Vy and Steve Chao first met on a work trip to Barcelona around 15 years ago. They bonded over a shared mission: to find the best paella in the city. After a few disappointing days and meals, they left unsatisfied. Vy Chao chalks it up to “user error,” pointing out how they would hunt after finishing work, during traditional American dinner hours. At the time, locals mainly ate paella for lunch; the versions served at dinner were usually made for tourists. But on a return trip last year they found better luck, and paella, noting that the city had adapted to tourists’ dining habits. They also fell in love all over again with Barcelona and the tapas bars and restaurants that thrummed with energy late into the morning hours.

That very spirit is what they hope to evoke when they open their new tapas and paella restaurant (though it will be more aligned with Portlanders’ earlier bedtimes). The couple founded Doja Tea House in Tualatin and later in Northwest Portland, and most recently opened Balkan restaurant Alma with chef Vedran Jordan. To execute their more recent vision, they brought on chef Connor Gallaher, former sous chef of Concordia’s Basque destination, Urdaneta. On Thursday, February 26, Vya, pronounced “via,” will open in the old Palomar space on SE Division with a focused menu of tapas and paella rounded out with Spanish wines and cocktails, including NA options.

Despite being an iconic dish, paella remains shockingly rare in Portland. Local Spanish restaurants can be counted on one hand, and few of those even serve the item. Places like Can Font and Ataula have closed, Bar Casa Vale no longer consistently serves paella; the globe-trotting Irving Street Tapas and catering company Bomba Paella appear to be the only places in town doing so. This may come down to the challenges it presents: use of both range and oven, the space required for the large pans, and the extensive cook time. When prepared to order, paella often takes upward of 30 minutes. The team at Vya has managed to get that down without skipping steps or using par-cooked rice, like an Italian restaurant might for risotto. Instead, Gallaher starts each paella on the range, sautéing the sofrito before adding in the uncooked Bomba rice and stock. After five to eight minutes, it goes into a combi oven to finish with whatever toppings it calls for. The process takes around 25 minutes.

Paella is the only entrée on the opening menu at Vya, with two flavors initially—a classic Valencian mixta, with a tomato-based sofrito, chicken, and shellfish, and a vegan take with a housemade stock of kombu, shiitake, and vegan collagen for viscosity. Each serves two as a meal, or four as a snack. The expectation is for diners to have drinks and some tapas while they wait for their rice. Here, the restaurant leans classic: jamón ibérico shaved thin, Spanish cheese plates, gildas, croquettes. But the Chaos are particularly excited about a few more modernist takes, like bowls of blistered shishitos served over a green curry foam, octopus carpaccio with Meyer lemon vinaigrette, and the beet tiradito. A Peruvian dish comparable to ceviche, tiradito is normally made with raw, finely sliced fish that’s served immediately after being dressed, rather than letting it “cook” in the citrus juice. But this vegan version uses dehydrated beets served with tiger nut ajo blanco and avocado. The process takes five to six days, and Vy Chao describes it as “beets pretending to be tuna.”

Another Latin American influence can be found on the drink menu: the Esmeralda, a tweaked margarita, gets a spike of pisco, tarragon, and peppers. Sangria comes as white, with shochu, apple, lemongrass, and lychee; or red, with pineapple rum, orange blossom, and cola, a nod to Basque kalimotxo, a highball of red wine and Coke. Spanish gin and tonics served in goblets, fancy espresso martinis with cachaça and mango, and NA options round out the cocktails, while Spanish wines make up most of the glass pours.

Fans of old Cuban-inspired Palomar—before the bar moved to Northwest Portland last March—will find the place has changed. Much of the tropical blues and greens have been replaced with warmer browns and reds along the new booths and banquettes, with a punch of floral colors from the new wallpaper. This summer, the team plans to use the rooftop patio for events, music, and private parties, but plans to set up a more consistent bar presence down the line. For now, the dining room is open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 11pm, which is Portland’s version of Barcelona’s late nights.