Eric, 35 years old, works as a cook and waiter at Yama.remedios valls
Judging by the waiting list, which is about a year and a half long, Yama in Granada is on the Olympus of restaurants where you have to wait one, two or three seasons to eat there. And although, without going into comparisons, the quality is extreme and the dining experience is great, the reasons for this huge delay in the waiting list have different origins. First, only Eric – the Westernized name of Zijian Xiong – works at Yama, its owner, chef and head waiter.
Secondly, his decision to only serve two tables per service, each with a maximum of two people. And thirdly, open for lunch and dinner only four days a week – Wednesday to Saturday – and closed one month of the year for public holidays. The calculation results in 64 tables per month and 128 guests. There is no more. That and the good reputation have currently extended the waiting list to 14.7 months, i.e. until the first quarter of 2025. Overwhelmed Eric, he's not taking any new reservations for now.
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Life was not always like this in this small space of just over 30 square meters, soft colors, minimal decoration and spartan coziness and aesthetics, even on the dishes. With four people per shift and Eric in the kitchen, the place is always busy yet quiet and intimate. On July 8, 2022, when the chef opened the restaurant, and the following week, hardly anyone came in. That same week, he recalls, his first Glovo order came in. “Five minutes later, the delivery man was there to see if it was ready.” When he started the business, Eric hired a Spanish employee to help him. He, who speaks Spanish slowly and with some difficulty, says he didn't understand him and the relationship didn't work out.
In short, there was only one online review in three months. “One very angry person gave me just one star and complained that I didn't treat her well.” So I had six bar tables. On rainy days, he remembers, it was packed: “I once had 13 people and I was alone to prepare and serve the sushi, and it took 50 minutes to put the drinks in.” On one of those days, the restaurant was full and there was hardly any space, he cut his finger. He needed to shut down for a while and could reconsider.
Yama uses fresh produce, including “wasabi,” which he rubs with a small sharkskin sandpaper
“I decided to do the sensible thing,” he remembers. Stop, breathe and change the system. He took four of the six high tables out of circulation and replaced them with two low ones. The gastronomic experience is great and although you can find sushi, what usually happens in a restaurant with this type of cuisine doesn't happen there. The product, mostly fish, enjoys great popularity thanks to a seemingly simple but well-rounded and very careful preparation. The modesty of the presentation on a plain white plate is the opposite of the flavor contained within.
Yama has changed his way of working over time. The new year and reopening have meant that opening days have been abolished and are now open from Wednesday to Saturday at four o'clock in two shifts – lunch and dinner – meaning four tables and eight guests per day. So Eric, who insists on the importance of “listening to the customer”, offers eight exclusive performances a week, two hours of absolute gastronomic beauty without any additives.
Shrimp 'Niguiri'. Vall's remedy
The menu changes daily and is closed. You don't have to select anything. The omakase proposal is something similar, says Eric, to “putting everything in the hands of the chef.” It all depends on the product you find in the market or that the Espinete fishmonger delivers, your supplier, “who is also the one at Bar FM, one of the best places in the city,” he rightly points out. The philosophy is simple: the best possible raw material. On the day EL PAÍS visits, the menu consists of 11 dishes based on fish and beef: shrimps from Motril – a discovery that fascinates him – white shrimps from Motril and red shrimps from Huelva, bonito, scallop, red Tuna belly, salmon, foie, black truffle and wagyu.
The menu has a price of 68 euros but varies depending on the daily proposal. The chef prepares nigiris, futomakis and gunkans using koshihikari rice – creamy and “the best for sushi”. The result is a very delicate sushi that can only be rounded off with a traditional Japanese mochi for dessert, in keeping with the chef's philosophy of “less is more”.
“Gunkan” made from red tuna belly. Vall's remedy
Eric treats the rice and especially the fish gently, shaping the dish. The customer does not see the soy on the table to serve it at his own discretion. “Many people don’t know how to eat sushi and abuse soy, which adds salt to the product and changes the taste,” he defends himself. And for this reason the dish comes from the hands of the master, seasoned with this sauce and wasabi, which he uses in its natural form and which he gradually rubs with a small sharkskin sandpaper. The average ticket price, he explains, is 80 euros if the drink is combined with a few beers and 100 euros if you opt for wine. They also offer a small selection of sake.
And how did Eric get to Elvira Street, the street that gives access to the Albaicín and is one of the most touristy and at the same time traditional streets in the city? The first fact is that although he works as a chef at 35, until a few years ago he worked as a guitar teacher in his hometown of Shanghai. In his twenties, after graduating from university, he founded a guitar school for children. Business was more than good and four years later there were already four centers, which 15 years later had become 15 with 200 employees. One day, encouraged by a Chinese friend who lived in Granada, he flew into the city. He repeated it several times and three years ago he finally settled down. Things weren't bad for him financially: his musical training centers continued to run and he remained responsible.
One of the only two tables the restaurant has. Vall's remedy
This economic relief allowed him to eat in the best places in the city and make friends… “And ask and ask.” Because years ago, Eric didn't know how to cook, although he was fascinated by Japanese culture. Only shortly before moving to Spain did he look for a teacher from whom he could learn to cook. Although no one believed in him, he recalled laughing, he was sure of his success and persevered. There were days in the first few weeks when no one came in. Today the place is full until 2025.
Yama
- Address: Elvira, 113, Albaicín, 18010 Granada.
- Time schedule: Two shifts from Wednesday to Saturday: from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- At half price: between 80 and 100 euros, depending on the drink.
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