La Coco - An Unexpected Japanese Secret
Everything about La Coco is adorable. Not adorable in a cute way, but in an attractive, cool, inviting, and friendly manner. This Japanese restaurant opened just before lockdown and was open only a few weeks before they had to close their doors again. But now they are doing better than ever, and we are delighted.
La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
The place is small but elegant, in a sophisticated, straightforward way. The restaurant is designed by a local Japanese architect team, Kobfuji (they have also done projects such as Sato I Tanaka), and I love how different it is from what we are used to seeing.
On our visit, we were greeted by two friendly Japanese ladies who are running the show at La Coco. The chef has a solid background in surprising places such as Gresca (!). Here she offers comforting Japanese dishes for both lunch and dinner. Some of them are classics we are familiar with, such as the takoyaki, and more unusual dishes such as shiraae (tofu salad with vegetables) or the panna cotta with kinako (roasted soybean flour).
La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
One of the many exciting things about La Coco is its wine list. They offer a surprising array of Spanish wines and pair them skillfully with the Japanese dishes they offer. Make sure to ask for the best pairings.
Takoyaki at La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Dry curry at La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Omusoba at La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
We visited at noon when they offer a lunch menu, but we chose to try things from the regular menu too. We opted for a wonderful and spicy dry curry, the takoyaki, and omusoba, a dish I hadn’t tried before. The omusoba is a yakisoba-filled omelet, a fascinating explosion of flavors. They have home-made cakes and more for dessert, but I asked for tea, and they offered one of my favorites, a hojicha tea.
La Coco, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
La Coco is slightly hidden away on a side street in Gracia; this isn’t a place you would stumble upon. So make sure to add it to your To Go-list immediately; this is an exceptional restaurant.
La Coco, Carrer d'Aulèstia i Pijoan, 6, 08012 Barcelona (Gracia).
