Meikles Hotel hosts Spanish Week

the regions of Spain itself, as well as the influence of its neighbours such as France and Portugal.
These are the different tastes that will be experienced in the Spanish Week in Meikles Hotel’s La Fontaine Grillroom, where visiting chef Simon Gonzalez is working with executive chef Chris Gonzo and his team to prepare a culinary delight that will appeal to all food enthusiasts.
Gonzalez has been brought to Zimbabwe by the Spanish Embassy as part of its celebrations of the October 12 Spanish National Day, and he has brought a range of traditional and innovative ideas for an Iberian experience to remember. The Spanish Week runs from Friday October 14 to Wednesday October 19, with the special menu available at lunches on Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as dinners every night, including Saturday and Sunday.
A group of journalists enjoyed a sneak preview of the gastronomic feast, sampling only a few of the dishes that will be available on an extended table d’hote menu throughout the week. A mildly spicy piquillo pepper stuffed with prawns on a herb sauce was a delightful start, followed by a main course in which our choices were a sirloin steak, matched with a lentil and chorizo accompaniment, or a Tortilla – a genuine Spanish omelette filled with potato.
Zimbabweans may well find sirloin steak something not unusual, so they may prefer the fish and seafood offerings that will be choices on the final menu. The pudding we enjoyed was a tasty vanilla sponge with caramelised sauce.
Gonzalez runs his own catering service in the north-west of Spain, only 10km from the Portuguese border, and has had experience at restaurants and in hotels throughout Spain, as well as abroad. He is a frequent feature on Spanish television cooking programmes, and has travelled to Zimbabwe once before, also as a guest of the Spanish Embassy. A youthful chef, he brings a mix of respect for the fine traditions of Spanish cuisine and a keen interest in fusion of modern styles and methods into his cooking and presentation.
What was most delightful about the preview tasting was his willingness to chat to the guests and hear from them their feedback on his menu and their expectations of a Spanish culinary week. Zimbabwean diners will enjoy the menu he is preparing and it is also comforting to note that his experience and talent will live on after he returns home, as the Meikles teams of chefs absorb his enthusiasm and ideas for their own creative inspiration.
Booking for the Spanish Week can be done through contacting Meikles Hotel.