Ole: Authentic Spanish Warmth in Saigon
Have you ever felt, out of culinary need, to teleport yourself to another country or even another continent? If so, all one must do is walk through the doors of Ole. The moment you do so, you will have left Saigon and Vietnam, and you will be immersed in Spain. If you don’t believe this technology exists, go ahead and give it a try!
I remember it was several weeks ago when I was driving down Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, when a red light made me stop at the intersection with Le Thanh Ton, and there, on the corner, I saw Ole restaurant. I thought to myself, “with that name it could not be anything but Spanish!”
I immediately made a mental note of it, but as I was shortly traveling to Nha Trang for a well-deserved holiday. However in Nha Trang I met a couple who recommended Ole, and it quickly moved to the top of my ‘must-try’ list.
Ole is run by Tony and Monica, a Spanish couple who decided to leave everything behind to start a new life in their beloved Vietnam, bringing with them not only the knowledge and experience of having worked in hospitality for over 25 years, but also a lot of love for what they do and for their customers.
Decorated with beautiful Spanish motifs, once you enter Ole’s door’s, you’ll think you’ve arrived in a little Spanish village.
Ole offers traditional Spanish cuisine, from the internationally popular tapas or paella (rice dishs) to homemade desserts like arroz con leche (rice pudding) or crema catalane (the Spanish version of crème brule).
When I tried the food I was truly amazed! How can you get such an authentic taste being so far away from Spain (in case you did not know, my parents are Spanish and I grew up in Spain where I spent 28 years, so I know what I am talking about!)?
So I could not resist asking Tony, the chef who has been cooking since he was 17, his secret: imported Spanish ingredients, a Spanish chef, and a lot of love and joy in what he does.
The menu is rather extensive and contains nothing but traditional Spanish dishes and tapas, and at very reasonable prices!
Tapas start at just VND25,000, yes you read right, just over $1, and believe me they are delicious! Three of my favourites are the fried chorizo (Spanish traditional sausage) at VND69,000, a nice portion and great taste. The garlic king prawns (VND99,000) are gorgeous: big prawns cooked and served with olive oil; very tasty and great texture, delicious and elegant taste helped by the garlic and chillies used to cook them.
However, my absolute favourite is the Pulpo a la Gallega (Octopus Galician style), at VND140,000 VND. A large portion of perfectly cooked big octopus, cut and served with extra virgin olive oil, Spanish paprika and salt. If you have not tried this before, get ready to discover an amazing dish, and the best is that thanks to the use of original ingredients (even the salt is brought from Spain) and the chef’s skill, it tastes exactly as it does in Galicia! Honestly I can go to Ole just to eat this dish alone!
Gazpacho, Calamari, Serrano ham, chicken croquettes and meatballs are just a few of the many tapas that you will find in Ole’s multilingual menu. But that is not all, because if you want proper main courses, they also do them!
Seafood paella (VND250,000) is cooked in the traditional paellera, and served at its best point. Lots of seafood and a savoury, well-presented rice.
The homemade desserts are great, and if you cannot find what you want, as long as it is Spanish, Tony will happily make it for you!
Prices are really reasonable, especially considering that all ingredients are imported. However if you are on a budget, you may want to give the set menu a try: believe it or not, for just VND99,000 you get three dishes and a drink!
In Ole the flavours, the atmosphere and even the smell are Spanish. The owners are so friendly that customers quickly become friends in this very relaxed atmosphere amidst delicious food.
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