Chiho Murata
Co-chef of Pilar Akaneya, Madrid's first sumibiyaki (charcoal-grill) restaurant, alongside co-founder Ignasi Elías.
- Repsol Soles
1- Restaurants
- 3
- Born
- 1995 · Fukuroi
Chiho Murata is co-chef of Pilar Akaneya, Madrid's first sumibiyaki restaurant, alongside co-founder Ignasi Elías. Born in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in 1995, she moved to Barcelona in 2015, met Elías in 2016, and became executive chef of his Akaneya group after joining in 2018. She has led the group's sourcing of Crown Melon and Matsusaka Beef from Japan and worked on the design of the Pilar Akaneya and Marie Akaneya (Paris) spaces. Pilar Akaneya is Michelin Guide Selected and holds a Repsol Sol.
Biography
Early years
Murata was born in 1995 in Fukuroi, a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. She moved to Barcelona in 2015 to study Humanities and improve her Spanish.
Career
She met Ignasi Elías, founder of the Akaneya sumibiyaki restaurant group, in 2016, and began collaborating with him shortly after, joining Akaneya part-time in 2018 before becoming executive chef. Murata led the group's importing of Crown Melon from her hometown of Fukuroi and Matsusaka Beef from Japan's Ito Ranch, and worked as a designer, alongside studio C97, on the Pilar Akaneya space in Madrid (opened 2020) and the Marie Akaneya space in Paris (opened May 2023). Akaneya became the first foreign company accepted by Japan's Matsusaka Beef Association in the association's 60-plus-year history.
Philosophy
In an interview with Con Mucha Gula, Murata described working the sumibiyaki charcoal grill as physically and emotionally demanding: a craft that, given the extreme heat involved, requires skill, strength, and considerable dedication.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
2Elsewhere
1Chiho Murata in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Chiho Murata’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Repsol Sol (Pilar Akaneya, Madrid)
- ·Michelin Guide Selected (Pilar Akaneya, Madrid)
- ·Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2023: Best Restaurant in Madrid and Best Japanese Restaurant in Spain (Pilar Akaneya)
- ·First foreign company accepted by Japan's Matsusaka Beef Association in its 60-plus-year history (Akaneya group)
Frequently asked
Does Chiho Murata have a Michelin star?
No. Pilar Akaneya, which she runs with founder Ignasi Elías, is Michelin Guide Selected and holds a Repsol Sol, but does not hold a Michelin star.
Where does Chiho Murata cook?
She's the chef of Pilar Akaneya, in Madrid's Ríos Rosas neighbourhood, which she runs with co-founder Ignasi Elías.
What is Chiho Murata's background?
Born in 1995 in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, she moved to Barcelona in 2015 to study Humanities, met Ignasi Elías in 2016, and became executive chef of his Akaneya group after joining in 2018.
What is Pilar Akaneya known for?
It's Madrid's first sumibiyaki (charcoal-grill) restaurant, serving certified Kobe beef and Crown Melon imported from Murata's hometown of Fukuroi.
Does Chiho Murata cook at Carlota Akaneya in Barcelona?
No. Carlota Akaneya, the Akaneya group's original Barcelona restaurant, was opened by Ignasi Elías in 2011, before Murata joined the group in 2018; its kitchen today is run by chef Juan José Pernía.
What is Marie Akaneya?
It's the Akaneya group's Paris restaurant, which opened in 2023 and whose design Murata worked on with studio C97.