Many South Koreans come to Ciutat Vella to try churros for the first time. Specifically, the Xurreria San Román has received several queues of tourists of this nationality every day for weeks. This curious gastronomic pilgrimage is due to the actress and singer Kim Ji-Soo, from the K-Pop group BlackPink, who, in December 2022, visited this place in the Gothic quarter. The artist shared a video of chocolate with churros through her TikTok account, which soon became a viral trend in her country. The success has been such that the churrería already appears in tourist guides in South Korea.
San Román, founded in 1968, is one of the churrerías with the most tradition and tradition in Barcelona. Before the waves of Koreans brought him back to fame, Salvador Dalí, Infanta Cristina and even Mark Zuckerberg were some of his illustrious clients. Now, its employees make chops with basic Korean vocabulary and its owners plan to open five churreries in South Korea in 2024.
Last January, San Román launched a particular pilot experience by installing a temporary churrería with Korean staff in a shopping center. According to the Spanish tiktoker in Korea, James Rodríguez, there were lines of up to half an hour to taste their chocolate with churros for a price of 7 euros. There are also many consumers who prefer them with cinnamon instead of sugar.
Due to the churrero fervor in Korea, Xurrería San Román is now considering opening three locations in Seoul starting next May, according to statements by partners Francisco Almandros and Xavier Català collected by the EFE agency. The owners are also considering opening two other establishments in the Asian country, for which they will transfer the brand and recipes, and do not rule out opening to other locations in the international market.
The Xurrería Manuel San Román is located at number 8 Nou Banys Street in Barcelona. It is a family-owned company that has preserved the artisanal production processes of its products. In this churrería, in addition to the traditional churros and porras, they also produce salty snacks such as French fries, pork rinds or cod fritters.
San Román has another location at 211 Consell de Cent Street. Both stores are open every day of the week, Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.: 00.
