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| A D Singh explaining the concept of the Casa |
A walk through the white pebbled garden, with twinkling
red fairy lights on the trees, artistically done up mirrors in psychedelic
colours, beautiful Spanish paintings, photographs and artefacts adorning
the space- the Olive Beach was indeed rollicking with the vibrant culture
of Spain.
The new ambassador of Spain, H.E. Ion de la Riva who
had just come back in the morning from an overseas visit showed no signs
of fatigue and was warmly mingling with the crowd that included the p3
and p5 personalities; models, designers, artists, diplomats and culturists
all included. If conversing with them did not make one feel peppy and
happy, there was enough of the cool red Sangria, the Spanish national
wine cocktail that can mask inexpensive wines with fruits and give that
extra punch.
If you read Da Vinci Code cover to cover, it might have
helped you to decipher the real meaning of casA De tapas. It had AD written
all over it. Said AD Singh whom one of the foreign (lady) guests described
as ' the only complete man she knew in India' , 'we are always looking
for novel ideas of making our guests feel comfortable and enjoy something
new. Tapas have become a very popular lifestyle product, evolving from
Spain. So we thought it would be nice to bring a bit of The Essential
Spain in our midst. Picking up a piece of tapa, he added, 'this is Chef
Giuliano's idea and is not typically Spanish but very enjoyable.'
Tapas (plural of Tapa) are a wide variety of appetizers
in Spanish cuisine. There are restaurants and bars in Spain where one
hangs out with friends after all the non-Spanish have gone to sleep (usually
11pm- midnight) with a variety of Tapas and plenty of wine or sangria
and endless laughter, story-telling and jokes.
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| The Ambassador of Spain |
Olive Beach plans to recreate that symphony of simple
Mediterranean pleasures, talking of which, amidst all the activities,
Spanish music was being missed. There was laughter and piles of little
dishes filled with Olives, Calamari Andalusia fried in batter, Tortillas
de patatas y cebolla (Omelettes with potatoes and onion); Paella
(pronounced pa-eh-yya) valenciana; Gambas alla plancia (grilled prawns);
Alitas de pollo (chicken wings marinated with garlic and paprika);
Berenjenas gratinadas (aubergines topped with cheese and tomato);
signature dishes like verities of pizzas and many others that had the
stamp of Chef Giuliano's ingenuity.
Casa De Tapas nights promise more than just food and
wine. It promises a chance to experience the rich culture of Spain and
in the next three months will feature art from Spain, photography exhibits,
fashion, movies, travelogues, chefs from the region, and also promise
music and musicians to make the evenings even more inviting.
There will be floating candles and flowers, barrels full
of Sangria and Spanish wines, a Paella counter, glazed and painted earthen
pitchers and crockery, a wooden carriage with fruits and vegetables, menus
on red wooden planks and blackboards.
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| Happy and peppy guests |
The 'Casa' has been supported by the commercial section
of the Spanish embassy. Says José Antonio Bretones, the soft spoken
Economic and Commercial counsellor who has been in Delhi for long and
will be missed when he returns home after 5-years' stint in India, 'we
have been trying to promote olive oil amongst many other Spanish products.
Especially with the duty reduction from 45% to 7.5% in April, it will
be a big step for olive oil in India. So when Casa De Tapas was conceptualised,
we were happy to be a part of it and we will be happy if it becomes a
part of Indian way of celebrating an evening.' He hopes to promote Spanish
olives and olive oil too through this venture.
The Spanish Ambassador who is a wine connoisseur and
has many of the top wine makers of Spain as personal friends, hopes that
people would imbibe more of Spanish wines -a part of Tapas and the Spanish
way of life.
Of course, the usual bonhomie with food and wine on the
side will continue as always in the main restaurant.
Enjoy the change. MENU
Gallery
Subhash Arora
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