A tomato soup blended twice, tasting more like a smoothie than a soup—that's chef Josep Baraona Vinyes' version of gazpacho at Roppongi's "BIKINI SHISU," and it's exactly why this Spanish cold soup has earned the nickname "energy drink."
There's no secret ingredient here—the key lies in two easily overlooked steps. The first is "waiting": after chopping 2.5kg of ripe tomatoes, half a cucumber, three cloves of garlic, one red bell pepper, and half an onion, marinate everything in extra virgin olive oil and salt, then refrigerate overnight. According to Baraona, this overnight rest allows the individual flavors of the vegetables to meld together, so that by the next day, it tastes like one unified thing rather than tomato plus cucumber plus onion.
The second step is "blending." The next day, first blend everything with an immersion blender, then switch to a regular blender for a second pass—alternating between the two machines to work air into the liquid. The tell is straightforward: once the soup turns pink, you know enough air has been incorporated. Afterward, strain through a fine sieve to remove the tomato seeds and excess bread crumbs (the recipe calls for 100g of baguette), keeping the texture perfectly smooth. One more quick pass with the immersion blender right before serving gives it that slightly frothy mouthfeel when it hits the table.
Seasoning is kept simple—just salt (about 3 tablespoons) and sherry vinegar (2 teaspoons). Once plated, drizzle with olive oil and top with a piece of fried bread for textural contrast. This recipe itself is fully plant-based; if you follow the restaurant's presentation and add a quail egg, it's no longer strictly vegan, so readers can decide whether to include this garnish based on their preference.
"BIKINI SHISU Roppongi Hills" is located on the 5th floor of Roppongi Hills West Walk, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Business hours are 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–23:00, with closures following the facility's schedule.
