26 DEPARTURES TRAVEL
26 DEPARTURES TRAVEL HERE COMES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Inside the Edo Kobayashi group’s flagship, Rokai Japanese, Mexico City’s hottest culinary destination is – surprise! – Little Tokyo. by Brooke Porter Katz Por Favor RESTAURATEUR EDO LOPEZ WAS on to something when he launched his first-ever project – the sushi spot Rokai (edokobayashi.com) – in a tucked-away Mexico City neighbourhood just a few blocks from the Japanese embassy in 2013. In the years since, openings from his his Edo Kobayashi group have kept on coming, and the area has earned the nickname Little Tokyo, a distinction Lopez takes pride in, as his great-grandfather was a Japan native. The cozy, 25-seat Rokai remains a favourite, thanks to its fresh seafood flown in twice a week from as far as Japan, as well as the US, Canada and other parts of Mexico. You’ll want to make © ROKAI
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: © EMILIA, © ROKAI RAMEN, © BARRA DE GINZA Emilia’s tasting menu showcases refined Japanese-inspired dishes made with Mexican ingredients reservations for a chance to sample some of the best sushi and sashimi in town – and leave the menu up to the chef by ordering the omakase. Directly next door, Rokai Ramen (edokobayashi.com) is just as small as its sister restaurant, and is simply done up in blond wood, white walls and soft globe lighting. Among the favourites: the tan tan ramen, which packs some heat thanks to a generous dose of chilli oil, and the spicy miso chicken wings. Diners can also order from the Rokai sushi menu. A new addition to the Edo Kobayashi empire is Emilia (emilia.rest), a finedining spot run by rising star chef Lucho Martinez, who named the restaurant for his infant daughter. Those who sit at the marble counter facing the open kitchen will experience a nine- to 12-course tasting menu, which showcases refined Japanese-inspired dishes made with Mexican ingredients such as uni pasta with chicatana ants, and bass with mussels, salmon roe and radish flowers. Those who want to continue the party can head across the street to Lopez’s latest project, Tokyo Music Bar (edokobayashi.com), a partnership with the team behind Ginza Music Bar in Tokyo. Inside the stylish drinking den, cocktails are made with Japanese whisky and sake and a vintage sound system – think McIntosh amps, Garrard turntables and Tannoy speakers – pumps out tunes all night. And for a truly round-the-clock experience of Little Tokyo, there’s even a place to stay: the serene, ten-room Ryo Kan (ryokan. mx), created around the concept of the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Just south of Little Tokyo, the yearold Raku Café (rakucafe.com) is worth a journey just to try a traditional matcha (though top-notch coffee is also on the menu). Part of the fun is watching owner Mauricio Zubirats, a devoted practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony, whisk the bright green powder from Kyoto into a rich, earthy tea that you won’t soon forget. Left: chef Lucho Martinez’s team in the kitchen at Emilia; above: veggie ramen at Rokai Ramen Hot Table For a taste of Japan elsewhere in the city, head to the new Barra de Ginza in the well-heeled district Lomas de Chapultepec. Its simple design – including an 18-seat wooden bar and a few tables on the pavement – belies the complex dishes coming out of kitchen, run by Mexican chef Oscar Magaña. Don’t miss the unagi with seared foie gras and udon with uni from Baja. fb.com/barraginza DEPARTURES 27
