Spanish cuisine is still relatively rare in Southeast Asia – but that has slowly but surely been changing in the past decade. Take, for example, Vietnam, which recently hosted its first Spanish Pantry Festival – fittingly, on the island of Phu Quoc, one of the country’s top up-and-coming destinations.

Held over five days at The Regent Phu Quoc, the event themed “An Ode to Spain: A Portrait of Spanish Life and Flavour” was a celebration of all things Spain. Acclaimed chefs and leading F&B artisans worked hand-in-hand with the resort’s culinary team to capture the warmth and spirit of Spanish hospitality, right in the heart of tropical Vietnam. The week was packed with experiential dining–from masterclasses on paella and jamon, to exclusive tastings and a highlight six-hands dinner.

Sneak Peek – Media Tasting

As part of the launch, members of the media and select guests were given a preview dinner of what to expect for the week. It was fascinating to see both teams–the Spanish chefs as well as the resort’s culinary team–working in sync, despite it being the first time that all of them were in the kitchen together.

Whatever language barriers they had were easily overcome through non-verbal communication. In a later interview session, guest chef Benito Gomez (of two-Michelin-starred Ronda in Bardal) called it the ‘universal language of the kitchen’.

We kicked off the night with Chef Gomez’s Carbineros Curadado, comprising cured scarlet prawns, basil escabeche and caviar. Scarlet prawns, which are quite rare and can only be found in very deep waters in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, are prized for their naturally sweet flavour and firm texture. Its almost blood-red hue contrasted beautifully with the light green escabeche, while the dollop of caviar added a burst of umami and brininess.

Chef Javier Olleros, of two Michelin-starred Culler de Pau along the Galician coast of Spain, presented two dishes, which were easily my favourites of the night: the Cured fish with Galician fish stew broth and braised greens; and Local Leeks in a Gallego Broth.

The former was surprisingly tender – almost meat-like in its texture – but what blew me away was the latter. I’ve had bad experiences with incorrectly prepared leek, and always thought of it as something muddy-tasting with a mushy texture. Goes to show how important it is for food to be prepared by a master. Chef Olleros’ version was wonderfully creamy and soft, and even though it was steeped in a savoury broth with thin slices of cured meat in it, the vegetable’s natural sweetness shone through distinctly.

Tapas master Chef Ager Uriguen followed up with Iberian pork ‘presa’ carpaccio with pickles, thinly sliced and gorgeously presented in the shape of a flower, before paella master Chef David Montero capped off the savoury items with a hearty Valenciana paella, which traditionally features rabbit meat. Wrapping up on a sweet note was Chef Uriguen’s Bread and Chocolate with Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a creative take, as the ‘bread’ was really ice cream.

Throughout the dinner, sommelier and festival curator Alejandro Paadin kept the wine flowing with several rare vintages, some from his personal collection, including the Pintia 2018 DO Toro and Alvaro Palacios, Placet de Valtomelloso 2023 DOCa Rioja. The Alvear PX Solera 1920 DO Montilla Moriles, an intensely sweet dessert wine, capped off the night.

Art of Tapas @ Ocean Club

It was a lively affair the next evening at Ocean Club, The Regent Phu Quoc’s relaxed casual beachside restaurant and grill. Instead of the restaurant’s usual menu of grilled seafood, diners were treated to Amor y Sabor: The Art of Tapas, which included a buffet spread of Spanish cheeses and charcuteries, complemented by light bites served to each table.

Tapas are one of Spain’s most beloved food traditions, as it embodies the warm spirit of its people and culture well. Cosy, unpretentious, and unfussy, the small plates (tapa is Spanish for ‘lid’ – referring to how the snacks are used as a cover for one’s drinks) are meant for sharing , making tapas as much a social activity as it is a culinary one.

Some highlights included the vibrant, orange-hued salmorejo, a thick and creamy Andalusian tomato soup; an escalivada of roasted spring vegetables with sardines and almonds; chargrilled Iberian pork pluma with mashed potato, bok choy, and green mojo sauce; and a (seemingly) simple but expertly executed gambas ajillo, elevated with a splash of sherry.

Having a sweet tooth, the Saffron Crema Catalana and Cheese Flan and Citrus Fruit was the perfect end to the evening!

Dinner at Oku featuring Chefs Benito Gomez, Javier Olleros, and Andy Huynh

The zenith of the festival was the six-hands dinner at Regent Phu Quoc’s Japanese-French restaurant, Oku. Here, Chef de cuisine Andy Huynh took to the kitchen alongside the two Michelin-starred chefs Benito and Javier to create an eight-course menu that traversed not just the flavours of Spain, but also incorporated Japanese and French techniques and sensibilities developed from Huynh’s time at Nobu.

While the festival had so far leaned towards traditional Spanish flavours, the six-hands dinner allowed the chefs to flex their creativity. Since Chef Andy specialises in Japanese-French, it was an interesting to see how the dishes came together in harmony and that the menu still flowed as a cohesive whole, despite the differences in ingredients and approaches.

Some of the more unique takes that I enjoyed were chef Andy’s Fricando (traditionally a Catalan beef stew, but Andy’s version substituted the beef with Japanese wagyu, topped with potato furikake). I also liked how experiential it was as we were each given our own cutting knives, which all came in different shapes and sizes.

Chef Olleros once again drew on his Galician roots to present two dishes – Galician-Style Scallop in Paprika Sauce, which was satisfyingly “meaty” to the bite but clean and sweet, and a Mushroom Bite, which had the appearance of a macaroon but surprised with a crisp, savoury outer shell and dense, juicy centre.

Chef Benito’s Trout with Aspic with Smoked Crème Fraîche and Citrus Caviar, served in a delicate glass bowl.

Prior to the Festival, I would say that my exposure to Spanish cuisine was limited. Spanish restaurants are few and far between in Malaysia, and of that, only a handful are recognised as authentic by the ICEX Spain Trade and Investment body. What little I knew was often confined to more “mainstream” dishes the likes of paella, tortillas, or patatas bravas. But that is like saying you know Malaysian food just because you’ve tried nasi lemak and char kuey teow.

The truth is, Spain’s food is strongly regional – as shown by the diversity of the chefs that took part in the Spanish Pantry Festival. Chef Benito’s Andalusian roots often saw him incorporating earthy, grounded flavours inspired by the region’s mountains, while Chef Javier’s cooking is strongly influenced by the coastal waters of Galicia (he had, in fact, flown in with over 100kg of ingredients as it was difficult to find substitutions in Vietnam!)

However, despite their strong pride in each of their regional cuisines, there is a commonality that they share (and this includes the chefs at Regent, as well): a deep and intense respect for food, cooking, and ingredients.

Good food is, after all, good food. And that transcends languages and cultures.

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