Flamenco, paella and sangria give New Westminster a piece of España!
On some Saturday nights this winter (we will post the specific dates soon) the Orange Room will turn a tiny piece of uptown New Westminster into a corner of Spain. Flamenco Contigo provides flamenco music, song and dance for entertainment. Flamenco Contigo first performed at the Orange Room May 30, see here for the story, and performed every Wednesday through the summer and fall of 2009. We have had to change Wednesdays for Saturdays as it is too difficult to find flamenco dancers on Wednesday nights.
Based in Vancouver, Flamenco Contigo is up to five performers. Some nights will be flamenco dancing and other nights castanets or the "ayayayayyy" singing that only Spaniards can get away with. There may also be "Las Palmas" - you know, the hand-clapping thing.
Paella will be available on these special nights. Paella is a dish tradicional from Valencia but now considered by many to be the Spanish dish. There are many different paella, but all involve cooking meats and/or seafood with rice and saffron in a shallow pan, called a paella.
The Orange Room offers two: a meat and a seafood. Many Spaniards believe a paella is not perfect until the rice is 'burnt' at the bottom, but we aim for more of a caramelized texture. A proper paella is eaten straight from the pan it was cooked in and is best shared with friends. The Orange Room paella is served tapas-style in a five-inch pan and is a generous portion for one person, but also delightful when shared.
Many places use arborio rice for their paella, which is fine for risotto, but an insult for paella. Don't get me started! We use Bomba or Calasparra rice and top-quality real saffron "Princessa de Minaya"- Unquestionably the best of the best - for a true traditional Spanish paella taste. The chicken and chorizo are local and certified organic. Vegetarian paella is available, but you need to pre-order and pre-pay them. We make 20 fresh paellas on Spanish nights and when they're gone, they're gone!
You'll want something to wash down your meal and sip during the entertainment, and what could be better than a glass or pitcher of sangria alegria? ¡Por supuesto! You won't find a sangria anything like this anywhere else outside the Iberian peninsula.
There is no cover charge for Spanish Nights at the Orange Room, but you may want to consider a "pour boir" for the performers. The dancing starts at 7:30, but you'll want to call ahead to reserve a table! Call 778-397-1753.
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