Savor Christmas the Spanish way at Cantabria by Chele Gonzalez
“We are here to celebrate Christmas,” said chef Chele Gonzalez as he welcomed us to Cantabria, his restaurant at The Westin Manila in Ortigas Center.
The purpose of our visit was twofold—we were there to preview the restaurant’s holiday menu but it was also a thanksgiving lunch because Cantabria by Chele Gonzalez, which opened in March 2024, was included in the Philippines’ first Michelin Guide. “We are extremely happy to be selected,” said Chele.
The chef has a lot to be thankful for. He was among the top honorees at the country’s inaugural Michelin ceremony. Two of his restaurants— Gallery by Chele and Asador Alfonso—received a Michelin star. Gallery by Chele also got a Green Star for its dedication to sustainability. Enye by Chele, along with Cantabria, was part of the Michelin Selected List.
But, he’s quick to stress, “It’s not only my work, you know. My job is to have the vision and to really push to achieve that. But I need my team who are as important as I am to make sure that it's executed and done. Any restaurant is about teamwork. It's not only about the chef.”
Even onstage at the Michelin ceremony, he shared the spotlight with the chefs who work with him including Carlos Villaflor of Gallery by Chele and Rodrigo A. Osorio of Asador Alfonso. “When I went to the stage, I never went by myself,” Chele said. “And for Selected, I didn’t go onstage, I gave the spotlight to the chefs.”
He did the same thing during our lunch at Cantabria, encouraging chef de cuisine Álvaro Romero-abreu Raya to be front and center. Chele said, “All of the restaurants that I have, there is a chef behind the counter that is working with me hand to hand.”
At Cantabria, that is Álvaro. “I'm very happy with Chef Alvaro. I think he is a great chef. He has also worked in many Michelin star restaurants. He has a strong background.”
Specializing in seafood
Named after Chele’s hometown on the northern coast of Spain, Cantabria is a fine casual Spanish restaurant that specializes in seafood, tapas, and traditional Spanish favorites.
"We focus on developing interesting seafood dishes, but we also want to give different options to everybody. We have steaks. We have an extensive menu. I think the food is really a balance between comfort and a little bit more high-level. We still want to be approachable. We don't want this restaurant to become a fine dining restaurant. It's quite homey. A little bit elevated, but also homey. We want to bring Cantabria soul food to the table,” said Gonzalez.
Álvaro said, "We are trying to achieve traditional flavors with a little twist or a little update."
They did that with the holiday menu. Chele said, “I'm very happy with what we put in. It really reflects the essence of Spanish cuisine. It's full of Spanish dishes and Spanish flavors that for us mean Christmas.”
Our meal started with a trio of tapas: Torta de Aceite, Tartar de Atún y Albahaca (tuna tartar, olive oil flatbread, basil, and almonds), Anchoa, Queso y Pistacho (anchovy, sobao, parmesan cheese, and toasted pistachios), and Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico (creamy jamón Ibérico croquette), each one a delightful bite and an explosion of flavors.
“What we want to represent here is Chele, me, and Spain,” said Álvaro.
The sobao is a butter cake from Cantabria, said Chele. “Spanish cuisine is not very sweet, it’s savory. But when it’s Christmas, there is more sweetness.”
Cocktail de Marisco
Next came Cocktail de Marisco, one of Álvaro’s favorites “but made more fancy.” Their version featured prawns and crab, salad greens, salsa rosa, and mango ice cream. Álvaro sprayed on a little spiciness and told us, “Eat all the layers, mix, play around, and you will balance everything.”
It was a cold, fresh, bright dish, one that reminded Chele of his mom’s cooking. “In my home, during Christmas, we always have this as the first course of the menu during Noche Buena—cocktail de gambas with avocado.”
Scallops came next, cooked in butter and lemon, served with ikura and then covered with a celeriac soup right at the table—a lovely, lovely dish.
Álvaro said, “I love to play with contrasts—hot and cold, raw and cooked. Celeriac soup makes everything more rounded and more soft. Play around with the textures and the contrast of temperatures.”
Next was a fish course—black grouper in a traditional Spanish green sauce made of white wine, garlic, parsley. The dish was made more complex by clams, edamame and jamón, a surprising combination of ingredients that come together beautifully.
Chele said, “When I was a kid, the most luxurious thing would always be seafood. The restaurant wants to highlight how important seafood is in my region, where I come from. We have one of the best seafoods in the world.”
We had another main dish—roasted lamb on roasted spiced eggplant rice with chestnut toffee and quince gel. There’s that Christmas sweetness again that Chele mentioned.
We followed Álvaro’s advice of taking the lamb with the rice from top to bottom for satisfying bite after satisfying bite.
For dessert, we had Pestinos, Poleas y Mantecado or traditional sugar-cinnamon fritters, spiced pudding, and mantecado ice cream with savory grapes—a sweet symphony of textures and flavors.
The five-course set Holiday Set Menu costs P3,250+ per person and is available for lunch and dinner at Cantabria by Chele Gonzalez until Dec. 30, except on Christmas.
To book, visit https://sevn.ly/xtOxwlfJ.
Cantabria by Chele Gonzalez is offering special Noche Buena and Media Noche feasts on Dec. 24, 25, and 31. The New Year’s menu includes a lobster paella while the Christmas menu has a Wagyu risotto with foie. Reserve a table via https://qrco.de/CelebrateInCantabria.
And when you go, don’t miss out on Cantabria’s delicious sangrias.
No change
While there’s been an increase in the number of guests who go to the restaurant, nothing else has changed after the Michelin announcement, said the chefs.
“In terms of how we do things, nothing. I want to improve a few things with Michelin or without Michelin... I think a restaurant should do what they do, not because Michelin, but because we believe in hospitality, quality, and standards. I will try to be better every single day, because that is the Chele Gonzalez DNA since day one. Just keep doing whatever you are doing. Do it as best as you can. Improve every day in the way you can. The secret is to have consistency,” Chele said.
Álvaro agreed. "We are not changing anything. We are trying to be consistent and make things good. I'm very proud of my team because day by day, they try to be better than the day before."
Chele is headed to Spain for the holidays, while Álvaro will be at the restaurant. “It's going to be my first Christmas outside of home. But I've always worked on Christmas, so it's nothing new,” said the young chef who moved to Manila in February. He’ll manage to sneak in some fun though," he said.
As Chele and Álvaro posed for pictures, we asked, “How do you say ‘Merry Christmas’ in Spanish?”
“Feliz Navidad!” they replied in unison, breaking out into song and laughing. “Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad!”
A most festive end to a most festive meal.
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Cantabria by Chele Gonzalez is at The Westin Manila San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Drive, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.
