I was in DC for a graduation ceremony and needed to eat dinner afterwards. A quick search found an interesting looking place that serves Spanish and Japanese tapas. Little did I realize that Cranes Spanish Kaiseki once had a Michelin star. I was in for an incredible meal.

Cranes is the first US restaurant of renowned chef Pepe Moncayo. Originally from Barcelona, he started his career in Spain working at several restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Via Veneto with Chef Santi. In 2010, he followed Santi to Singapore helping him establish the restaurant named Santi. While in Singapore, Moncayo opened his first restaurant Bam! in 2013. Moving to the United States, he opened Cranes in late 2020 to great acclaim. Since then, Moncayo briefly operated a Singaporean restaurant in Tysons Corner and recently opened a Spanish restaurant, Arrels, in the Arlo Hotel in Judiciary Square. Cranes is his most famous restaurant.

As you can imagine, Cranes is a popular place. I was there on a Wednesday and had difficulty getting a table. I was seated in the bar area.

Menu

It turned that on Wednesdays, Cranes has an all you can eat special called Pim Pam Pum, The name comes from a Spanish idiomatic expression that means “something you do with ease.” I went with this special. Details can be found below.

Tapas

The menu has some classic Spanish tapas: Charcuteries, Patatas Bravas, and Shishito Peppers. Additionally, there are two Japanese tapas: Miso Glazed Tofu and Squid. However, even the Spanish dishes have Japanese influences. For instance, the Patatas Bravas is served with, yuzu-kosho ketchup.

I ordered only one of these tapas, the Miso Glazed Tofu. The dish is topped with pickled onions and a sesame sauce. The tofu serves mainly as a vehicle for the flavors of the glaze, which is exquisite.

Finger Food

The finger food items are Karage Chicken, Pork Ribs, Wagyu Burger, and Canelon Wrap. Karage Chicken, deep fried chicken, is classic Japanese street food. I am curious as to what Crane’s take on it is like, but it is the only finger foods I did not order.

I loved every one of the three I ordered. The ribs are tender and served with a delicious sweet and spicy gochujang glaze. The burger is juicy and tender and has a spicy kick from jalapenos. The Canelon Wrap is packed with braised lamb and topped with shredded Manchego cheese. It is a favorite of my waiter’s, and I can see why. But my favorite is actually the Wagyu Burger. The jalapenos put it on top.

Tempura

Tempura is a classic Japanese cooking technique where items are fried in a light panko breading. Crane’s has three choices: Vegetables, Shrimp, or Fish (the menu does not specify the kind). My meal had been pretty light on vegetables, so I ordered the vegetable tempora.

The breading was a little bit heavier than I expect from tempura, but it still retained the traditional qualities of being light and dry. There is a good mix of vegetables: carrot, broccoli, lotus, and some sort of potato. The sauce, called sansho kimizu, had a strong, distinctive taste that complemented the tempura well.

Rice & Noodle

The Rice & Noodle section contains Vegetarian Miso Ramen, Japanese Curry Udon, and Fried Rice. Both Ramen and Udon are classic Japanese noodle dishes. Fried Rice is not something I associate with Japanese cuisine, but Crane’s version is decidedly Japanese: puffed rice with edamame (soy beans) and nameko mushrooms. I did not try any of these dishes, and cannot comment further on them.

Yakitori

Yakitori is another classic Japanese food. The name literally means “grilled chicken”, but it refers to any kind of grilled meat with a teriyaki or similar sauce. Cranes offers three: Tsukune Chicken, Pork Belly, and Shitake Mushroom.

Shitake Mushroom, as far as I know, is not a traditional yakitori. I’m assuming it is a vegetarian option. I decided to order it as I had already had a lot of meat heavy dishes. This was a lighter dish than I was expecting. I love Shitake mushrooms, but I feel this dish, which covered it in a soy glaze, hid the mushroom’s distinctive flavor. Next time, I will try one of the other yakitori.

Dessert

There are two desserts on the Pim Pam Pum menu: Brown Butter Churros and Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I had them both.

Of the two, my favorite was the cheescake. It is flavored with Matcha (green tea) and nothing else. It didn’t need anything else. The natural flavor of the cheese and Matcha shines brightly. Another thing I liked is that while it is dense, it was not heavy. Absolutely perfect.

The churros, on the other hand, were not to my liking. They were thin and dried out. I did like the sauces. One was a miso caramel and the other was a sesame chocolate. Both had rich, deep flavors.

Cocktails

Crane’s has a decent sized (seven items) cocktail menu with a variety of drinks based on Japanese liquors or fruits. This includes shochu, sake, Japanese whisky, and the fruit yuzu. There are also Spanish inspired cocktails, with a Spanish Gin and Tonic (Spanish G&T) heading the list. If you want an alcohol free cocktail, three Zero Proof drinks are available; the core ingredients are yuzu, orgeat with Matcha, or grenadine.

I ordered one of the Japanese whisky drinks, the Kuro Kyoto. With whisky, vermouth, sake, and bitters, this is a strong drink. It also has a very distinctive flavor. I liked it and would definitely get it again.

Atmosphere

As mentioned above, I was seated in the bar area where several tables are available. There was some sort of event going on, resulting in a lot of noise. It quieted down quite a bit after the event ended. Service was initially quite good. I was given a menu right away, and my waitress took my initial order not long after. My drink came out quickly, and my food was right behind it. Once I finished my first dishes, I was ready to order more. But my waitress was nowhere to be found. After waiting about 20 minutes, I realized that she had gone off shift, and approached one of the bartenders. He took my orders for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately, this really soured my dining experience. I suspect this would not have happened if I was in the dining area. The service was really good when I had it.

Despite my problems with the service, I enjoyed my meal immensely. The food is top notch, and the atmosphere is sleek and modern. The next time I go, I’ll be sure to make a reservation.