It's the annual Eat Spain Drink Spain festival again! 💃
I look forward to Eat Spain Drink Spain festival every year because I love Spanish cuisine and wines. ESDS is my yearly opportunity to enjoy Spanish food & wine, and widen my Spanish gastronomic & wine horizons with events organised by the Economic & Commercial Office at the Spanish Embassy in Singapore 🙏
ESDS 2025 edition runs from 12 Sep to 15 Oct. The Galician Discovery Lunch @ Sunrice GlobalChef Academy was one of many ESDS 2025 events. Ate and drank a lot today, and learned much about iconic Galician dishes and wines.
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Facing the Atlantic Ocean, it is a seafood paradise and its highlands is home to many of Spain's oldest fine vineyards and wineries (going back to ancient Roman times). Needless to say, fisheries and wines are major pillars of the Galician economy (along with livestock, forestry, fashion and automobile manufacturing).
Now, I am hungry for a chance to visit Galicia 🤔
Celebrated chefs Miguel F. Vidal and Javier “Taky” Rodríguez Ponte, introduced us to Galician cuisine.
Chef Miguel F. Vidal on graduating from culinary schools in Galicia worked in the Canary Islands, the United Kingdom, and Spain which included a stint in three Michelin Star DiverXO in Madrid. Chef Miguel was the winner of the Galicia Gastronomy Award and Best Empanada in Spain Award in 2024.
Chef Javier “Taky” Rodríguez Ponte is a multi-award winning chef from Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia. He worked in prestigious hotels and restaurants in Spain and USA. Son of Galicia, Taky's approach emphasizes flavours and he favours produce from Galicia.
Advanced Sommelier Zachary Tay guided us through Galician wine pairings and wine appreciation. In his usual, infectiously passionate style, Zac highlighted the interplay and influence of grape varietals, Galician methods (traditions) and the geography of Galicia on the unique features of Galician wines we tasted during our lunch.
Host Jenzen Chow got the ball rolling.
Mejillón gallego con escabeche emulsionado • Galician Mussels in Escabeche Emulsion.
Galicia is famous for its estuary mussels and escabeche is a traditional sauce made with mainly vinegar and olive oil plus spices, herbs and aromatics. The mussel pickled in escabeche sauce had a sourish umami savoury salty flavour. Delicious appetiser that got our salivary glands gushing on cue 🤤
Rodaballo en caldeirada • Turbot Caldeirada Stew.
I like the turbot's tender sweet white meat especially the taste and texture of the thick smooth skin. Enjoyed the gentle sweet tangy flavours of the Caldeirada sauce made with tomato, potato, capsicum, garlic, white wine, etc., very much too.
Love this preparation for fish. Note to self - Caldeirada sauce should work wonders with other white meat fish too (I am thinking of white pomfret 💡 ).
Empanada gallega de bonito y pimiento asado • Tuna and Roasted Pepper Galician Pie.
Mashed tuna and roasted capsicum filling sandwiched in a crunchy thick oily pastry of flour and (lots of) olive oil.
Advanced Sommelier Zachary Tay prepared a selection of whites from Galicia to enjoy with the mussels, turbot and tuna empanada, starting with Val de Meigas Rias Baixas Albarino 2024.
This Albariño grape white wine was from the old Atlantic coast vineyards of Rías Baixas. Refreshing, pure and light sipper.
2023 Bodegas Albamar Ceibo Godello DO Valdeorras. Fresh floral and fruity with medium acidity.
Pulpo "a feira" con espuma de patata • Galician-style Octopus with Potato Foam.
(To me, the octopus is the emblem of Galician cuisine - a dish I always look forward to in Spanish restaurants. There is nothing like the eastern Atlantic common octopus and the Spanish way of preparing the mollusk.)
Boiled octopus tentacle thick as rope served on a soft bed of potato puree and dusted with paprika powder.
Love the meaty tender chewy crunchy texture of the moist octopus tentacle. The potato puree blended with milk and butter was creamy and velvety smooth. Sweet and buttery, irresistible for me.
Conventionally, seafood is usually paired with white wine, but the Galician custom is to pair octopus with red wine.
Valmiñor Minius Mencía Monterrei DO, a red from Iberian native Mencia grapes grown in the highlands of Monterrei, Galicia. Berry taste and fragrance, creamy and sweet with fruity aftertaste.
FUSCO - DO Ribeira Sacra is another red wine made from Mencia grapes. Grown in the Ribeira Sacra heights far from the Atlantic coast. Full body, subtly spicy flavours from thick grape skins.
Albamar - O Esteiro - 2022 - DO Rias Baixas (Red).
Filloa de lacón y grelos • Galician Crêpe with Cured Pork Shoulder and Turnip Greens.
The pillow soft wheat crepe wrapped chopped cured pork shoulder like a roll, which was smothered in a creamy blanket of turnip greens.
I enjoyed the tender texture of the cured pork as well as its savoury and porcine sweet taste. The subtle green and bitter taste of the turnip green puree complemented the pork's flavour well. Buddy Min said the turnip green tasted like Chinese style dried pickled mustard 梅菜 and I agree with her on that. It's delicious.
Tarta de Santiago • Spanish Almond Cake.
Love this almond pie. Sweet and nutty, with more sweetness from the foamy creamy sauce. Known as Tarta Real or Royal Cake in the Middle Ages, eating almond pie was a mark of high social status because of the high cost of Mediterranean almonds. Fortunately, today most of us can enjoy this Galician icon.
The almond pie paired perfectly with the fragrant spicy Pazo Señorans Aguardiente de Hierbas de Galicia.
The 37% spicy liquor is made with Albariño grapes grown in the Atlantic Coast Rías Baixas region.
Heartfelt thanks to the enthusiastic and passionate team that brought our palates so much joy and pleasure today. I learned much about Galicia, its culture, gastronomy and wines. Thank you!
Now, looking forward to the next Eat Spain, Drink Spain event.
Savour Galicia, Spain's Hidden Gem is brought to us by the Economic & Commercial Office at the Embassy of Spain in Singapore, Galician Government, Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, and various food & service suppliers.
Written by Tony Boey on 14 Sep 2025
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