La Bombi

Cantabrian seafood temple 

Poached shrimps

La Bombi is highly regarded as perhaps the best seafood restaurant in Santander. The family-run business is located in the heart of the city, with water tanks holding onto live seafood such as crabs and lobsters, all cooked to order to ensure freshness. I turned up on a Monday afternoon and the whole place was fully booked, which sounds crazy considering most restaurants wouldn't even bother to open due to a lack of customers. So La Bombi really does have a reputation among the locals and I was glad I booked a table in advance. The owner who spoke great English walked us to the fish tanks and explain what fresh food they have and how would they cook it, which make the ordering really fun and engaging.

Asador Lechazo Aranda

The peak of Asador?

Wood fire oven for meat roasting

I am a mega fan of traditional roasted Spanish-style suckling pig and lamb. The magic of the burning wood inside a clay oven somehow turns meat into something truly exceptional, providing the seasoning and preparation were done well in advance. Asador Lechazo Aranda in Santander is all about the traditional roast and grilled meat using open fire. The restaurant pride itself on using top-grade milk-fed lamb and suckling pig from the local region, which itself highly depends on livestock and farming, so I was in for something special.

Restaurante la Mayor

Fresh seafood, the traditional way

Clams in wine and garlic

One of my reasons to visit Santander is to enjoy some great quality fresh seafood, the northern region of Spain is sandwiched between Garlica and the Basque region, so as far as gastronomy goes, I am sure Catanbria is right up there too. La Mayor came across when I was doing my research and it is an interesting one, from the decor it looks just like another local canteen but the food they serve is anything but standard. The restaurant pride itself on providing top-quality fresh seafood, all done the traditional local way, with no creativity or gimmick whatsoever.

Gouqi

Up and coming

Supreme Royal Dim Sum Platter

What makes Chinese restaurants stand out compared to other types of restaurants is usually the menu, it tends to have a big menu with at least 100 dishes. The latest opening Gouqi by Chinese chef legend Tong Chee Hwee is no exception. From my first visit, I had the tasting menu but there are still so many other dishes on its ALC menu I would like to try as what makes this place stand out is the rare dishes that you won't find elsewhere in London, such as scorpion fish and stuffed egg yolk char siu pork, which all sounds really inviting. Below captured my 2nd and 3rd visits.

Gouqi

The hot new Chinese opening 

Prawn tartar and octopus in rice wine

Goqui, a newly launched Chinese fine dining concept is located in Charing Cross just off the National Gallery. In the world of the Chinese restaurant trade, Gouqi is a big deal as it is by chef Tong Chee Hwee, the former group executive chef of the Hakhassan group, his contribution has launched the group's restaurants to become some of the most popular and fashionable venues and it landed a few Michelin stars along the way. His influence and status in Chinese cuisine in the UK are unquestionable. For my visit, I went for the advance-ordered tasting menu.