A note on the words: innovative dining here describes what is apparently a hybrid kitchen of Chinese and Spanish cooking; the name is said to be read “tex-TOO-ra,” not “texture.” Mapo tofu is a classic Sichuan dish of tender tofu simmered in a savory, chili-infused broth fragrant with tingling huajiao (Sichuan pepper), while ebi chili is shrimp in a chili sauce. Yodare-dori (“mouthwatering chicken”) is a Sichuan chicken dish in a chili sauce, served here in a kobachi alongside the lunch set.
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TexturA on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. I had errands in Hibiya and went over to Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. With the errands wrapped up, I thought about grabbing lunch, but arriving a bit on the late side, quite a few places inside Midtown had already finished their lunch service. Wondering if I should just wander outside and pick wherever caught my eye, I stepped out of Midtown Hibiya and walked along until a restaurant called “TexturA” came into view. I initially thought it might be pronounced “texture,” but apparently it is read as “tex-TOO-ra” — is that the Spanish pronunciation, I wonder? Looking it up, it seems to be a restaurant combining Chinese and Spanish cuisine, which struck me as quite an intriguing pairing, so I decided to head inside.
It was fairly crowded, and the only available seats were at the counter, but that did not bother me at all, so I had them seat me there.
Katsu sandwich with black vinegar — 1,650 yen
Mapo tofu — 1,650 yen
Shrimp ajillo — 1,650 yen
Ebi chili — 1,650 yen
Yamagata pork confitado — 1,650 yen
Squid cooked in its ink with butter rice — 1,650 yen
Tantanmen — 1,650 yen
I see, Spanish and Chinese cooking really are blended here.
Hmm, while the Spanish side piques my curiosity too, I think I will try the Chinese after all. I chose the mapo tofu.
And so, I waited a little while.
And then, the mapo tofu arrived first.
Ooh, that looks good.
The kobachi side dishes are yodare-dori, soup, and salad.
The yodare-dori is properly spicy with a nice tingle, and delicious! It has a real proper feel to it. The soup is elegant and tasty too!
The mapo tofu is not overwhelmingly spicy, but you definitely feel the spice of the huajiao (Sichuan pepper), and the broth base must be delicious.
It is remarkably mellow with a deep, rich flavor, and very tasty. Considered on its own, it would probably rank near the top among all the mapo tofu I have eaten.
For a Spanish-and-Chinese hybrid concept, it is genuinely, solidly good Chinese food. Could it be that techniques from Spanish cooking are blended in to make it so good?
And here is the ebi chili.
It bothered me a little that there was more than a 15-minute gap before it came out, but this looks quite appetizing as well!
However, compared to the mapo tofu the portion was much smaller, and above all it took so long to arrive that it might be a landmine item to watch out for, ha.
Perhaps because it was crowded, if you order popular dishes like mapo tofu they make them in batches so they come right out, whereas if you call for a rarer dish that hardly anyone orders, it gets pushed back and ends up being just a small serving — maybe that is what happened.
All in all, the food itself at this restaurant was thoroughly delicious. They seemed quite hectic during the lunch rush, but perhaps from late afternoon into the evening one might be able to enjoy a meal a bit more comfortably? When it is less crowded next time, I would like to try ordering a short course. Do be careful with the rarer items at lunchtime! If you stick with the mapo tofu, I think you cannot go wrong.
TexturA (Innovative / Hibiya Station, Yurakucho Station, Ginza Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
