Georgina Recommends – Oushi Toro, Estepona
When I heard about a new fusion concept which blends Asian and Spanish flavours, I couldn’t wait to try it, as those are two of my favourite foods and it sounded such an interesting idea. Oushi Toro is the summer restaurant of the Kempinski Hotel Bahia in Estepona and open for hotel guests and those from outside, so we headed down to see what the concept was all about and we were not disappointed!
Here’s our overview of this amazing new restaurant –
The location– Oushi Toro is within the 5* Kempinski Hotel Bahia in Estepona, just off the N340 and on the beach. The restaurant is on the terrace overlooking the beautiful pool, a lovely setting for a warm summer’s evening.
The food– Truly amazing! This is such a clever concept which had us in raptures as each new plate came out. These two food styles are so different, yet the chef has skilfully combined the two, just giving little touches on some dishes, or going all out fusion on others.
When we were handed the fun and funky menu, I was intrigued by the selection, honing in on some of my favourite Asian dishes like Gyoza and Ramen and seeing how they had been given a Spanish style. I loved the way that the Gyoza had been filled with oxtail stew, which you know has to work and how they’d jazzed up the humble croquette by adding panko breadcrumbs and a filling of octopus and prawns. These are two dishes you must try!
The problem we had was trying to decide what to have, as it all looked amazing, so we were very grateful to be offered the taster menu and have the choice taken out of our hands. This was six courses of carefully selected dishes – basically Oushi Toro’s greatest hits, and it was divine. I would definitely recommend that for a special occasion, it really allows you to understand the concept and try things you will never have tried before. We were totally blown away by the clever combination of Asian and Spanish cuisines, which were surprising and familiar at the same time.
Apart from the gyoza and the croquettes, here are some of our favourite dishes. The Nigiris with slow cooked Iberian pork jowl, were surprisingly sweet, yet tangy and delicious. The balance of flavour was stunning, although they are a little hard to eat elegantly. We were in raptures about the two tartars, one with king prawns, avocado, mango and yuzu which was Andy and the chef’s favourite and the incredible Kobe beef tartar with Japanese seasoning, which I did not want to share! The balance of flavours and textures in both of these was perfect, and they managed to be both packed with flavour and light at the same time.
The real star of the show was the pudding, rarely the case in Asian restaurants. The chef has invented an amazing spicy ice cream made of Azuki beans, which really packs a punch. He’s balanced that by serving it in a sweet mango soup, so the spice is subtle and just dances on your tongue. This is a real flavour sensation!
I was really blown away by the concept, the execution and the stunning presentation and can’t wait to go back and try some of the other dishes!
The service – The service was classic 5*, with knowledgeable, charming staff, who explained every dish really nicely and were able to make recommendations on wines and combination of dishes. We were even joined by the chef to explain some of the dishes, which was a real treat.
The decor/atmosphere – This is an outdoor restaurant overlooking the pool, so there’s not much décor to mention. There’s an open kitchen where you can see the chefs and the pool is a great backdrop, and on the night we were there it was busy.
The price – This is a 5* hotel and a very special concept, so it isn’t a bargain option, however seems like good value for the quality of the food. The taster menu is 67€ per person, for 6 amazing courses, excluding drinks, which I think is pretty fair for what you get (although the Kobe beef tartar isn’t on this one). The house wine is 31€ per bottle for the white and 35€ for the red, the gyozas are 15€ and the croquettes are 17€ and the mains are between 20€ and 30€ each.
Contact: email culinary.estepona@kempinski.com or call +34 95 280 9500 to make a reservation. The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Saturday 18:30 – 23:00 until the end of September.
