In an interview with Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, Ferran Adrià shares more details on the Nikkei restaurant he and his brother Albert are planning in Barcelona, Spain. Nikkei cuisine, which consists of fusing Japanese and Peruvian cooking, incorporates two of the Adriàs passions: over the last few years, Ferran has become a close friend of the superstar Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, working with him on the G9 and collaborating on a documentary, Perú Sabe, and since 2002, he's visited Japan on twelve occasions.
Ferran tells El Comercio that the project doesn't have a name yet, but that it will be small, accommodating about 30 seats. The food will stick to fusing Peru and Japan, with an emphasis on vegetables: "We want to incorporate — something that doesn't exist in the Japanese or Peruvian cooking — working with vegetables." Though they will limit themselves to those two countries, the chef sees a lot of possibilities. "The best part of Nikkei cooking is that it allows you to be more free," said Adrià. "This type of cuisine is still being built and there is still a long way to go."
Eater hears that the project will occupy a space adjacent the Adrià brothers' one-two punch of Tickets and 41 Degrees Experience. Though he doesn't directly answer the question in the El Comercio interview, Ferran will probably not be in the kitchen here full-time. "I am helping my brother open this place, and not the other way around," he said in a recent conversation with this site.
More details as they become available.
· Chef Ferrán Adriá wants to put Peru on the map [Peru This Week via Fine Dining Lovers]
· All Ferran Adrià Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Albert Adrià Coverage on Eater [-E-]