Spanish gastronomy takes centre stage as Eat Spain Drink Spain returns to Malaysia

At Barra Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Spanish diplomats, chefs, and food lovers gathered despite inclement weather to celebrate Spain's culinary connection with Malaysia, marked by the presentation of the "Restaurants From Spain" certification.

Spain's Ambassador-designate Sergi Farré Salvà highlighted food as a universal connector and an avenue for cultural exchange, noting Barra's role in promoting authentic Spanish gastronomy.

The event also launched the second edition of the "Eat Spain Drink Spain" festival, aiming to make Spanish cuisine more accessible in Malaysia through numerous dining experiences and activities.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — Rain and heavy traffic did little to dampen the warm atmosphere inside Barra Restaurant on Wednesday, where Spanish diplomats, chefs, and food lovers gathered to celebrate a shared appreciation for good food.

For Spain’s Ambassador-designate to Malaysia Sergi Farré Salvá, food offers a natural connection between Spain and Malaysia, a country where eating is deeply woven into everyday life.

“One of the first words that we learn when we come here in Bahasa Melayu is makan,” said Farré, who arrived in Malaysia a month ago. “So, we are going to do lots of makan-makan today,” he added, drawing laughter from the guests.

Farré called food a “universal connector” and described his first dining experience at Barra as more than simply a meal.

“It was a cultural experience, an artistic experience,” he said, highlighting the combination of tradition, creativity, and innovation that characterises Spanish gastronomy.

The ambassador-designate is expected to present his credentials to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, in late October or early November this year.

During the event, Farré officially presented the Restaurants From Spain certification plaque to Chef Gabriel Bonin, Chef Ignasi Prats, and the Barra team.

Awarded by the Spanish government through ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the certification recognises restaurants outside Spain that offer authentic, high-quality Spanish cuisine and promote Spanish culinary products and culture.

Farré said the certification was reserved for outstanding establishments and Barra’s inclusion had brought the number of certified Spanish restaurants in Kuala Lumpur to eight.

“That says a lot about Malaysia and what this capital stands for. Food happens 24 hours a day, seven days a week here. It is a paradise for any food lover,” he said.

He also stressed that Spain’s culinary reputation was built not only on its centuries-old heritage and the influence of civilisations across the Mediterranean, but also on continuous innovation.

“You cannot have this level of gastronomy without innovation, science, and technology that cooks and chefs like Gabriel and Ignasi bring,” he said.

The Embassy of Spain in Malaysia’s Chief Economic and Commercial Counsellor Juan Guía said the gathering served two objectives: to celebrate Barra’s certification and formally introduce the second edition of the Eat Spain Drink Spain festival in Malaysia.

He said the campaign sought to make Spanish food more accessible to Malaysians while encouraging people to discover it together with their families and friends.

“Spanish gastronomy is known globally for its creativity and diversity, and for being deeply rooted in our history and heritage.

“Eat Spain Drink Spain is about bringing our gastronomy to Malaysia for locals to enjoy and discover with their friends and families,” he said.

The festival, scheduled from Sept 18 to Oct 4, will take place in more than 40 participating venues across Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, Penang, and Kuching.

The embassy’s foreign trade and investment official Andrea Lázaro said participating establishments would offer a variety of experiences, including two-week promotional menus, weekend pop-ups, and one-day tapas events.

Some venues will highlight traditional favourites such as paella, tortilla de patatas, and Basque cheesecake, while others will present more contemporary interpretations of Spanish cuisine.

Lázaro clarified that Eat Spain Drink Spain is a separate initiative from the Restaurants From Spain certification. Eat Spain Drink Spain is an annual international festival organised by ICEX in which restaurants and other venues host their own Spanish food and beverage events.

Barra, which opened in April 2024, is a restaurant under The Tamarind Restaurants group which Guía described as a “piece of Barcelona” in one of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinese neighbourhoods.

The group’s restaurants and dining concepts in the Kuala Lumpur area were founded and conceptualised by Federico Asaro, chief executive officer and driving force behind Samadhi Retreats.

Guía also credited Prats and Bonin for building Barra’s identity.

Bonin said the certification carried both pride and responsibility for the restaurant’s team.

“We are really proud to be part of the Spanish community, to show Spain to the world and to show our gastronomy,” he said. “It is a big challenge for us, but at the same time, receiving this recognition keeps us giving our best.”

