The Key to the City

It had been such a yucky Saturday. Clouds in the sky, thunder and cold. I am just glad it didn't rain.

After spending the day cooped up on the sofa watching films, it was time to get all dressed up.

I was being taken out for dinner.

We used Mamma B's taxi services who dropped us off at Las Llaves, in Torrenueva.

It's one of my family's favourite restaurants for atmosphere and setting - the food is always a hit or miss.

Service was slow to start with.

Good thing I had great company (in a great shirt) to keep me distracted until food arrived.

Another restaurant, another gambas pil pil

For him of course.

 I tucked in to a colourful garden of Avocado and Praws.

My (very) cheeky date got a little too distracted taking photos me thinks...

Then came our meaty main courses

 

Solomillo a la parilla. Steak on the grill. 

(which was actually cooked better than mine *SIGH*)

Solomillo flambeado a la pimienta. Flambéed peppered steak. 

Then the best thing happened. 

I got given the key to the city!

Then I ate it. 

It was made out of chocolate and beautifully adorned my dessert

Crepe Suzette: a French pancake flambéed in Grand Marnier, an orange liqueur

I kind of got Crepe Suzette (orange) confused with Crepe Tyrolean (chocolate and ice cream), so was a little disappointed when I didn't see my crepe smothered in chocolate. 

But it also turns out Crepe Tyrolean is actually a completely made up dessert by my Nanna and chocolate crepes don't actually exist under than name!

So there was that too! 

I still ate it, but I got food envy of his dessert: simply refreshing helado

I absolutely love the fact I can let my true carnivore and choc-aholic self come out with this guy - only because he is one too!

Steak, pork, sausages, chocolate... I'll have it all please! And he will too! 

None of this ordering a salad whilst the guy tucks in to a steak. 

Men like real girls who eat real food and have a bit of meat on them.

We topped off the lovely evening with some Baileys and Amaretto

Bottles on the table and all, which is always dangerous

We got distracted by our after dinner liqueurs, chattering away under the starts and were the last ones to leave... 

It's the little touches like this and the chocolate key (llave in Spanish) on your dessert that I like about Las Llaves, but as I warned the food was a little hit and miss.

The gambas pil pil looked delicious but was a little disappointing as it lacked flavour and was a bit watery. We managed to break through the hard bread rolls because we have muscles (well he does!); and although we both ordered medium/rare steaks, his was cooked to perfection and mine could have been cooked less, nonetheless, it still melted in your mouth and was very yummy.

Regardless of this tiny little rant, I had an absolutely lovely and romantic evening with the hottest guy in town!

Dinner at Chang's

This is not another post about food.

Okay, you caught me! It is.

But let me tell you all about it cause I know you want to hear.

As you know, Friday was a pretty tough day for la Familia Burt as we had to say Good Bye to Candy.

My brother had flown down from Madrid that morning to say his farewell, so it was a full house.

Later on Friday evening we were all gathered in the lounge. It was the first time the family had been together since Easter, and even then, I'd been ill in bed the whole week.

This was nice. But bittersweet.

All the family back together in one place, arguing as per usual about where to go for dinner to give Candy a little send off.

My (winning) argument was: "you really can't beat a good Chinese on a Friday night"

Luckily we have the best Chinese restaurant just a stone-throw away from our house.

It's run by Chang and his wife. She cooks and he is the front man - always has a smile on his face, always laughing. I don't think we really understand each other half the time but we love him.

It's a small, quiet little gem hidden in Las Postas de Calahonda.

Very simple, but very delicious.

We get so spoilt here, having spent many unconventional dinners here, like my 13th birthday party or many Christmas Day dinners.

Yes, we have had our Christmas dinners in Chang's but only because we are all usually working at my parents restaurant, and after serving Christmas dinners all day one gets quite sick of seeing them, let alone eating one. So we usually head to Chang's after work and have our actual Christmas dinner on Boxing Day.

Yeah, we like to do things a little different around here.

Normal is boring.

Now to the bit I know you've been be waiting for. Fooood!

Spring rolls drizzled in soy sauce and sweet and sour. 

Tempura prawns

Chicken drumsticks

Peking duck in all its wonderful wonderful glory

 with all the trimmings

Sweet bean sauce, cucumber, spring onion and pickle

Chang's brother served it up for us with steamed pancakes

Roll it all up 

And eat. Fingers only please.

The combination of crispy duck in pancake rolls is just absolutely scrumptious.

Mamma B agrees

In between courses we were treated to "China's got Talent" on the iPad, a little TV show I think we all know...

Probably the most bizarre dinner entertainment I've ever had. 

We couldn't quite work out it if it was a man singing or if it was a woman with a really deep voice.

Chang was loving it

So was his brother!

Let's ask my brother what he thought about it

Exactly. 

Turns out it was a woman with a really deep voice and the judges loved it too.

Anyways, lets get back to food no?

You can't have a Chinese without rice. Special fried rice please. 

You also need noodles

 Sweet and Sour Chicken balls

Chicken with bamboo shoots

Chicken with Cashew Nuts (a personal fave)

 Beef Curry (another personal and family fave)

I love the sort of meals where you order a bunch of different dishes and everybody tucks in.

Forks and spoons flying everywhere.

Savouring a little bit of everything.

 Then, we had coffee and ice cream for dessert

and Baileys...

We carried on laughing and joking and chatting way in to the night. Enjoying each other's company as well as enjoying some new company.

I think the family like him, even Daddy.

It was so nice having this friendly giant back too

even if I did want to kill him on a couple of occasions.

He kept trying to convince me to become a "Vlogger", a video blogger, so that I become a YouTube sensation - but I really don't think people are going to want to watch videos about little old me!

I'm not even funny!

Mummy is though, just look at her! She oozes funniness

Then classic Chang whipped out the shots. 

Shots in naughty shot glasses. 

Very naughty shot glasses.

They look rather normal when empty

 but fill them up with alcohol and they reveal a naughty naked lady (or man)

 Cheers

They were so awful we had to have another one (or three) just to make sure.

We all walked home maybe in not so straight lines, but I feel happy we gave Candy a good little send off. It was just perfect: simple, with the family, close to home and with Chinese food.