Screenshots from X.com

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday wrapped up his official visit to China, the fourth in four years, during which he enjoyed a gourmet night at a restaurant transformed from a 600-year-old temple in Beijing's hutong, where Western culinary art meets Chinese culture. 

On Monday evening, Sanchez and his wife Begona Gomez had dinner at TRB hutong, a Michelin-starred restaurant. 

Lucas Garigliano, a Spanish native and executive chef of the restaurant, which had received important guests from countries including France, UAE, Saudi Arabia and in Africa, noted that "this time was different," as it was the first time hosting a dignitary from his home country. 

According to Garigliano, the prime minister appreciated the cross-culture philosophy the chef works with. 

"In Beijing, in a temple transformed into culinary art, shines the talent of Spanish chef Lucas Garigliano: tradition, creativity, and authenticity dish by dish," wrote Prime Minister Sanchez on X on Tuesday.

Garigliano and his Chinese wife, Deng Jia, the Pastry chef at TRB Hutong, shared with the Global Times the menu they prepared for the dinner, which fuses traditional Spanish flavors, innovative Western techniques and Chinese culinary aesthetics. 

In "Red devil shrimp," the ingredients include Yunnan amur caviar, fermented cabbage and omelet, Garigliano shared, combining the Chinese raw materials and Spanish classic egg-and-potato cuisine.

Beijing Douzhi Photo: Courtesy of TRB Hutong

For the palate cleanser, Garigliano prepared douzhi, Beijing's traditional fermented mung bean drink, paired with Mindong yellow croaker, pine nut and coriander.

"It's a refreshing light dish," he introduced, adding that it uses French techniques and "for me, it's very meaningful because it shows my respect for this city." 

Garigliano told the Global Times that he adjusted the sour, even stinky notes of douzhi to make it milder while preserving its authenticity, "keeping the original things, but making it accessible for all [international guests]."

Mrs Sanchez really enjoyed the douzhi as she knew the local drink is an indispensable part of many Beijingers' everyday diet, said Garigliano. 

Garigliano said serving the prime minister and his wife felt like welcoming family. 

Though the couple felt the stress during the preparation week, the atmosphere turned relaxing and intimate once the guests arrived. Sanchez and his wife already knew about the restaurant and its specialties. 

Garigliano recalled the prime minister's comments, "Sanchez said, 'You are very brave to be in China and working in such a different culture and country. But obviously we have been here different times and we appreciate that we understand why you are doing this. So keep pushing. We are proud of you and we really appreciated the variety and how you combine the flavors'." 

For pre-desserts, Sanchez chose the "Moonlight flower," or Tanhua Yixian, which used sugar petals as well as a pineapple sorbet with Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea. 

Tanhua carries the meaning of fleeting beauty and is widely appreciated in Chinese culture. The dessert is in flower shape and served with dry ice below, lasting only a few hours, to highlight its preciousness. "I want to use the technique learned in France to present this beauty," Deng said. 

Pure white in appearance, "It tastes like bingtang hulu" - a traditional Chinese snack of candied hawthorn" - which is sweet outside, sour inside with a good, harmonious combination. "Just like French, Spanish and Chinese culture," Deng said. 

The chef couple told the prime minister about their journey in the past decade: learning French cuisine in Paris, working in Dubai and settling in Beijing a year and a half ago. The prime minister couple listened carefully and even corrected Garigliano's Spanish pronunciation of "buckwheat," as he is now more fluent in English than his mother tongue. 

Garigliano wanted Prime Minister Sanchez to experience not only Chinese cuisine, but to experience it from the perspective of someone who has been living with Chinese culture understanding that "different cultures, at some point they are not that different." 

China-Spain bond 

Garigliano, as a grassroots chef, sees his career as sharing some features with Sanchez's diplomatic endeavor - we are both "seeking different horizons, understanding different cultures. We share some common values." 

"Actually our small family is just an example of the relationship between Spain and China," Deng said. 

Garigliano and Deng got married years ago, yet Garigliano had the dream of having a Chinese-style marriage ceremony. In April 2025, his dream came true. Garigliano invited 75 friends from Spain to Deng's hometown Sanmenxia, Central China's Henan Province, for a traditional Chinese marriage ceremony.

Their guests were impressed by China's high-speed railway and dynamic development. 

Garigliano also reflected that he has seen increasing European diners, including Spanish, coming to his restaurant since he started working here. "When you walk around in China, not only in Beijing, I can hear Spanish more frequently everywhere. The curiosity level for China has increased." 

Garigliano visited China in 2019 for the first time. "I feel China is opening up to the world more and more, attracting people from all over the world. This is part of the growing process that the country is going through," he added.

The chef expects that people-to-people exchanges will further strengthen mutual trust, enhance trade and cooperation, and deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.