The Bazaar New York is open!
A restaurant 400 years in the making…
People of Substack!
I am so excited today because I can finally share some news with you. The Bazaar New York has opened at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, the beautiful hotel where we have Zaytinya and Nubeluz.
The Bazaar New York leans on the vision of the Bazaars we have opened in Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington, DC, and soon in Los Angeles…restaurants where small plates are served with a sense of theater and always a sense of history tied to a place. But this one is different from the others; the story it tells is a new one.
It is a place where you will see my Spanish roots, but it is also a tribute to Japanese techniques and flavors. How did I come up with this kind of crazy idea to bring these two cultures together on the plate? Well, you know that I love history, and this story goes back 400 years! Here we go.
Way back in the 17th century, a samurai named Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga left his home in northeastern Japan on a journey. He and his crew sailed first across the Pacific to Acapulco, Mexico, then went overland to the east coast, where they boarded another ship to cross the Atlantic to their destination: the southeastern region of Spain, Andalusia. From there, they made their way to Madrid and met with the king. Some of the crew left for Rome for a meeting with the Pope, while the rest stayed and settled near Seville—where the legacy of the samurai still lives today.
Our restaurant is inspired by Tsunenaga and his crew’s voyages, celebrating the parallels between the two cuisines, which are many. For example, my friends, think about this: Rice paddies dot the north and west of Japan and also the southeast of Spain, giving both countries a deep respect for rice. This made me imagine what a sushi chef could do with the fat bomba rice of Valencia, or what a paellero could do with beautifully polished koshihikari!
The ocean too is foundational to both countries’ cooking. Tuna especially has an almost mythic status in both Japanese and Spanish cultures. In fact, did you know that most of the tuna that’s served in Japan’s best restaurants comes from the seas south of Spain?
Both Spain and Japan have a special relationship with beef. The rubia gallega cows of northern Spain become the intensely flavorful vaca vieja; the wagyu cows of central Japan become supremely marbled Kobe beef.
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There is also a strong dedication to technique in both cultures. Fresh seafood gets the raw treatment in both Spain and Japan—sashimi is the most famous raw preparation in the world, but the simple raw urchin and oysters of Spain’s tapas bars shouldn’t be forgotten.
Portuguese and Spanish missionaries brought their traditions and techniques with them to Japan. The famous tempura was introduced in the 1600s by Portuguese missionaries, who made the fish for Lent. In fact, the name tempura comes from the Latin ad tempora cuaresme, which means ‘in the time of Lent. The Japanese mistook this as the dish's name and called it tempura.
Open fire grilling is also a shared legacy. The Japanese robata grill gives food an unmistakable smokiness, while the wood-fired cooking of the Basque Country (and beyond) is legendary.
See how it all makes sense now?
It’s one thing to have an idea about overlap between two seemingly different culinary cultures and another thing to build a restaurant that lives between these two worlds. It has taken years of imagination, work, and wonder by our culinary and beverage team…all thinking, talking, cooking, creating, testing, retesting and so much eating!
Of course I had a lot of help from my R&D team, especially Manuel Echeverri, culinary director for The Bazaar restaurants, and Koji Terano, head chef of our research & development team. Koji was born in Osaka and has been with our company since 2014. He created a menu where some dishes have Japanese ingredients with Spanish preparations, and others use Japanese techniques with Spanish ingredients.
For example, we showcase both the Japanese robata grill (“konro”) and the Spanish Josper oven grill… but we cook the Ibérico pork over the robata and the Japanese wagyu on the Josper.
For our fried foods, we are making Spanish frituras alongside dishes like Puntillitas, baby Spanish squid coated with Japanese tempura batter and fried until light and crisp, served with squid ink alioli, a variation on the Spanish sauce.
For a Madai (red seabream) Crudo, we use an umami-rich sauce made of tomato water, beloved by Spanish chefs, and Irizake, a reduction of sake, salted plum and kombu that was used as a dipping sauce in Japan around the time Hasekura lived.
The space, which was designed by Spain’s Lázaro Rosa-Violán Studio, also imagines a marriage of two cultures, beginning downstairs at the Bazaar Bar and leading upstairs to our main dining room, a journey which takes inspiration from Hasekura’s travels. The Bazaar Bar downstairs is one of the most beautiful bars I’ve seen (yes, I know I am biased!). Sketches of sailing vessels line the bookshelves and a central, round table is designed to feel like the star maps sailors used to guide their voyages. (You know I love to look at the stars.)
Our Cocktail Innovator, Miguel Lancha, who I have told you about before, has really gone to another level with his cocktail list. I love a drink he has created called “Divine Wind,” which is made with Chrysanthemum-infused shochu, triple sec, clarified lime, butterfly pea tea, and citrus perfume! There’s also a Sake Sangria made with Japanese gin, vermouth, and Buddha’s hand and grapefruit citrus oils that’s topped with cava and Junmai Sparkling Sake.
After cocktails, go up the tiled staircase to our dining room. At its center, you’ll find another mixology bar inspired by Castilian bookshelves. It has amber glass, mirrors, and a brass bottle display built on top of a custom service bar that is only the second of its kind in the country!
It’s an easy place to spend a night dining on a menu inspired by a journey that took place 400 years ago. I hope you love it. And you know I want to hear what you think! Let me know by leaving a comment or send me an email at longertables@joseandres.com.
Can’t believe, “ comes from the Latin ad tempora cuaresme, which means ‘in the time of Lent. The Japanese mistook this as the dish's name and called it tempura “ - the local Japanese restaurant in ELA makes a wonderful special wasabi from fresh wasabi and jalapeño… and the learning keeps going.
A good reason to plan a visit to NYC! And, thank you for all you do ❤️