[Japan: Kanazawa] 2* Respiracion

April 25, 2026

[Japan: Kanazawa] 2* Respiracion

Rating: 4.25/5

Follow me to Repiracion - a modern Spanish Japanese restaurant showcasing Ishikawa ingredients in Kanazawa! The restaurant is founded by 3 childhood friends who had each built separate culinary careers before opening Respiracion together in 2017. Housed in a traditional machiya (Japanese wooden townhouse) with more than 150 years of history, the dining experience starts in the tranquil tea room where guests can decompress from the outside world before embarking to the main dining room. The menu features local ingredients sourced from suppliers that have been carefully curated over the years. One ingredient that is always on the menu is the local amaebi (sweet shrimp) where the entire shrimp from the shell to the innards is used to make a single dish. Other notable seasonal ingredients we had included sansai (wild mountain vegetables) and hotaru ika (firefly squid). My favorite dish of the night was the paella with hotaru ika! We had a highly enjoyable evening tasting the terroir of Ishikawa through the chefs’ creative interpretation. The unique flavors and precise cooking at Respiracion is no doubt worth the trip to Kanazawa. The fantastic wine pairing featuring wines from France, Spain and Japan is not to be missed as well - incredible that we got to try a Gevrey-Chambertin made by Japanese winemaker Kei Shiogai here!

Impact shrimp

甘海老