It’s not every day that you get to be part of a Spanish fiesta. This weekend, Mag St. Kitchen will come alive with the flavours of Spain as chef Alex Fargas, chef-owner at La Paloma, one of Hong Kong’s most popular Spanish restaurants, invites discerning foodies to a chef’s table. Having started his career in the prestigious Hofmann Hospitality School in Barcelona, the only culinary school with a Michelin star, chef Fargas worked in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including the two-Michelin star La Alqueria at the El Bulli hotel.

Two platforms — Gormei, based in India and Hong Kong, and The Hedonist based in Pune — that curate unique dining experiences are responsible for the chef’s first outing in India. “In Spanish cuisine, you need Spanish olive oil; the quality of the ham is important, as is the rice and fresh seafood. When I arrived in Beijing 15 years ago, and even in Hong Kong, 10 years ago, it was tough to find quality ingredients. In my experience with my first sous chef, I asked for Spanish olive oil and he said, ‘What is that?’ Spanish ingredients took a bit longer to be sourced,” recalls Fargas. For the chef’s table in Mumbai however, this hurdle has been mostly addressed. “Over time, we’ve built a strong network of suppliers, so it is easier, although challenges prevail. We have changed the paella as we couldn’t get the right quality of fresh lobster,” shares Prasad Thergaonkar, co-founder of  The Hedonist.  The menu will serve the chef’s signature dishes that include seafood paella, suckling pig, patatas bravas, tomato salad textures, stuffed squid with Iberico pork crispy and cheesecake.