Out with the pasta and & in with the paella

Chef Maiker Valdivia takes Beijing's Spanish cuisine to the next level. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Even so, the chef still uses Chinese ingredients in some of his dishes. He puts nuts, sesame dressing and soybean sauce in lobster salad to help Chinese eaters ease into the Spanish elements.

However, Valdivia says he never uses strong spices that will negate the taste of the food itself.

"We show respect for the original flavor of the sea and all the ingredients we use in the kitchen."

Fortunately, he does not have to change much in cities like Beijing where there are already many Spanish eateries.

Suckling pig with porcini mushrooms royale is one of Valdivia's signature dishes available at Aria.

The meat is succulent, and one bite leads to a flood of broth in your mouth.

We opted for two classic Spanish starters: grilled octopus leg (68 yuan) and Iberico ham (380 yuan for 80 grams).

The frequent culinary fate of octopus is a debilitating boiling, but Valdivia slow-roasts it in a very low-temperature oven, preserving the flavor of the young flesh, he says. Served with mashed potato and seasoned with paprika and parsley, the seafood has a pleasing texture without being rubbery, which is common with octopus.

The Iberico ham is presented on a big puff of toasted fresh bread.

Since we had seafood paella on the way, during the 35 minutes required to prepare it we opted for a land-animal soup instead of the tempting seafood broth. The Spanish stew featured veal shank, pork belly, ox tongue, chorizo and vegetables that arrived naked in the bowl before being bathed in a delicious broth of long-simmered beef consomme.

Before Valdivia arrived at the restaurant three months ago he had been in China for a little less than four years. He is well aware that many Chinese diners are not keen on the crunchy nature that traditionally cooking gives paella. So he offers the dish two ways, one with the firm texture of Spanish-style paella and a version that is cooked slightly longer to make the rice softer and creamier. Either way, the rice at the edge of the pan is nice and crisp, the hallmark of good Spanish cuisine at Aria.

If you go

1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district, Beijing. China World Hotel. (86 10) 6505 2266 extension 36