Naoki: bluefin tuna and talent East of Eden
Summary:
A logbook by Sensei Hiroshi Umi.
Talent arises in unexpected places, and knows nothing of place names or genders. It may flourish in metropolitan eateries, roadside inns, cafés in busy metro stations, gastrobars or any venue set up to serve food. It must, though, have a distinctive hallmark and identity, non-transferable traits.
In the case which here concerns us, as in the world of cinema, talent emerges East of Eden. Because our protagonist found his place, freedom and clientèle to the east of Madrid, in the satellite towns that stand on the banks of the rivers Jarama and Henares. Populous new towns that have arisen out of centrifugal urban development: the pressure on prices and land in the capital has prompted a growing diaspora, and hence an interest in new culinary offerings to be set up in areas further from Madrid’s city centre.
From graphic arts to Naoki Japanese Street Food
Iván Peiró is the itamae behind Naoki Japanese Street Food, a venue in Rivas Vaciamadrid which is very much on the up, and well worth a visit. The life story of Iván, now aged 43, speaks of meandering destinations, and decisions reached at a crossroads. And above all, a devotion to Japanese cuisine, with bluefin tuna its utmost exponent.
Before his sushi and sashimi, though, he dealt in ink and typography. “I grew up in Arganda del Rey, in the centre. I spent 12 years working as a graphic artist, and would have liked to take the examination for the State law enforcement agencies, but there were no places available. I went to London, planning to study. As I didn’t speak the language, I ended up working in the kitchen. This was in 2009. I started off doing salads, and as I was really keen to learn, my enthusiasm built up. The restaurant was called Chisou, and it’s still open, a really fancy place. It’s in Knightsbridge, near Harrods department store. I was there for five years. I gradually worked my way up, until I was familiar with the whole kitchen. The person who taught me was from Malaysia, and in my fourth year he decided to open his own restaurant. He taught me practically everything I know,” the chef says.
After half a decade there, nostalgia drove him back home, to share times with his family and loved ones. Sadly, his father died shortly afterwards. All of a sudden. Iván rethought everything. “Before he died, my father had taken me to a job interview at Hattori Hanzo (a pioneering izakaya in Madrid). They called to offer me the job, but at that time, because of my loss, I didn’t take them up on it. I needed time to piece everything back together. A few months later I went back into the kitchen. Bugheisa opened at what had previously been Shibuya, in Arganda, and I started working there,” he recalls.
After that stage in his life, having created the whole Bugheisa menu with an elegant and succulent air, Iván decided to move to Rivas. He inspected a few premises, and found the perfect place backing on to the Lagunas wetlands in neighbouring Velilla de San Antonio. A fairly new area, with a refined clientèle. That was back in 2020. Thanks to his success in the kitchen, Naoki is now entirely his.
Festival of bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna is a constant. “I get through around eight kilos a week, three of belly. I have room for 38 covers, but I don’t want to set a bar up. I’d rather have a little done just right, than a lot done poorly. I now have two tasting menus for 75 and 60 euros. The more expensive one includes beef sirloin with foie gras,” explains this giant of a man, who had the makings of a left-footed footballer. “I made it as far as the reserve ranks at Rayo Vallecano,” he recalls.
Iván’s approach reveals a sober character of few words, deploying talent that speaks of his time in London, and his self-taught path following his return to Spain. He starts off with an outstanding spicy tartar of bluefin tuna, served with sesame, soy, salt, pepper, Japanese chives and shavings of tempura, like fine rainfall; another option is the toro tartar, crowned with a quail’s egg; the tataki comes with flower salt, kimchi mayonnaise and a light sesame batter, topped with teriyaki sauce; the well-marbled carpaccio opens on the plate like a flower, and has a hint of truffle; There is also room for spicy tuna temaki, sashimi hirazukuri (traditional cut) and a salad in which the naked fish lies on a bed of salmorejo; hot and cold nigiris (aburi, blowtorched bream), hosomakis and uramakis…
He also has an elegant way with hamachi, croaker, oysters and scallops… “We are thinking of doing a few tuna days, like sushi workshops to teach how to do it. There are lots of people who show an interest and ask us. We’re taking it one step at a time,” Iván concludes. A whole well-calibrated carousel of bluefin tuna, served up with the balance of an honest, capable guy, shaped by life and its ups and downs. Which is why he named his restaurant Naoki. “As well as being a proper noun, in Japanese it means that which grows straight, like a good tree, on the right path….”.
