Tania Passos leads the ramen restaurant Nanban in Luxembourg. This Portuguese native, who comes from a finance background, has chosen to offer Japanese dishes — a historical connection we’re about to explain.
Tania Passos fell in love with ramen when she visited her brother in London, where he has lived for about fifteen years. In the Asian quarter of the British capital, numerous ramen bars introduced her to new flavors. Working in investment funds at the time, the Portuguese resident of Luxembourg decided to change her life and open her own ramen bar. Naturally, COVID-19 posed challenges, and instead of making her first trip to Japan, she had to settle for remote learning and observing the archipelago from afar.
Four Years of Preparation
Through perseverance and determination, Tania Passos now works 16-hour days and finally reaches her goal: she is ready. It wasn’t easy — “I’m not from the industry” — but she eventually finds a location in Luxembourg and opens Nanban on January 26, 2024, after working on her project for four years. And the success is there: “It’s going better than expected,” she says with a humble smile.
The First Colonists
Tania Passos is Portuguese. What does that have to do with Japan? For those unfamiliar with the intense history of Portuguese colonization, it’s important to know that the Portuguese were the first Westerners to land in Japan in the mid-16th century. This was the era of Nanban trade, a term that referred to the Portuguese as “Southern Barbarians”… and today, this quaint term is used to refer to Western civilizations.
Pastéis de Nata Made in Nagasaki
If you wander around Nagasaki, it’s not uncommon to find delicious pastéis de nata in the cafés. “In Japanese cuisine, you can find Portuguese influences, like in tempura,” the fried vegetables or seafood in batter. It’s said that the term tempura comes from the Portuguese verb “temperar,” which means “to season.”
The Turtle, a Symbol
The Nanban logo features a turtle. “A memory of my late mother-in-law, who loved turtles,” explains the dynamic owner. It’s also a metaphor for Tania Passos herself, who spent months driving every weekend between her home and her country house, her car packed to the brim with pots, stoves, and ingredients, to train in peace.
Success Through Hard Work
For the past few months, this single mother of four teenagers, aged 14 to 20, has had her hands full. Between monitoring her broths, sourcing special flour from Japan for her noodles, and making everything from scratch — “because everything is homemade!” — her days are busy. The success of her restaurant is clearly not by chance.
Nanban
29, rue Sainte Zithe
L-2763 Luxembourg
nanban.lu
Photos : portrait Marc Dostert / Paintings attributed to Kano Sanraku and Kano Naizen XVI/XVIIth century s./ Marie Tissier
