Bodegon Alejandro, San Sebastian

http://www.martinberasategui.com/

I keep shaking my head at the memory of this meal. If I were Martin Berasategui, head chef and proprietor of Bodegon Alejandro, and one of the most highly regarded chefs in the region, I would seriously keep closer tabs on the kitchen. I felt embarrased on his behalf to have been given an apple-filled crepe so thick, tough and burnt besides. Where was the quality control?? It completely destroyed my dining experience, not just because I like my dessert but because it was the last part of my meal and instead of ending it with a flourish it just caused it to turn turtle. To be fair, the bacalao con pil-pil (salted cod fish with a special salsa, a typical dish in the region) was very tasty and was nicely fried, crisp on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside. And the starter of squid-ink pasta with seafood was good enough too. Not outstanding, I have to admit, but sure, of a reasonable standard. But alas, with dessert so bad, you can bet your bottom dollar I won't be going back.

Arzak, San Sebastian

http://www.arzak.es/

This is truly a labour of love. From the restaurant being based in the house built by his grandparents in 1897, to Jean Marie Arzak engaging with every customer continuously throughout the meal, to the food itself which is prepared with such precision and parsimony, and is presented so exquisitely you could not have asked for more. Every thing on the plate is there for a reason-the minced pimientos on the grilled squid gave it a bite every so often, the citrus pips and rose petals that decorated the apple with foie gras gave the sweet-savoury a touch of acid. The green tea crusted lamb was delicate but flavoursome. But the piece de resistance was the chocolate pearls in strawberry soup: would never have expected the pearls to burst in my mouth as they did, and for them to ooze rich chocolate! Wow. By the way, the wine was excellent, and the coffee also was the best I've had in San Sebastian. Even the sugar cubes were of superior quality, and as some of you may know, I'm very particular about my sugar cubes.

La Cuchara de San Telmo, San Sebastian

A great many chefs and restaurants claim fresh produce and quality ingredients as the reasons for their success, but a meal at these places often doesn't leave you feeling nourished or at the very least, better for having eaten there. La Cuchara de San Telmo is one exception. My meal made me feel renewed, refreshed..even rejuvenated (the 3 'R's of good eating). This is what an old friend and I call 'zen' food. Seems an easy enough formula, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find outside the home. Quite easily my favourite restaurant in San Sebastian for this reason alone.

La Cepa, San Sebastian

Most of the time, squid takes a lot of mastication and focus because of its firmness. At La Cepa though, it was soft and tender, and somewhat like fresh fish it melted in my mouth so quickly that I had to force myself to eat more slowly to savour the flavours. Cooked in their own ink and served with rice, that this dish is a San Sebastian speciality comes as no surprise. I can taste it even now.

La Vina, San Sebastian

Cheesecake!! Home-made, so none of that icky, plasticky smoothness nor the excessive sweetness. Just a lot of good cheese and plenty of crispy burnt bits. Sure, those aren't the healthiest parts, but once in a while, they're such a treat!

Restaurante Portaletas, San Sebastian

There were a lot of elements in this meal that were good but only a couple are worth mentioning here. First, the vegetable pudding. I suppose this is the vegetarian equivalent of meatloaf, with bread and lots of mushy veggies. The other, was the cod. On the face of it, this looked like the most plain thing ever-a piece of cod covered with some leek in a garlic jus..didn't seem too exciting really. But I really enjoyed both the fish and the veggies. Felt quite earthy, and very home-cooked, so left the place feeling quite healthy. It wasn't a spectacular meal, sure, but this place deserves a solid 'good'.

La Torre De Pizza, San Sebastian

Okay, so this isn't typically Spanish, but change is good every once in a while! All three of us had been craving a pizza eversince a friend told us about the amazing pizza he'd had at this place. But everytime he tried to take us there, we always got lost..hmm, maybe it was a ploy:) In any case, this was good pizza: thin crust, crisp but not biscuit-hard and good cheese. We had a half -Margarita (tomato and mozzarella) half-Napolitana (salami, pimientos, ham, mushroom, unspecified cheese) pizza. The Swiss among us pointed out that the cheese used on either half was different..the rest of us were eating too fast to notice, but hey, can't quarrel with the expert can we?

Bar Txepetxa, San Sebastian

I think I refrained from posting this for a while cos I wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks on me: could anchovies taste so good? Sure, the walls are plastered with awards won by the bar, and mostly for anchovies..but c'mon! It was only when a usually not-so-culinarily-adventurous friend gasped at first bite that I knew this was defintely a winner. Anchovies that melt in your mouth, flavours that meld so well together you can't help the "ummmmm" of pure satisfaction that escapes from within. There's a reason why this is one of the best bars in the city.

El Sitio Del Magueyal, San Sebastian

I wonder if you are as sick as I am of the current fad with molten chocolate cake. Sure, its good, but it's (as my sister would say) so five minutes ago. So this was a pleasant surprise. Actually, more than just pleasant. I was blown away. And I couldn't help thinking how it was the perfect cake for my choco cake partner-in-crime and me. It's got the sponge that she likes, the mousse that I like, and the richness and bittersweetness that we both adore. Did I mention the crunch of the choco bits that iced the cake? The only thing I can think of that comes close in flavour and texture is Haagen-Dazs belgian chocolate ice-cream. I thought about it all night long, and I couldn't sleep til I'd emailed her this photo for her vicarious enjoyment-it had to be shared, immediately. This is a winner in my books. Oh yes, I forget, we also had very good spinach and salmon lasagne and lamb and pork kebabs, but those turned out to be mere means to an end. An excellent end.

