Thirteen years after its opening, Momiji returns this Wednesday to the Colón Market with a completely transformed space. The Valencian studio Arnau-Reyna designed the renovation, inspired by Japanese autumn—the literal meaning of Momiji—manga, and the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine.
After months of closure for renovations, the result is a combination of reddish and dark tones with stainless steel, in a design that evokes a culinary laboratory without sacrificing the spirit of an Asian street food stall.
Momiji reopens this Wednesday, May 20, with three menus and keeps the bar open, but gains in privacy and intimacy.
The major structural change is the addition of partitions that shield the bar area from market traffic, a long-standing request from its clientele. The kitchen remains open to view.
Prices for Momiji’s menus
The restaurant is open every day except Sunday and Monday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Its cuisine can be enjoyed both à la carte and as set menus, ranging from 25 euros for the lunch menu to 65 euros for the Atelier menu, the most comprehensive option, which includes sashimi with ponzu and daikon, hamachi tiradito, tuna belly (toro) nigiri, and bluefin tuna belly in Namban-style marinade.
Between the two, the Momiji menu for 50 euros offers dishes such as steamed gyoza, salmon sashimi, scallop and hamachi nigiri, bluefin tuna uramaki with kimchi, eel temaki with nori and shiso, and dessert.
Behind the project is chef and owner Diego Laso, whose career is marked by a life-changing immersion in Japan and the discipline of martial arts applied to cooking.
It is endorsed by the All Japan Sushi Association and features training at top-tier institutions such as GASMA. Momiji’s reopening comes at a time of expansion for Laso: he recently opened Amas, named the best new opening of the year in the Valencian Community by the Macarfi Guide, and ONAMI, a Japanese haute cuisine restaurant with a bar for eight diners, both at the AR Diamante Beach hotel in Calpe.