La Cuchara de San Telmo @ La Cuchara de San Telmo
Unlike many Pintxo bars in San Sebastian, everything here is made from scratch. It gets crowded in the cute, narrow bar and things can take a while so get a "cana" (beer) or Manzanilla (dry sherry) and take your time - it is worth it. Everything is on a chalkboard and indeed you should order everything.

Rekondo @ Rekondo
Traditional Basque cooking with great seafood and a beautiful grill. It features one of the most comprehensive Spanish (and French) wine lists in the world, and at very reasonable prices. The marvelous host/owner Lourdes, and her father still work the floor with a team of friendly, passionate, and long-time employees. Have a drink on their beautiful outdoor patio which is an oasis of calm up on the hill. The classic Basque clams with rice is featured in the photo from Ray Harris.

Roast Duck  @ Shengyongxing Restaurant
The first Shanghai outpost of one of Beijing's better-known roast duck restaurants, Shengyongxing, is known for being particular about its ducks. Diners receive a copy of each duck's identification card when it arrives for tableside carving. It gives details of the duck's origin and stats meant to show its high quality. Diners can order the roast duck as an individual portion, whole, or topped with caviar. The rest of the menu covers contemporary Chinese fine dining, centered on luxury ingredients such as abalone, Wagyu beef, and sea cucumber, and a handful of traditional Beijing dishes such as gongbao chicken and zha jiang mian. The space is outfitted in modern, minimalist Chinese design and presents a sweeping view of Lujiazui just across the river. Sheng Yong Xing also has an extensive wine list selected by Meiyu Li (former winner of China's Best Sommelier Competition). Service here is in Chinese, though the entire menu is printed in both Chinese and English, including wine pairing recommendations.

Xin Rong Ji @ Xinrongji
The first Xin Rong Ji restaurant opened in 1995. Inspired by the idea that authentic ingredients make the best delicacies, Xin Rong Ji has always sourced its own ingredients, using proprietary fishing boats, farms, and more to ensure unimpeachable quality and taste. The Michelin-starred restaurant from Shanghai serves lip-smackingly sublime versions of toothsome Taizhou cuisine. Seafood from China’s east coast is the focus, but their formidably refined Peking duck carved tableside is not to be ignored. Crisp, paper-thin skin is presented with individual servings of steamed wrappers and condiments.

Steak @ Asador Etxebarri

At this rural farmhouse in the tiny, hilly, Basque village of Axpe, Victor Arguinzoniz is recognized as a world-class master in the art of charcoal wood fire ovens. Victor engineered pivoting grills with movable grates that allow him to cook almost anything on a grill. Galician dairy cows aged 7-10 years provide beef that has a stronger “beef flavor.” Juicy, tender, pungent slices of rib-eye are cooked over coals of smoky, gnarled old vine trunks on Victor’s ingenious custom-made contraptions that highlight rather than mask the beef’s natural taste. Served with sea salt, no other seasonings are required for one of the world’s best steaks. The rest of the menu is equally enchanting, including the bread and wood smoked butter and the grilled smoked prawns.

Beijing Da Dong @ Beijing Da Dong
Da Dong Roast Duck was established in Dongcheng District in Beijing, more than 30 years ago. It has become one of the top restaurants in the country for modern Chinese food. They have 9 locations around Beijing. The restaurant is housed in a restored Ming dynasty palace, creating an elegant dining space for both locals and tourists. The decor and lighting are modern. Da Dong is synonymous with its specialty, super-lean roast duck. Instead of the traditional square oven, Da Dong uses an innovative spherical wood-fired oven in cooking Peking Duck. Billed as the modern, healthy way to eat roast duck, Da Dong Roast Duck is famous for being roasted in a leaner and less fatty way than traditional methods. The molasses-colored skin of the duck was crispy yet light, with a great smoky flavor. While other restaurants serve cucumber, scallions and plum sauce, Da Dong offers additional condiments: minced garlic, granulated sugar, honeydew melon slices, pickled vegetables, and some tianmianjiang. Aside from the usual pancakes, Da Dong serves sesame puffs with the duck. While the roast duck is Da Dong’s specialty, its menu is quite comprehensive and extensive.

Made In China @ Made In China
Made in China is on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt hotel with an accommodation of 126 diners, including private rooms. This restaurant gets busy, so booking ahead is essential. If you want the Peking duck they ask you to order this in advance. The technique of Peking duck in Made in China is unique and allows the skin to be roast to a crispy texture without overcooking the meat. This is served with thin, delicate pancakes, plum sauce, and the usual strips of spring onion and cucumber, as well as garlic paste. Perfect. Another elaborate dish was beggar's chicken, where a whole chicken is stuffed with mushrooms, coated in oil, wrapped in a lotus leaf, and then encased in a clay shell before being slow-cooked. The resulting dish has its outer shell cracked with a hammer at the table and then unwrapped. The result was extremely tender chicken flesh, inside which was a delicious layer of mixed mushrooms.

ELKANO @ ELKANO
The turbot served tableside by owner Aitor used to be a locally treasured secret - now it is a global legend. Put simply - this is the best single fish experience anywhere. Indeed, the entire menu of fresh locally sourced seafood is inspirational - Swipe left to see the Turbot up close.

Daily Catch @ The Daily Catch North End
Daily Catch started serving pasta in the pan out of necessity as they had no plates. Seafood is sourced from the local fishermen on the Boston Fish Pier and cooked in a simple authentic recipe as an ode to Sicily. From the ocean to the dock to your pan - this place is the essence of Boston seafood. Order the stunning Lobster Fra Diavola with calamari, littlenecks, mussels & shrimp simmered in their spicy signature seafood tomato sauce served over linguine.

Casa Carmela @ Casa Carmela
Paella is Spain's national dish and Valencia is the paella capital. Paella Valenciana is a specific recipe governed by local associations with national recognition indicating 10 ingredients including rabbit, snails, tomatoes, lima/butter, beans, saffron, oil-water, salt and rice, cooked over a wood fire. The paella (Valenciana) at Casa Carmela is next level. Laughter and dizzy chatter break out at tables as diners scrape away with wooden spoons at their designated triangle of the paella pan before trespassing into the domain of neighboring "slow scrapers". The sticky caramelized center is righteous on its own but the crunchy socarrat at the bottom and around the edges is ethereal. And those rabbit riblets? Carmela is one of life's truly incomparable dining experiences. Pairs well with a chilled Manzanilla!