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在吉隆坡的 Barra 餐厅，尽管天气恶劣，西班牙外交官、厨师和美食爱好者仍然聚集在一起，庆祝西班牙与马来西亚的烹饪联系，并颁发了“西班牙餐厅”认证。

西班牙候任大使塞尔吉·法雷·萨尔瓦强调，食物是世界通用的纽带和文化交流的途径，并指出巴拉在推广正宗西班牙美食方面发挥的作用。

此次活动还启动了第二届“吃遍西班牙，畅饮西班牙”节，旨在通过各种餐饮体验和活动，让马来西亚的人们更容易接触到西班牙美食。

吉隆坡，9 月 12 日讯——尽管下着雨，交通拥堵，但这丝毫没有影响 Barra 餐厅内温暖的气氛。西班牙外交官、厨师和美食爱好者聚集于此，共同庆祝对美食的热爱。

对于即将上任的西班牙驻马来西亚大使塞尔吉·法雷·萨尔瓦来说，食物是西班牙和马来西亚之间天然的纽带，在马来西亚，饮食深深融入了人们的日常生活。

“我们刚来马来西亚时，学到的马来语单词里最先出现的就是‘makan’（吃），”一个月前抵达马来西亚的法雷说道。“所以，今天我们要好好吃吃喝喝，”他补充道，引得客人们一阵大笑。

法雷称食物是“通用连接器”，并形容他在 Barra 的第一次用餐体验不仅仅是一顿饭。

“这是一次文化体验，一次艺术体验，”他说道，强调了西班牙美食的传统、创造力和创新相结合的特点。

预计候任大使将于今年十月下旬或十一月初向马来西亚国王苏丹易卜拉欣陛下递交国书。

活动期间，法雷正式向主厨加布里埃尔·博宁、主厨伊格纳西·普拉茨和巴拉团队颁发了“西班牙餐厅”认证牌匾。

该认证由西班牙政府通过西班牙贸易投资署 (ICEX Spain Trade and Investment) 颁发，旨在表彰在西班牙境外提供正宗、高品质西班牙美食并推广西班牙烹饪产品和文化的餐厅。

法雷表示，该认证只授予杰出的餐厅，巴拉餐厅的加入使吉隆坡获得认证的西班牙餐厅数量达到八家。

“这充分体现了马来西亚以及这座首都所代表的意义。在这里，美食一天24小时、一周7天都在供应。对于任何美食爱好者来说，这里都是天堂。”他说道。

他还强调，西班牙的烹饪声誉不仅建立在其数百年的历史传承和地中海沿岸文明的影响之上，而且还建立在不断创新之上。

他说：“如果没有像加布里埃尔和伊格纳西这样的厨师和主厨所带来的创新、科学和技术，就不可能达到这种美食水平。”

西班牙驻马来西亚大使馆首席经济和商务参赞胡安·吉亚表示，此次聚会有两个目的：庆祝巴拉获得认证，并正式推出在马来西亚举办的第二届“吃遍西班牙，畅饮西班牙”节。

他说，这项活动旨在让马来西亚人更容易接触到西班牙美食，同时鼓励人们与家人和朋友一起探索西班牙美食。

“西班牙美食以其创造力和多样性闻名于世，并深深植根于我们的历史和传统之中。”

他说：“‘吃遍西班牙，畅饮西班牙’活动旨在将我们的美食带到马来西亚，让当地人与朋友和家人一起享受和探索。”

该电影节定于9月18日至10月4日举行，将在马来西亚40多个参与场馆举行，包括吉隆坡、马六甲、柔佛、槟城和古晋。

大使馆外贸投资官员安德烈亚·拉扎罗表示，参与活动的商家将提供各种体验，包括为期两周的促销菜单、周末快闪店和一日小吃活动。

一些餐厅会主打西班牙海鲜饭、土豆饼和巴斯克芝士蛋糕等传统美食，而另一些餐厅则会呈现更现代的西班牙菜肴。

拉扎罗澄清说，“西班牙美食美酒节”（Eat Spain Drink Spain）与“西班牙餐厅认证”（Restaurants From Spain certification）是两个不同的项目。“西班牙美食美酒节”是由西班牙对外贸易发展局（ICEX）主办的年度国际盛会，届时餐厅和其他场所将举办各自的西班牙美食美酒活动。

Barra 于 2024 年 4 月开业，是 Tamarind Restaurants 集团旗下的一家餐厅。Guía 将其描述为吉隆坡华人社区中的“巴塞罗那的一角”。

该集团在吉隆坡地区的餐厅和餐饮理念由 Samadhi Retreats 的首席执行官兼幕后推手 Federico Asaro 创立和构思。

Guía 还称赞 Prats 和 Bonin 为 Barra 的品牌形象的塑造做出了贡献。

博宁表示，这项认证对餐厅团队来说既是荣誉也是责任。

“我们非常自豪能成为西班牙大家庭的一份子，向世界展示西班牙，展示我们的美食，”他说。“这对我们来说是一个巨大的挑战，但与此同时，获得这样的认可也激励我们做得更好。”

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