This spanish food festival isn't half as hot as their football team on and off the field, or rafa on the courts

Imagine attending a Spanish food festival with the cacophony of a roka going on just beside you. Or imagine trying to figure out what the dishes are when you don't know Spanish at all?u00a0

Blooms
Food: okay
Service: attentive
Ambience: average


A guest at the live counter; (below) Ensalada campera

Or imagine working up an appetite when on one side, there is music for a big fat Indian roka in full blast, while on the other side musicians supposed to play Spanish music sing Boyzone numbers?

That was precisely my plight when I attended a Spanish food festival last weekend. And thing is, I was actually looking forward to let my stomach discover the flavours of Spain after my eyes discovered Rafa (and Raul).

Dull fare, mostly
The food was uninspiring, to say the least, with a few exceptions thrown here and there. For one, the gazpacho, or the cold soup, was just about okay. And so was the tuna salad. Though they will be changing the dishes during the course of the festival, do not give the Paella valenciana a miss. It is cooked just right, with a generous sprinkling of prawns and can be a comfort food for many.

If you like the greens
Most five stars don't mess up with the cold cuts, so that doesn't count for too many brownie points. Vegetarians can try the mix roasted vegetable salad or the orange and spring onion salad.

Then there is also artichokes and almond with green sauce, mix vegetable stew and if you are rather fond of it, roasted tomatoes. Somehow I have never found them appealing enough.