This is a district in Urawa Station West Exit, where various restaurants are gathered along Nakamachi Heiwa Dori.
The neighboring restaurant "Tennepufuji" offers a highly challenging menu with only 15 meals available for lunch. On the first floor of this building, there’s the "KANKO," a place offering the most luxurious afternoon tea in its category.
Before I knew it, the Italian restaurant had turned into a Spanish restaurant. So, I decided to make a quick inspection before visiting for lunch.
It seems that this is the second branch of the "Akabu Spain Club". Previously, this location also housed the second branch of the "Il Cantì" chain, known as "Samthing Due". It's just a coincidence that it's related to the second branch.
The first branch, located in Akabu, opened in 2017. The Urawa branch opened in June.
This is a casual restaurant with a chef who has also appeared on television, and a manager who holds qualifications as a sommelier.
Sunday lunch time, right in the middle of the day. I thought it would be quite crowded, but when I went up the stairs and peeked inside the restaurant, I saw that there was only about half the usual occupancy.
The previous "Something Due" was a popular restaurant that would even exclude people from entering immediately after it opened. It seems that it hasn’t yet gained recognition as a new establishment.
Despite having a sign adorned with a dazzling vitamin-colored Spanish flag, it’s difficult to tell whether the restaurant is actually open or not. This makes it a likely spot for hidden gems.
While hoping for something special, I found a paella on the menu.
After asking the staff, they said that it was possible to order starting from one person per portion, so I made a decision immediately.
Chef’s Special! Large Paella of Seafood @1900
It's also nice that you can choose between meat or seafood as the ingredients. Most importantly, the option to order a portion for one person is a significant advantage.
Generally, a serving of paella amounts to about two people’s portions.
Since there was no special announcement from the staff, I felt a bit uneasy. However, since the place wasn’t yet crowded, the service was quick.
Enjoyed the perfect al dente cooking technique, where the flavors of tomatoes, olives, and seafood are fully absorbed, resulting in a concentrated umami taste with the grains of rice still intact.
The rice is cooked in a firm manner.
In the Akami Bridge area, I even bought a pot for making paella. For a while, I was really into making paella. That's because there were hardly any places where I could go alone and have paella served to me.
Chicken, Idaho crab, and mussels stand prominently in the center of the restaurant.
为了保险起见,我尝试了大份的套餐,结果果然如我所料,分量刚刚好。还有那些粘在锅底的焦糊食物,这让我有点开心。
Urawa has many French and Italian restaurants, but Spanish cuisine is still an area that needs more development.
“クズザンポ”はバルっぽくて、飲酒能力が低い人には向いていない。また、“シェフ・デ・ブッチョ”はフレンチ風のコースがメインなので、そういう人には向きません。これは、うまく隙間に入り込むことができた良い店の兆しです。
Spanish cuisine, which is not very well-known yet, offers plenty of opportunities for exploration. The tapas are reasonable and come in a wide variety.
The staff were all cheerful, like Latin Americans, and they showed great hospitality. When we left, they even opened the door for us to see us off.
At the "Spanish Club" in Tsukimashima, there are flamenco shows performed. When the pampelina is ready to be served, a bell rings, and a staff member carrying a large pot walks around the restaurant, serving the pampelina. This is a famous feature of the restaurant. But it seems unrelated to this particular experience.





