Flavors to Remember: Owner and chef Carlos Sauna serves authentic paella at The River Market’s new Spanish restaurant

I consider myself a true rice enthusiast. Every week, I enjoy experimenting with leftover white rice from family dinners, often adding spices like turmeric and cumin from my pantry to create new savory dishes.

Yet, despite eating rice three times a week, it’s been nine years since I’ve had paella — a Spanish rice dish full of seafood, meat and vegetables. So I visited The Paella Mix, a Spanish restaurant that opened earlier this fall in Kansas City’s River Market.

Upon entering, the owner Carlos Saura, whom I’d called an hour before to book a reservation and let him know I’d be reviewing his restaurant, greeted me from the kitchen with an excited wave. He informed my party of four that there were five minutes left in the 45-minute paella-making process, during which the rice slowly cooks in saffron broth to form a crisp bottom layer. So, we ordered two additional tapas — small Spanish dishes — that would arrive just as the paella was ready.

Tapa #1: Patatas Bravas:

The first dish to arrive was Patatas Bravas, which reminded me how simple ingredients can create a dish I’m truly craving.

These thick-cut crispy potatoes served in a simple paper container reminded me of street food — satisfying and modest. The Patatas Bravas had a crunchy, golden-brown exterior and a soft, fluffy interior, and didn’t seem to have seasoning other than salt. But they didn’t need any.

The flavor came from the spicy brava sauce on the side. The sauce, made from roasting and blending ñora peppers (mildly sweet Spanish peppers), tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and parsley, was advertised as “mildly spicy.” While I disagree with the menu’s spice description, the distinctive, hot kick from the sauce is what separates the Patatas Bravas from all other bland fried potato dishes.

Tapa #2: Gambas al Ajillo

I knew tapas were small dishes, but I wasn’t expecting to be served the tiniest shrimps I’ve ever seen on my Gambas al Ajillo. Around 10 adorable-sized shrimps were served in olive oil, garlic and cayenne pepper and came with a few slices of toasted baguette bread on the side.

I thought the brava sauce from my last dish was spicy; however, the Gambas al Ajillo had way more heat. I attribute this spiciness to the cayenne pepper, which is 20 times hotter than a jalapeño, according to Have A Plant. Despite the fiery flavor, I enjoyed topping the bread with shrimp and dipping it in the olive oil. I appreciated the sharp tang of the garlic, since garlic is easily one of my top five favorite foods.

Paella Valenciana:

Served on a 24-inch steel paellera — Spanish for “paella pan” — my initial reaction to this traditional-style short-grain rice was astonishment. The wide pan was filled with sauteed rice, chicken, pork, red peppers, rosemary, saffron and Romano beans (judías verdes in Spanish).

Saura instructed us to eat directly from the pan, which made the experience feel more communal. He also told us that the layer of toasted rice on the bottom of the pan, called socarrat, is considered a delicacy among Spaniards and is the best part of the dish.

I definitely agreed.

The crispy rice and bits of pork added a delightful crunch to every bite. Apart from the rice, the chicken stood out to me the most. It was tender and juicy, unlike the chewy, stringy chicken that I’m used to getting at Chipotle. The chicken soaked up the smoky flavor from the roasted red peppers, and the saffron added a subtle earthiness to the dish.

The rice was a bit too salty for my taste but was quickly balanced out by the fresh vegetable flavor and a squeeze of lemon. The crispy rice and diverse ingredients made the paella remarkable in both texture and depth, and it was evident that the 45-minute cooking time was effective in creating the socarrat and tender chicken infused with savory flavors.

Outro:

I enjoyed every dish I ordered from The Paella Mix, but what impressed me the most was the family atmosphere and attentive service. Saura shared his journey with me: born in Spain, he spent 20 years living in Asia before settling in Kansas City, where he opened the area's only Spanish-owned Spanish restaurant.

After the meal, Saura even gave me a tour of the kitchen, showing me a ñora pepper and a six-inch Romano bean while modeling how he uses the stovetop to make paella. He told me about how the blue and white patterned tiles used for the tables were shipped from Spain, as are the olive oil, saffron and ñora peppers. Saura also showed me his method of boiling water with saffron to extract flavors and prevent the strings of saffron from being visible in the food.

My one advice is to order paella in advance and reserve a table if you plan to visit during the weekend, as the River Market tends to get busy.

The next time I’m making a concoction out of leftover rice, I’ll be reminded of my meal at The Paella Mix, especially the taste of the saffron rice and Saura’s method behind it.