Restaurants
Pacharan's all about Spain
By SGT
Nov 3, 2006, 16:06

Like Vietnam’s national dish pho (noodle soup), the classic Spanish dish paella, made of rice, shellfish and seafood, has gone beyond the border of the country and its Mediterranean region to the United States and other parts of the world.

Here at Pacharan Tapas and Bodega in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, the dish has become a favorite as it suits the taste of local and expatriate dinners.

It might be a bit surprise that Spanish chef Inaki Antonazas of the 4-floor restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Street prepares the authentic Spanish paella from Vietnam’s rice, vegetables and seafood. The restaurant’s executive director Andres Arias explains that it’s because “Vietnamese seafood and ingredients are so good and fresh.”

Pacharan Tapas and Bodega is not all about paella, however, as the restaurant has a lot of authentic Spanish dishes to offer. Arias names other food specialties as chorizo (Spanish sausage), jamon iberico (cured ham), tortilla (Spanish omelet), and calamares romana (deep-fried squid), among the dishes on the menu for daily lunch and dinner.

Bars are set up on the ground and the first floor of Pacharan Tapas and Bodega in Ho Chi Minh City for guests to enjoy Spanish wines and drinks, chat and share different things with those who are having lunch or dinner nearby like in bars and restaurants in Spain.

The terrace bar on the top floor is open from 4pm for guests to indulge themselves in sofas and cushions while enjoying drinks, smoking cigars, chatting, listening to music, taking in the view of the Municipal Theater and the Park Hyatt Saigon along with the hustle and bustle that comes along with the downtown cityscape.

For a more subdued dining experience, the floors downstairs are the right choice. There, guests can relax in a friendly atmosphere amid the pleasant and subtle sounds of fellow diners and mood music while still watching activity outside through windows that cover the 140-seat restaurant.

The colorful windows are also works of art with red and yellow colors of Spain that give diners an impression of the warmth and enthusiasm of the European Mediterranean country.

On the wall of the second floor is a drawing of a man with a guitar, reminding guests of the music that usually accompanies a dance in improvised rhythms.

Like the original Pacharan in Cambodia, the restaurant here is the brainchild of Arias, his colleague Roberto Mata and a management team led by Alderson and Steve Hayward.

   Pacharan Tapas and Bodega
      Add: 97 Hai Ba Trung St, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City
      Tel: (84-8) 825 6024