Can Kenji - L'Eixample, Barcelona

We have a real weakness for Japanese food and have previously mentioned Kibuka, which is one of our favourites. On the recommendation of some friends we recently visited the Japanese restaurant Can Kenji and have since been back a few times. Now we have never actually been to Japan but we suspect that this place unlike many other "Japanese" restaurants is the real deal. This is based on the fact that they serve some rather unusual stuff and that the place is generally full of Japanese/Asian guests. This is the first place that I have seen raw horse on the menu (Tataki de cavall), which is in fact delicious, or vegetable based desserts with potato and beans.

Now these dishes are some of the more unusual ones and there are many less experimental dishes. The sushi is served the traditional way here and is a good option if you feel like playing it safe. The quality of the fish and rice is excellent - perfectly made and served! The dishes are relatively small so we would suggest that you stick with the Barcelona tapas concept and sample many dishes when you visit Can Kenji. The place is reasonably priced and table reservation is essential as it is always packed. DC!

Kibuka - Gràcia, Barcelona

For the first few days in Barcelona most visitors go into a Tapes frenzy but eventually most reach a Tapes saturation point. Fortunately, Barcelona has excellent restaurants and cafes serving everything you can dream off from across the globe. There are many Asian restaurants throughout the city and an absolute favourite of ours is Kibuka. There are three Kibuka places including Fast Kibuka (Take away only), Kibuka Sushi Bar & Drinks, and Kibuka Sushi Bar and Restaurant. Undoubtedly, all three places are excellent but thus far we have only been to the latter. Judging by the number of non-Catalans present Kibuka Sushi Bar & Restaurant must have been mentioned in a guide book somewhere. And believe us when we say it's popular with the locals and foreigners alike. If you arrive around normal Catalan dinner time (10 pm) be prepared to stand in line for a considerable time. Consequently we always have dinner here early by Catalan standards (around 8 - 9 pm) at which time the place is already three quarters full. They have an extensive menu covering classic sushi and hot dishes as well as a long range of modern sushi and hot dish creations. We have been working our way through the menu and the quality of everything is excellent but obviously some of the more experimental stuff will not be to every one's taste. Around 4-5 dishes is what we usually have. The kitchen has a bad habit of preparing everything you order at once and serving starters, mains etc in one go. So make sure to order a little at a time to make things a bit more relaxing and enjoyable. A menu in English is available on request. The menu is moderately priced and will not wreck your budget. DC!
UPDATE! Recently we discovered that Kibuka has an amazing lunch deal on week days. For approx. 13 Euros/person we got a soup, sushi, noodles, dessert and a drink. More than enough! Fortunately they were happy to wrap the remains up for us to take home.