Quinta Avenida Japanese Gastrobar, Palma

We’re off to Japan for my Restaurant of the Week, with a visit to Quinta Avenida in Palma. Located on the Avinguda del Comte de Sallent, known locally as the ‘avenidas’, it’s only a short walk from the Intermodal station at Plaça de Espanya and several underground car parks.

Step inside and you leave the bustle and noise of the busy road behind you. Quinta Avenida’s décor is contemporary and stylish, with a cosmopolitan vibe. Stone, wood, and plants are key design features. The narrow frontage of this Japanese gastrobar is deceptive because the place is much larger than it first appears.

Chef, sushi man, and co-owner, Raúl Enseñat (not the chef in the photo below) greeted us warmly as we walked past the open kitchen to our table for three.  Counter seating is available for those who like to watch chefs at work while they eat, but we were catching up with a friend we hadn’t seen for a long while, so we chose a conventional table for easier conversation.

The à la carte menu offers plenty of choice for fans of Japanese cuisine, including nigiris, sashimi, rolls, tempura dishes, and fish and meats cooked on the traditional Japanese charcoal grill known as robatayaki. But we were there for one of Palma’s great-value lunch menus, available Monday to Friday (except public holidays), because I’m often asked for lunch recommendations in Palma and realised I hadn’t reviewed this one despite eating here several times and enjoying both the food and the service.

The midday menu – ‘menú mediodía’ – offers a choice of three starters, three mains, and dessert or coffee to finish. The price of 23,50€ includes water, a glass of house wine, or a ‘caña’. It’s no wonder that Quinta Avenida is popular with locals.

To begin, I had a generous portion of miso soup containing two chicken gyozas. Umami-rich, it was a good start to lunch. My two companions chose the well-stuffed mini pork bao buns, which they both enthusiastically demolished.

The main courses were wok with yakiniku beef, chicken thigh teriyaki, or a selection of sushi (14 pieces). My companions opted for the beef, while I chose the delicious chicken on a bed of vegetables.

Dessert was the Japanese sticky rice cake, mochi. Ours came topped with a little strawberry sauce. As we’d had the ‘postre’ rather than the coffee offered within the set lunch, coffee was extra. My americano cost 2,80€.

Palma now boasts quite a few good Japanese restaurants, and Quinta Avenida is definitely one  of them

Prices correct at time of writing.

Photos: Jan Edwards