Regent Phu Quoc Goes Spanish For A Week
The Spanish Pantry Festival arrived in Vietnam, bringing two award-winning chefs, a tapas master, a paella master, and a sommelier.
Before Regent Phu Quoc became the paradise that it is today, the land had its roots in agriculture and aquaculture. Today, it bears traces of its past in its abundant greenery and ponds inhabited by 2,000 koi fish threading through the estate. The property’s picture-postcard views are impressive enough, but as you explore further into the resort, you’ll uncover gems of creativity in many forms. Some are hard to miss, like Charming Deeps, a glass coral installation by studio LASVIT. Others are cleverly folded into finer details, such as Romanian artist Saddo’s bespoke illustration of local folklore. Then, there are those that are here for only a limited time, in the form of a week-long Spanish culinary affair.
Like a wandering minstrel, the Spanish Pantry Festival travels from country to country, sharing tales of Spanish ingredients, regional dishes, and the people behind them. Since its debut in 2023, it has made its way to Zurich, Seoul, Riyadh, Beijing, and, most recently, Phu Quoc.
“An Ode to Spain: A Portrait of Spanish Life and Flavour at Regent Phu Quoc is a celebration of Vietnam’s growing presence on the global culinary map,” said general manager Juan Losada. “By bringing world-renowned chefs and culinary experts to Phu Quoc, we are creating a dialogue between cultures, where the richness of Spanish wine and gastronomy meets the warmth and vibrancy of Vietnam, positioning the island not only as one of Asia’s most compelling travel destinations, but as an emerging epicentre for world-class culinary experiences.”
Have you heard of the story behind tapas? It tells the legend of King Alfonso X of Castile, who, during a time of sickness, had a few sips of wine accompanied by small bites of food to temper the effects of alcohol. Upon recovery, he issued a royal decree, allowing taverns to only serve wine if it came with a small side of food to help pace public drinking.
It would be best to take notes from a king who was also known as Alfonso the Wise. And as the mind behind Txokoa, one of Berlin’s top tapas restaurants, chef Ager Urigüen didn’t just take notes—he mastered the art of tapas. Alongside sommelier and wine educator Alejandro Paadin, they opened the festival at Ocean Club with a live Iberico ham carving station—a haven for charcuterie and cheese lovers. Then, Urigüen brought out the real showstoppers, consisting of melon and Iberian ham, salmorejo, escalivada, as well as the classic gambas al ajillo, made to be shared. “What we love about Spain is that we don’t eat in silence,” said Losada, who is also Spanish himself. “There’s always a festive atmosphere around the table, and I think that’s why Spain receives around 95 million tourists every year.”
Following a taste of Spain’s social dining tradition, the festival moved on to its fine-dining scene the next day, featuring a six-hands dinner by chef Javier Olleros of the two-Michelin-starred Culler de Pau in Galicia and chef Benito Gómez of the two-Michelin-starred Bardal in Andalusia, alongside Regent Phu Quoc’s own chef Andy Huynh of the Japanese-French Oku. “What we’ll see tonight are gastronomies that started from faraway places and found a common ground,” said Olleros.
From the north of Spain, Olleros presented Atlantic-harvested scallops, sous-vide and served with ajada, a traditional Spanish garlic sauce. “To showcase the diversity of Spain, I wanted to bring some of the ingredients with me,” he said. In fact, he flew into Phu Quoc with 120kg of ingredients.
From the south, Gómez introduced glimpses of his restaurant’s signatures, described as bringing the essence of Bardal and the soul of Ronda, such as the trout aspic served with smoked crème fraiche. Meanwhile, Huynh shifted from his customary Japanese-French approach, instead putting a Japanese twist on classic Spanish dishes. The fricandó, for example, is a braised Catalan veal stew, cut through with ponzu and topped with potato furikake in place of picada.
“The great thing about Oku is the open kitchen,” said Huynh. “So, you don’t just see the complete dish; you also get to know a little bit about our story and how we work together.” Although the chefs didn’t speak the same language, it hardly seemed to matter, and to that, Gómez had a simple explanation: “Good gastronomy is a universal language.”
After such a high, the chefs offered one last treat on the final night as a gradual comedown from the festival. This dinner was a recap of sorts, bringing back highlights from the past days in smaller portions and the grand entrance of la paella, thanks to paella master, chef David Montero.
With Vietnamese by day and Spanish by night, my Asian palate couldn’t have asked for a better deal. Paella? I wouldn’t say no to more. Pho? You bet I had it every day.
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