Providing the flavor of Hiroshima’s recovery to Spain
May 1, 2015
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
The owner of a teppanyaki restaurant in Barcelona, Spain has come to Hiroshima to polish his skill at making okonomiyaki at a popular restaurant here. After learning that okonomiyaki symbolizes Hiroshima’s recovery from the atomic bombing, Rafael Gavilan, 33, added it to the menu at his restaurant so people in Spain could learn about Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki has since become a popular item on the menu at his restaurant, Rio.
This is Mr. Gavilan’s third stay in Hiroshima following trips here four years ago and last year. Through May 2 he will be learning more about okonomiyaki at Lopez, a restaurant in Nishi Ward operated by Fernando Lopez, 51, a native of Guatemala, as well as Ganchan in Naka Ward. Hiro Inoue, 73, vice president of the Hiroshima-Spain Society helped Mr. Gavilan work out his itinerary. To thank Mr. Inoue for his kindness, Mr. Gavilan is helping with Spanish language classes offered by the society at the Hiroshima Municipal Center for the Promotion of Gender Equality (Yui Port) in Naka Ward.
At Lopez one day, Mr. Gavilan stood behind the griddle clad in an apron and bandanna and received instruction in Spanish from Mr. Lopez, such as to add cabbage to the okonomiyaki more carefully. While promptly responding “hai” (yes) in Japanese, Mr. Gavilan prepared a basic okonomiyaki. Mr. Lopez praised Mr. Gavilan’s deft handling of the spatulas and said he had improved since last year.
Mr. Gavilan is a fan of the film “Tokyo Story” and the manga “Akira” and has many Japanese friends. He first visited Hiroshima four years ago when he was working at a Japanese restaurant. Fond of the savory smell of the sauce, he went to one okonomiyaki restaurant after another. He also visited the Peace Memorial Museum numerous times.
He said he was shocked by the destruction caused by the atomic bombing. At the same time, he was struck by the fact that okonomiyaki had played a role in the city’s recovery. A year later he and his friend, Fujiko Hirota, a resident of Asa Minami Ward, took over the restaurant in Barcelona. He installed a griddle because he wanted his customers to learn about the wide variety of Japanese food other than the usual sushi and tempura.
He has encountered some difficulties: The temperature of his griddle differs from those in Japan, and he uses Italian egg pasta because it is hard to get uncooked noodles. While trying to keep the original flavor of okonomiyaki, he said he has made slight changes to the sauce and would like to offer more toppings. Once he starts talking about okonomiyaki he can hardly stop.
Mr. Gavilan said that when they come to Japan most Spaniards only go to Tokyo and Kyoto, though many of them also take day trips to Miyajima from Osaka. He said he always tells his customers about Hiroshima and urges them to stay overnight in the city and visit the A-bomb Dome when they come to Japan.
(Originally published on April 27, 2015)
Owner of Japanese restaurant learns art of making okonomiyaki at popular local shop
The owner of a teppanyaki restaurant in Barcelona, Spain has come to Hiroshima to polish his skill at making okonomiyaki at a popular restaurant here. After learning that okonomiyaki symbolizes Hiroshima’s recovery from the atomic bombing, Rafael Gavilan, 33, added it to the menu at his restaurant so people in Spain could learn about Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki has since become a popular item on the menu at his restaurant, Rio.
This is Mr. Gavilan’s third stay in Hiroshima following trips here four years ago and last year. Through May 2 he will be learning more about okonomiyaki at Lopez, a restaurant in Nishi Ward operated by Fernando Lopez, 51, a native of Guatemala, as well as Ganchan in Naka Ward. Hiro Inoue, 73, vice president of the Hiroshima-Spain Society helped Mr. Gavilan work out his itinerary. To thank Mr. Inoue for his kindness, Mr. Gavilan is helping with Spanish language classes offered by the society at the Hiroshima Municipal Center for the Promotion of Gender Equality (Yui Port) in Naka Ward.
At Lopez one day, Mr. Gavilan stood behind the griddle clad in an apron and bandanna and received instruction in Spanish from Mr. Lopez, such as to add cabbage to the okonomiyaki more carefully. While promptly responding “hai” (yes) in Japanese, Mr. Gavilan prepared a basic okonomiyaki. Mr. Lopez praised Mr. Gavilan’s deft handling of the spatulas and said he had improved since last year.
Mr. Gavilan is a fan of the film “Tokyo Story” and the manga “Akira” and has many Japanese friends. He first visited Hiroshima four years ago when he was working at a Japanese restaurant. Fond of the savory smell of the sauce, he went to one okonomiyaki restaurant after another. He also visited the Peace Memorial Museum numerous times.
He said he was shocked by the destruction caused by the atomic bombing. At the same time, he was struck by the fact that okonomiyaki had played a role in the city’s recovery. A year later he and his friend, Fujiko Hirota, a resident of Asa Minami Ward, took over the restaurant in Barcelona. He installed a griddle because he wanted his customers to learn about the wide variety of Japanese food other than the usual sushi and tempura.
He has encountered some difficulties: The temperature of his griddle differs from those in Japan, and he uses Italian egg pasta because it is hard to get uncooked noodles. While trying to keep the original flavor of okonomiyaki, he said he has made slight changes to the sauce and would like to offer more toppings. Once he starts talking about okonomiyaki he can hardly stop.
Mr. Gavilan said that when they come to Japan most Spaniards only go to Tokyo and Kyoto, though many of them also take day trips to Miyajima from Osaka. He said he always tells his customers about Hiroshima and urges them to stay overnight in the city and visit the A-bomb Dome when they come to Japan.
(Originally published on April 27, 2015)
