Hotaru, one of the best Japanese in Mexico, arrives in Madrid

• OPENING Ciro Cristiano, the chef of Big Mamma who flies only with Baldoria

• SALAJE The restaurant that revolutionizes Madrid with 'shows' that everyone replicates

This December 2, in the middle of the season of Christmas business lunches and family dinners, the successful

disembarks in Madrid .

He crosses the pond with

in the hospitality industry, six different gastronomic concepts distributed in 33 business units throughout five cities of the Mexican Republic.

This is his

, which will soon be joined by Houston, in Texas (United States).

Visiting the capital and polishing every last detail, Víctor Setién Valenzuela explains why Madrid while trying bites and checking to the point of rice.

Recognized as one of the characters that most transform Mexico along with his partner and

of him, Alberto Martínez García,

for a long time.

WHY THIS CITY

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"It is a place that we love. Since the pandemic it has

, with the entry of luxurious hotels and a true

gastronomic

In fact, it hasn't taken long to visit the competition, recognizing that there are restaurants that do it very well and people are very open to trying it.

Also, language was not a barrier.

"We saw the opportunity with three brands that can work very well here."

However, they start with Hotaru, "

and one of the smallest," he says, because it is easier to operate as it is manageable.

"Since we have not yet dominated the Spanish market and now we are faced with its culture, working hours and legal specifications, starting this way brought us fewer complications than with a more ambitious project".

THE HEART IN THE BAR

It offers top quality fish and seafood in its dishes.FRANCA STUDIO

There are fish on your menu that you cannot find, others have different names and in the European Union it is guaranteed that certain fishing products, including those consumed raw or semi-raw, are subjected to a freezing treatment to avoid a risk to the health of the consumer. .

That prevents it from being as fresh as in Mexico, where it goes from the boat to the plate practically, Setién slides, and that is why

"We have taken a risk and opted for a large central bar. A traditional Japanese dish with some dishes that is very much ours does not need tropicalization and can work both in Europe and in Rio de Janeiro. With a good product, not much is needed."

From the heart of the restaurant, its chef and right-hand man, Alejandro Pérez, makes pristine cuts of tuna for sashimi and advises diners one on one.

"In Mexico we have four Hotaru restaurants and the largest has 50 people," he says.

In Madrid they will employ 35 people and there are already 4,000 in the entire group.

Setién brings the staff to train them.

On these first visits they ask him

that small.

"For us it is not so much an investment as proof of what Grupo Costeño is capable of doing. It is a good place with nice competitors but I think we know how to do it very well. We have shown it in Mexico and Madrid will be no different" , think.

HIS STORY

The businessmen Alberto Martínez García and Víctor Setién Valenzuela, behind Grupo Costeño, divide their brands and confess to being like brothers.FRANCA STUDIO

The tandem of titans, as they were baptized by the magazine

, started offering tacos and seafood tostadas on plastic tables for 40 diners.

"We were always innovating with dishes and that made us favorites in Torreón. People asked us for a place and said: 'Look, I don't care about the corner.' After that achievement, we were able to expand to a place next door. And we arrived to have

".

In that evolution there was also a learning curve.

That casual where young people have fun turned towards quality, in a more elegant place with good service.

And it didn't work.

Thus began the diversification of concepts in northern Mexico.

"Quality meat and a more attractive place, with higher investments, but we recovered quickly because people loved it."

Here they wanted the Salamanca district.

"In Mexico people look for us to work, here people don't know if we will operate well because they don't know us yet. We close the circle 360 ​​degrees without leaving out any variable. From acoustics to lighting, temperature and noise. Each chef explains the dish for a complete experience. We seek continuous improvement, without rest.

".

Time will tell.

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