If you have read FoodBuzz’s article about the Top-notch Restaurants hidden in the luxurious Hôtel KVL, you’d know that El Tapas is the authentic Spanish restaurant located below the ground of Hôtel KVL’s lobby. 

To further introduce the complexity of Spanish cuisine to Cambodians, Hôtel KVL drew up Chefs Series in a one-in-a-lifetime collaboration between the hotel’s very own Spanish Chef, Mario Yufera and special guest, Jacobo Astray from Gula Private Chef.

Chefs Series featured an 8-course menu curated by both chefs to pay homage to authentic Spanish cuisine with ingredients exported straight from Spain to match the peculiarity of the occasion. Each course also came with different wine paired to enhance the sophisticated flavor of the dishes. 

Chef Series was hosted on 2nd and 3th of February, 2023 and FoodBuzz was very fortunate to join this special ourselves! When we first got to the front of the hotel, we were enthusiastically greeted by the staff who graciously took us down the grand staircase to the underground El Tapas. Walking into El Tapas for the first time was a feeling that we won’t forget, the place was thoroughly decorated with fun red color patterns with playful yet sophisticated architectural arts that reminded us of Spain. 

Once sat, we were greeted with the first dish which is Cantabric Anchovies which is a creamy broth of Stracciatella Cheese with a kick of savoriness from the anchovies added to the freshness of Tomato Confit, Fresh parsley, Olive Sphere that busted in the mouth. This course was paired with Segura Viudas Brut.   

Las patatas Con Bacalao is the second dish with Fondant Potatoes blanketed by reduced creamy espuma with little dots of black cod fish on top giving a pop of color. This dish paired nicely with a glass of Basa Blanco. 

The third course was Foie Gras Brioche which had crispy pan-fried Brioche at the button topped with Caramelized Duck Foie Gras, fresh herb and thin slices of strawberry. Strange as it may sound, the sweet strawberry slices did complement the savory duck liver, crispy bread and a glass of Gaba do Xil Godello perfectly. 

We also got to try their signature Dry Aged Spanish Mackerel. The Mackerel was dry aged for 10 days before getting baked to perfection. The skin of the fish was crispy giving it a crunchy texture to the soft fish flesh, tender Iberico Pancetta and foamy Morel Mushroom.   

The fifth course was Arroz de Langostinos which centered around the orange-colored Brothy Spanish Rice, topped with thin slices of Langoustine and the Salmon Roe. It’s a savory dish that paired perfectly with Tempranillo. 

Pigeon Breast is a protein-based course with tender medium-rare pigeon breast and fermented blueberry on top with pigeon legs propped up against it. We sliced the protein into bite-sized pieces with one slice of the blueberry and were met with such a soft yet tender and flavorful bite of meat. 

The seventh and eighth courses are dessert with Manchego Cheese and A Walk in The Forest. Manchego Cheese is a strawberry-focused dessert with fresh bites of Strawberry at the bottom, Manchego Foam on top with drizzle of Basil Oil and Freeze dried strawberries and cheese shredded as toppings. 

We ended the night with A Walk in The Forest which was a savory ice-cream dessert with Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream, Enoki Mushroom delicately placed on the spread of Rosemary Cream and sprinkles of Mushroom Caramel to add to the flair profile. 

These were the 8 carefully curated courses in the Chefs Series by Chef Mario Yufera and Chef Jacobo Astray. Each course is distinctively delectable with high quality spanish ingredients.

This was just the start of the Chefs Series, we’re excited to see what more Hôtel KVLwill bring to the table. If you’re just like us, check out Hôtel KVL’s Facebook page for more information (link)