Madrid · Izakaya · casual
Okashi Sanda
Japanese izakaya / takoyaki / ramenJapanese paternal heritageFirst gluten-free Japanese restaurant in SpainKansai-style
Okashi Sanda is Spain's first 100% gluten-free Japanese restaurant, founded in 2008 by Tamara Ishihara, who is of Japanese paternal heritage and spent her formative years in Sanda, Hyogo prefecture, near Kobe. The menu celebrates Kansai casual food: takoyaki, ramen, okonomiyaki and gyoza.
- Price
- ¥
- Area
- Malasaña
- Since
- 2008
- Chef
- Tamara Ishihara
Plate № 123
About
Tamara Ishihara was born in Madrid's La Latina barrio to a Spanish mother and Japanese father, but her culinary identity was shaped in Sanda, in the Hyogo prefecture near Kobe, where she spent her early childhood immersed in the everyday food culture of the Kansai region. When she opened Okashi Sanda in 2008, she introduced Madrid to the casual, soulful street food of Japan's most food-proud region: takoyaki were a novelty to Spanish diners, as was the idea of okonomiyaki as an everyday dish. The restaurant pioneered an entirely gluten-free Japanese menu, certified by Spain's coeliac federation FACE, making it a lifeline for the many Japanese food lovers who cannot eat wheat. Now in Malasaña after an initial decade in La Latina, Okashi Sanda is a Madrid institution built on personal authenticity rather than commercial calculation.
Neighborhood & visiting
Okashi Sanda sits in Malasaña, one of Madrid's neighborhoods where authentic Japanese kitchens have taken root.
Why it's on Washoku Guide
- Spain's first 100% gluten-free Japanese restaurant, FACE-certified — a unique offering
- Chef grew up in Sanda, Hyogo (near Kobe), Japan — her Kansai cooking is lived experience, not research
- First restaurant in Spain to offer takoyaki — now a beloved Madrid Japanese classic
- Nearly 20 years of authentic Kansai home cooking, from okonomiyaki to ramen, in the heart of Malasaña
Borderline inclusion: half-Japanese (Japanese father), born Madrid, grew up in Sanda, Japan. FACE gluten-free certified. Founded 2008.
Links
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Frequently asked
About Okashi Sanda
- Is Okashi Sanda an authentic japanese izakaya / takoyaki / ramen restaurant in Madrid?
- Yes — Okashi Sanda is featured in Washoku Guide because it meets our authenticity standard for japanese izakaya / takoyaki / ramen in Madrid: a kitchen grounded in Japanese technique, ingredients and preparation consistent with Japanese practice, and a focused izakaya format.
- Where is Okashi Sanda located?
- Okashi Sanda is located at Calle San Vicente Ferrer, 22, 28004 Madrid, Spain, Madrid, Spain in the Malasaña neighborhood.
- Do I need a reservation at Okashi Sanda?
- Okashi Sanda does not publish an online reservation link. Walk-ins may be possible, but for popular izakaya restaurants in Madrid we recommend calling ahead.
- What is the price range at Okashi Sanda?
- Okashi Sanda sits in the ¥ price range — typical for japanese izakaya / takoyaki / ramen of this format in Madrid.
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