Spanish chef Manuel Olveira on calling Mumbai his home, and opening his newest restaurant in Mumbai

We first met chef Manuel Olveira in 2012 when he was chef de cuisine with Spanish chef Sergi Arola who opened Arola at JW Marriott Juhu The then 26yearold sprinted across the kitchen to set up dishes for a shoot There was a calm spark in his eyes as he worked the passIn the 15 years since Olveira has established himself as a chef to reckon with He launched the 24seater La Loca Maria in 2019 expanded it to an 80seater in 2022 and launched the 100seater La Panthera in BKCCharred OctopusLast month he opened the second outlet La Panthera with a modern European menu in the Eros building in Churchgate The space has the old Bombay charm terrazzo tiles a dramatic open kitchen with a golden baking kiln and a picturesque al fresco that opens at 530 pm when it is aperitivoclockSaketinildquoWork brought me to Mumbai from Toledo in Spain at an age when I was professionally and personally still evolving Most of my adult life has been in India The city has a pull on merdquo the 41yearold tells us It introduced the Spaniard to its quirks ldquoIn the beginning I was most surprised at how everyone was always smiling at you Now it has become my reflex reaction toordquo admits OlveiraJamon CroquettesApart from his chef calling he also found love ldquoMickee Tuljapurkar and I met after Vicky Ratnanirsquos book launch at a barrdquo reveals Olveira He discovered the city on museum dates and classical concerts Home is Bandra and Olveira loves that everyone knows everyone ldquoYou can walk almost everywhere All the overhyped coffee spots are my favouritesrdquo he laughsBloody Mary Ceviche20 tastingAperitivos in Spain come with a round of pintxos and tapas ldquoTapas are a little bigger Pintxos are just like small tikkasrdquo he informs The Patata Bravas R350 have come of age They are crispy petals with a brava sauce made from onion garlic and paprika and garlic aioli We revived our time in Salamanca and all the jamon Spanish drycured ham we wolfed down with the Iberico Jamon Croquetas with salmoreta a sundried bell pepper dipChef Manuel Olveira at Dadar Flower Market ldquoIn my early days the team would introduce me to local produce because I wasnrsquot aware of what was available across the cityrsquos markets I remember visiting them to see for myself The colours and scents of the flowers at Dadar market are my early memories of Mumbairdquo says OlveiraThe Cucumber Martini has a hint of tarty green apple and dry vermouth and strength to slip into its cocktailoclock The Saketini Rs 1050 with a touch of butty hazelnut and sweeter bianco vermouth and earthy sake is suitable to sip on and to clear the palate in between coursesThe Bloody Mary Ceviche Rs 890 has sea bass lime leche tigre and a Bloody Mary granita Here we witness the chefrsquos trajectory of how opposing flavours play on the palate with equal measure The taste surprises continue in Truffled Brie Agnolotti Rs 1190 which has the charred eggplant braised cauliflower pasta stuffed with cheese and finished with hazelnut dukkah and black truffleWith long hours in the kitchen Olveira destresses with early morning bicycle rides from Bandra to Marine Drive and sometimes to Lonavala PicsSayyed sameer AbediThe Scamorza Pizza Rs 990 has an intense tomato sauce that has stayed in the pan for an extra few minutes to create a deeper umami The topping of fried garlic slivers have a waferthin chippy crunch Olveira acknowledges how Mumbai opened his palate Where Spanish cooking restricts on spices the city taught him to befriend them ldquoI was already Spanishflavoured Irsquom now used to cooking with more spices and flavours At home my mom doesnrsquot even use pepperrdquo says OlveiraOlveira at the pass at La Panthera ChurchgateWe savour this in the Charred Octopus Rs 890 that has been flavoured with a hot Spanish paprika called pimentoacuten It comes on a bed of smoked muhammara pesto and small baby potatoes In Spain wersquod only use the milder paprikardquo he laughs adding ldquoA mix of spices also makes the stomach go bad Not mine my gut is IndianisedrdquoFor dessert we opt for Blood Orange Negroni Sorbet Rs 550 It is everything it promises Chilled orange sorbet a shot of negroni drizzle and a charred grapefruit for a tartier bite Olveira is prepping for a big group Hersquos cool as a cucumber ldquoThis city has taught me that chaos shouldnrsquot be feared No matter what work gets done hererdquo he says across the passFave FampB picksgtgt Butter Garlic Prawns Tandoori CrabAT Trishna Fortgtgt Sugoi Maki Pork Gyoza BBQ Unagi eel Roll Hamachi Truffle Ponzu with Wasabi JellyAT Izumi Bandra gtgt Sea Bass Sev Puri Coffee Rasgulla SundaeAT The Bombay Canteen Lower Parel gtgt Butter Garlic Crab amp their cocktailsAT Americano Kala Ghodagtgt Salmon Yuzu Gondhoraj amp TruffleAT Mizu Bandragtgt Tuna Temaki Chutoro CarpaccioAT Gaijin Bandra