Alapar, the Mediterranean izakaya run by Jaume Marambio and Vicky Maccarone, which has occupied the space of the old Pakta for less than a year, has just moved into the semi-open kitchen of the Blanc restaurant (in the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona) to offer a selection of their best dishes. This is the latest establishment invited to a series of pop-ups that aim to create synergies between the hotel and the city’s restaurateurs.
And that they have been the ones chosen for this new adventure is logical, since although the Mandarin Oriental brand is an ambassador of Asian luxury, at its Barcelona headquarters it has never hosted a restaurant that represented the culinary culture of that continent.
To change it, Alapar offers from this Tuesday an experience designed for only 12 diners who, seated at an imposing marble table with views of everything that is cooked in the kitchen, can enjoy some of the bites that have become few months of trajectory to this Mediterranean izakaya in a restaurant to keep track of.
They have divided the menu into four sections (montaditos, niguiris, dishes and desserts) and, although there is no specific order when it comes to starting, they do recommend starting the meal with the niguiris, among which there is no shortage of classics such as bull, ponzu and ginger, to more casual and daring proposals such as the one prepared with matured picaña and teriyaki sauce or the one with smoked mackerel and botarga, a sublime combination.
Among the montaditos that they serve, obviously one of their star snacks is not missing, the squid sashimi with Iberian bacon, although the bull mushipan with wasabi emulsion is also interesting.
Before moving on to dessert -they only offer one, the grilled chocolate mochi-, they recommend trying one of their dishes designed for sharing, among which the delicate lemon fish that they accompany with hoisin sauce and wrap in nasturtium leaves stands out.
Cristian Sánchez, head of sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Barcelona, ​​is in charge of the liquid proposal, who has opted for sake to pair with Alapar’s gastronomic proposal. And his choice surprises, as he picks up some unusual bottles: from the elegant Masumi, a very elegant sparkling sake, to the sweet Iinuma.
