Some meals arrive with subtlety. Others step into the spotlight. At a recent media dinner at Las Flores BGC hosted by the Bistronomia Group — the team behind Las Flores, Tomatito, Rambla, and Rumba — Spanish cuisine made itself heard, proud and unaltered.

This was no ordinary media event. It was a statement. Each course served as proof of concept: Spanish cooking, rooted in tradition, presented with confidence and care. The group’s culinary director, Chef Alfredo Rodriguez Sangrador, was joined by newly appointed Spanish brand ambassadors Marta Aranda Baños and Cristina Garcia-Villalba Marba.

“We want people to experience Spain exactly as it is, no shortcuts, no adjustments. Just real Spanish food, crafted with passion and imagination,” said Chef Alfredo.

And then, the first course arrived.

Spherical Olives, created using modern techniques born in Catalonia’s most experimental kitchens, delivered a clean pop of olive flavor suspended in liquid form. Made with extra virgin olive oil, each bite was a quiet nod to molecular gastronomy, but grounded in heritage.

Salmon & Salmon followed—marinated salmon with dill, layered with salmon roe, truffle cream, and honey, served with an air baguette. It was balanced and textural, a mix of richness and freshness that never veered into excess.

Then came Ensalada Las Flores: green lettuce, cherry tomatoes, fried brie, and homemade potato chips. It was rustic and bright, the fried cheese anchoring the salad with warmth and weight.

The Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico offered comfort in its most classic form. Crisp on the outside, creamy and savory on the inside, they were made the way they should be—not reinterpreted, not reimagined, just done right.

The Chipirones Andaluza, fried baby squid with kimchi mayo, showed how tradition can flirt with outside influence without losing its identity. The squid was crisp and tender, the mayo a subtle lift, not a detour.

Then came the centerpiece: Cochinillo. Roasted suckling pig, Segovian style. Skin blistered to glass, meat falling apart beneath it. The menu noted a 45-minute cooking time, which made sense. Good things—real things—take time.

The Paella Negra brought black rice inked with depth, layered with baby squid, shrimps, scallops, and a side of alioli. It was a reminder of what paella should be: communal, bold, built on good seafood and proper rice.

Dessert was Tres Leches. No gimmicks, no garnish. Just cake soaked in milk, served cold and soft. This was a great favorite of ours.

The menu reflected the best of Bistronomia’s four Spanish concepts. Las Flores focuses on traditional regional cuisine. Tomatito, described by Chef Alfredo as a “sexy tapas bar,” serves playful small plates in a high-energy setting. Rumba draws smoky depth from a Spanish charcoal oven, cooking everything from paella to pork. Rambla leans into modernist cooking, with dishes like the spherical olives that reinterpret classics without losing their soul.

For the new brand ambassadors, the food isn’t just authentic—it’s personal. “The food of Bistronomia, like the croquetas, the bacalao, reminds me of home,” said Marta. “When I ate these, I closed my eyes and I was like, you know, seeing my grandmother cooking back home.”

Cristina added, “The ingredients we use here are of high quality and the taste is like those dishes found in Spain.”

While many restaurants tweak dishes to local tastes, Bistronomia refuses to bend. Their ingredients come from Spain. Their methods stay Spanish. The result is something rare—not a fusion, not an adaptation, but the real thing, plated in the heart of Manila.