Paella power straight from Spain

Niajo on Sanlitun bar street in Beijing offers authentic Spanish fare.[Photo provided to China Daily]

It doesn't hurt that his hometown is Spain's third-most famous city, after Madrid and Barcelona, or that Valencia gave paella to the world.

"All I offer to customers is traditional and modern Spanish food, all authentic and no fusion," Sanchez says about the eatery's thick menu.

"Customers love my restaurant, because they know what real Spanish fare tastes like."

Sanchez claims he never changes the authentic recipes to appeal to local palates, although Chinese people traditionally steam rice as a staple and generally prefer it softer than it's cooked in Spain.

"As more and more Chinese people travel abroad, including in Spain and (other parts of) Europe, they know what real Spanish food is and love to find the taste they've had abroad in my restaurant in Beijing," he explains.

"Even if some have never eaten Spanish cuisine before, they will come back if they like the food."

In the beginning, most of his customers were expats in Beijing, but now nearly half of the customers are Chinese, he says.