“The food has been painstakingly thought out with lots of new things on the menu,” says Executive Chef Deepak Bhatia about the ongoing festival at Hyatt Regency, Andheri. The flavours on the menu boast the expertise of Chef Enrique and Chef Asensio of LaManga, at Cartagena in the south of Spain. Their English certainly cannot rival their food, but it’s easy to elicit an enthusiastic “si” (Spanish for yes) from them. Chef Enrique moves beyond gesticulation and promptly produces a small empty box of Fram Herb saffron, while explaining the quintessential flavours of the cuisine. Truly, the olfactory nerves can detect the aroma of paella served at Hyatt Regency from almost as far as the Western Express Highway.

A quick look at the menu dispels the myth that Spain is synonymous with just tapas. There’s Chicken Liver Terrine (Terina de higado de pollo), Scallops Gallician style (Vieiras a la Galicia), Air dried Serrano Ham with Melon and Toasted olive bread (Jamon Serrano), Rice with chicken and chorizo sausage in egg crust (arroz con pollo y chorizo en costra de huevo), Poached salmon in saffron sauce (salomn pochado en salsa de azafran) and Poached pears in red wine (pera pochado en vino tinto).

“In Spain, a lot of premium is put on the freshness of food. Whether it is seafood, poultry or even vegetables, if it isn't fresh, it will not be used,” Chef Bhatia says, sitting down to play translator for us. Salt water fish in India and Spain are similar so fresh salmon, mackerel and anchovies are used.

Generous quantities of pepper, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil find their way into typical Spanish food, revealing the country’s Mediterranean roots.