Pedro Espina
Spanish itamae (sushi chef) and chef-owner of Soy, an eight-table Japanese room in Madrid's Chamberí district.
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Pedro Espina is a Spanish itamae (sushi chef) who spent eight years training in Japan, moving from apprentice to itamae under teachers including Mitamura, before returning to Spain to work at Suntory and Tsunami in Madrid. He opened his own restaurant, Soy, on Calle Viriato in Madrid's Chamberí district in 2008, and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries later gave him its Taste of Japan honorary award.
From @soypedroespina on Instagram
Sahimi de hamachi en cítrico #sashimi #hamachi #restaurante #Madrid #ebi #japan #sushibar #restaurantemadrid
Nigiri de ventresca de atún/toro #sushi #sushilovers #cocinajaponesa #Japón #japan #madrid #chamberi #planesmadrid #restaurantemadrid
Miso con bogavante. #ロブスター #みそ #フード #lobster #miso #misosoup #japanesechef #japanesefood #sopamiso #sopa #cocinadeautor #cocinajaponesa #日本食 #healthyfood #asianfood #comida
Biography
Career
Espina's route into Japanese cooking started with martial arts: a trip to Japan in his early twenties, taken for that reason, turned into something bigger on a second visit, and he decided to build his life around it. He spent eight years training in Japan, working from apprentice up to itamae, a process that included long stretches devoted just to rice before he ever touched a blade. He credits one teacher in particular, Mitamura, with introducing him to the world of sushi. Back in Spain, he worked at Suntory and then at Tsunami in Madrid before opening his own restaurant, Soy, on Calle Viriato in 2008, an eight-table room with no sign on the door. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, working with the Japanese Embassy and the Taste of Japan Council in Spain, later gave him its Taste of Japan honorary award.
Philosophy
Espina treats each ingredient as something to listen to before working it, aiming for what he calls simple and sublime: stripping away anything that isn't essential. He describes sushi-making as closer to composing music than cooking, chasing a balance of flavor, aroma and texture, and credits martial arts and reiki with shaping how he works.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Pedro Espina in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Pedro Espina’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Taste of Japan Honorary Award, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Frequently asked
Who is the chef at Soy?
Pedro Espina owns and runs Soy in Madrid's Chamberí district, which he opened in 2008 after eight years training as an itamae in Japan.
What makes Pedro Espina notable?
He spent eight years training in Japan, rising from apprentice to itamae, before opening Soy in Madrid in 2008.
Where did Pedro Espina train?
He trained in Japan for eight years, working his way up from apprentice to itamae, a path that included years spent solely on preparing rice, and names a teacher called Mitamura as the one who introduced him to sushi.
When did Pedro Espina open Soy?
He opened Soy, an eight-table room with no sign on the door, on Calle Viriato in Madrid in 2008, after earlier working at Suntory and then at Tsunami in the same city.
Has Pedro Espina won any awards?
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, working with the Japanese Embassy and the Taste of Japan Council in Spain, gave him its Taste of Japan honorary award.
Where is Soy located?
Soy sits on Calle Viriato in Madrid's Almagro area of Chamberí, a small, discreet room with no sign on the door and just eight tables, where Pedro Espina has cooked since opening it in 2008.