - well, it looked more like a contemporary art gallery.
Right before serving me the amuse bouche, my server first offered me a little bit of bread. For a moment, I thought I was going to be asked to perform a lab experiment here with that conical vase. But that turned to be the olive oil for my bread.
And speaking of bread, I honestly haven't seen a longer bread than this one my whole life.
And speaking of bread, I honestly haven't seen a longer bread than this one my whole life.
After my bread stick, a creamy vegetable soup was served to get my taste buds "calibrated".
Amuse bouche
The amuse bouche was a lineup of nibbles with Peruvian inspiration starting with a marinated scallop ceviche and a sweet potato roll with horsehair crab on top. Both were equally impressive although I gave the sweet potato a slight edge.
Next up was a glass of red sea bream ceviche which tasted more like a sea bream mousse with salmon roe. That was extremely flavorful and creamy.
Finally, a mini-burger with diced Iberico pork (they called it a pork sandwich) to wrap up the amuse bouche. The pork could be a bit more juicy but nevertheless a great start to this meal.
I was really impressed with the service being offered so far. Definitely 3-star worthy. Other than the perfect English, some of the staff also spoke fluent Spanish.
Squid
The European lobster in a vegetable broth did look more tempting at first glance but at the end, I decided to take my chances with the squid. And what a great selection it turned out to be.
The squid was nicely stuffed with diced mushrooms and courgette and then served in a Japanese black garlic sauce. It was a picture perfect cross-over of Spanish and Japanese cooking. The garlic sauce was very thick and rich but yet it did not overpower the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Yagara
We continued with something from the sea - a local yagara fish in a yagara broth.
My server carefully poured in the warm yagara broth and I followed her instructions carefully by breaking up the green basil jelly.
My server carefully poured in the warm yagara broth and I followed her instructions carefully by breaking up the green basil jelly.
The yagara fish was very sweet in taste and the distinctive flavor of basil helped to provide a sharp contrast.
Iberian pork "pluma"
My meat dish was an Iberian pork served with crushed chestnut and garnish which was beautifully presented.
They picked the portion between the shoulder and neck which was supposed to be the most tender part of the pig. I personally thought it was a bit too soft though and the sauce was also too much on the sweet side.
They picked the portion between the shoulder and neck which was supposed to be the most tender part of the pig. I personally thought it was a bit too soft though and the sauce was also too much on the sweet side.
Transparent cube
Moving onto the dessert, I had their signature dish - the "transparent cube". An outside layer of transparent jelly made in the shape of a cube trapping a bit of siso ice-cream and assorted fruit including mango, melon, blueberry, kiwi etc. inside.
How they fit all those into a small cube was beyond me but the taste was stunningly refreshing. That put a wonderful exclamation point to a superb lunch menu.
How they fit all those into a small cube was beyond me but the taste was stunningly refreshing. That put a wonderful exclamation point to a superb lunch menu.
And just like any exquisite French cuisine, they offered me an appealing set of Petite four to put the finishing touch on a marvelous lunch. I thought the pumpkin pie (leftmost) was sensational while the rest weren't too far behind.
It was an absolutely wonderful display of cooking techniques combined with a creative mix-and-matching of ingredients. Service was also spotless from start to finish. This had to be my best meal on this Tokyo / Osaka trip (fighting off competitions from other 2 and 3 star Michelin restaurants including Beige, Tateru Yoshino Shiba, Fujiya 1935 etc.).
Food Rating: 8.6/10
Price: ￥￥￥￥
Address: Coredo Nihonbashi Annex 1-6-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Closest Metro Station: Nihonbashi
Tel: +81 (0) 3-3517-5700
Website: www.santpau.jp/english/index.html
Closest Metro Station: Nihonbashi
Tel: +81 (0) 3-3517-5700
Website: www.santpau.jp/english/index.html
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