Eating in San Sebastian- Tse Yang at Hotel Maria Cristina

It’s no secret that San Sebastián in Spanish Basque Country is one of the world’s top destinations for food. Not just for the inventive cuisine that’s racked up the Michelin stars (think Arzak, Mugaritz, and Akelare), but also the gourmet tapas-style plates called pintxos served at bars throughout the city’s Parte Vieja. On a recent trip to San Sebastian, Luxury Travel Advisor ate our way through this city by the sea (stay tuned for details in an upcoming issue of the magazine).  One of the highlights—once we had overdosed on Spanish eats—was sitting down at Tse Yang for haute Chinese cuisine at the Hotel Maria Cristina.

Recently renovated by the Starwood Luxury Collection, the hotel is exquisite- and the restaurant is no exception. We chose the “Peking Menu,” featuring the house specialty of, what else?, Peking Duck. Bowls of Hot and Sour soup were followed by delicate dim sum (steamed dumplings filled with pork and ginger), then Northern Style King Prawns. Each course was presented with a flourish, before the server prettily plated the dishes with great attention. The skin of the Peking Duck was carved up and placed in pancakes, then the meat returned to the kitchen to be cooked with ginger and spring onion for the next course, served with curried rice noodles.

Capped off with caramelized apple sprinkled with sesame seeds, this magnificent feast is just 36 euros (served to a minimum of two people). Needless to say, we highly recommend it. For more information about Tse Yang, visit www.hotel-mariacristina.com/en/restaurant-tse-yang.