Goiz-Bargi, San Sebastian

I'm sure you have all experienced having had a great meal at a restaurant the first time, going back only to realise that it's not as good as you remembered. Am happy to tell you that's not the case here. Skewered prawns grilled with a garlic, onion and pepper salsa. What a delightful crunch. Brilliant the first time. Brilliant the second time. (And for a friend, brilliant the last 10 times). Now that's what I call a gift.

Munto Jatetxea, San Sebastian

Becoming a local now, and starting to limit myself only to one (or two...okay, sometimes 3, but that's max!) pintxos a bar. The famous one here is the foie a la plancha, which is basically the same as foie gras. But this one is nice cos it's really smooth and soft, and they put a sweet grape salsa on top which gives the loveliest accent. Also discovered mosto, which is grape juice just before it becomes wine. So still alcoholic, but beautifully rounded. And sweet of course. But you all know about my sweet tooth already.

Casa Gandarias, San Sebastian

I imagine my first meal in paradise would be catered from this bar. The pintxo pictured above, la solomillo, has so entranced my dining companions that it has become the wager in a number of friendly bets. And for me, just seeing those enraptured expressions is enough to know that this is really damn good. Other stuff that's amazing here: the brocheta cordero (lamb kebab) and how could I forget...the grilled octopus. Okay, so it's 3 things that keep us going back. I really don't have the words. None of us do-our meals here are the quietest ever.

Casa Alcalde, San Sebastian

I really should've known better. This place had "tourist" stamped all over it..but no, we went in and we ordered, and what's worse, we ate so much in the hope that maybe we'd just picked the wrong ones before, and maybe the next one would be better. Didn't happen unfortunately. Thing is though, the Canadian guy next to us was having the time of his life. So it wasn't bad at all. Just that we'd had much better elsewhere.

Cola Cao, San Sebastian

All over the city

It's really common for someone to order Cola Cao in a cafe/bar in San Sebastian, and I always thought it was a local speciality. Guess what? It's instant hot chocolate. In Caravansarai they're so unapologetic about it, they actually just give you the sachet with a cup of hot milk. But at Bideluze, where this photo was taken, they put a bit more of an effort into making it look special. The cup is lined with chocolate, and the packet is emptied into the bottom. Then they pour in hot milk and serve it to you with a few Marie biscuits. You decide how much to stir. Its a comfort drink you know, and feels so nice on a cold, rainy day.

Giroki Taverna, San Sebastian

This place is a favourite after-class hangout. You only see pintxos in the photo but really, its plato combinados are great too. It is most famous for the Carolina. That's a bocadillo with a fillet of chicken (and I mean a whole chicken) fried in breadcrumbs, lettuce and mayo. It's H.U.G.E. But it only costs 3.50 euros (S$7.10). That may seem expensive to you, but given that you could feed 3 people with one, it's really nothing. Of course, I had one to myself, but then, that's just me being extremely greedy..and naive. Another thing I adore here is the crepe with cheese and mushroom.

Yum yum yum yum yum. Best thing after a hard day at school.

Plaza Cafe, San Sebastian

Plaza del Buen Pastor 14

This place is literally right next door to Caravanserai and I sometimes come here for a change of environment. It's a bit more expensive though quality-wise, it's definitely better. Locals swarm the place for late-morning breakfast on the weekends. That night I had an ensalada mezcla (mixed salad). It was all good, and there was so much of it too! But I think my favourite bit was the asparagus stem. Call me johnny-come-lately, but it was the first time I'd had sweet yet juicy asparagus!

Caravenserai Cafe, San Sebastian

Corner of Calle San Bartolome 1 & Plaza del Buen Pastor

My first dinner at San Sebastian was a melt-in-your-mouth ham, cheese and egg sandwich here, and every time I think of this place, my mouth waters at the memory of that first meal. As far as typical bars or cafes in San Sebastian go though, this is not one of them-it's more familial and even a little touristy. But I come here often cos its close to home, its cheap and food is not bad by San Sebastian standards. Plus the staff recognise me now and are very forgiving of my poor Spanish.

San Sebastian

So I'm here in San Sebastian, Northern Spain and the heart of the Basque country. It has a reputation of being one of the culinary capitals of the world, and having been here a while now, I understand why. Its been 3 weeks so far, and have not had an average meal yet! Food is taken very seriously here. Unfortunately all the centuries-old gastronomic societies that litter the city are only privy to men, and you have to be specially invited to boot. First time I've envious of a man.

In any case, here's my list of must-trys. Problem is, once I've found a place I like, I keep going back! But I persevere..Some definitions to start:

pintxos: The tapas of the North. Actually its more like sushi, but on bread. Every bar in the city has its own speciality. Costs about 1.50 euros for a regular one, but the more special the toppings the higher the cost. Tourists are identified by the piles of pintxos on their plates: locals usually just have one per bar. What an incentive to bar-hop!

bocadillo: This big mama of a sandwich I'm sure was meant to provide rocket fuel for anyone not intending to eat for the week following. But the locals seem to like it. Have had a couple which were sublime, and then rolled home after.

plato combinado: A balanced meal-a meat, two veggies and some carbs most times. Just as the doctor ordered.