Christmas arrives at Kabuki Madrid with a special sparkle this year. The restaurant, renowned for its mastery in blending Japanese tradition with a contemporary twist, is offering a Christmas brunch designed by chef Alejandro Durán for the first time. The brunch is available every Sunday in December until Sunday 4 January inclusive, an unexpected offering, meticulously crafted and designed to surprise even the restaurant’s regulars, who are well aware of the chef’s perfectionism and his absolute respect for the produce.
Amidst the aromas of yuzu, nods to Spanish cuisine and a festive atmosphere that eschews the obvious, Durán invites diners to experience Christmas with calm, flavour and a certain dose of gastronomic daring.
We spoke with him to find out the origin of this idea, his favourite dishes on the menu and what it means to bring the Christmas spirit to a space so marked by Japanese essence. In this interview, he opens the doors to his kitchen… and his way of understanding the celebration.
How did the idea of creating a Christmas brunch at Kabuki Madrid come about, and what inspired you to launch it this year?
Brunch is a modern and contemporary service that is becoming very popular in the capital. We did a first trial of this service on Valentine’s Day and decided to launch it this Christmas season.
What elements or dishes would you highlight as essential in this special Christmas offering?
The fluffy pancakes are particularly noteworthy. They are very famous and acclaimed throughout Japan and are usually eaten sweet. At Kabuki Madrid, we offer them as well as a version more adapted to what we usually eat at brunch, which would be our version of fluffy Benedictine pancakes with Joselito ham, as well as our gunkan benedictine, which we make with crispy brioche bread, quail’s egg and crispy Joselito ham.
How do you balance the traditional essence of Christmas cuisine with the contemporary Japanese identity that characterises Kabuki?
On the one hand, when we hear Japan, tradition and respect for culture immediately come to mind, just as Christmas is steeped in tradition. At Kabuki, we wanted to continue respecting both the products we use and traditions, while always adding our characteristic touch mixed with cutting-edge techniques and cuisines from around the world.
What culinary challenges did you encounter when designing a brunch that combines both worlds, and how did you overcome them?
It wasn’t really very difficult. It’s a time of year that has always fascinated me because of the atmosphere and the wide variety of dishes that our families and everyone else prepare, so it was just a matter of delving into my taste memory and doing a little research.
What do you hope diners will feel or discover when they try this Christmas brunch for the first time?
We hope that our regular customers will be surprised by this new addition of flavours, and that those coming for the first time will discover that at Kabuki we seek to reach a different audience and believe that sharing the Kabuki experience with family or friends in an informal way is the best way to celebrate this time of year.
