La Bodeguilla

Wandering around on Christmas night, nothing was open. No restaurants, no supermarkets. We were hungry. Stumbling around we ended up finding this nice mom and pop (and 2 kids) bar.
This was our first meal in Spain and so we really didn’t know what to get, so the owner recommended some stuff. We had the potatas bravas and the mussels, which were both really great. He also recommended the chicken wings. And I have to say that these were the crunchiest, juiciest chicken wings I’ve ever had by far. The batter was nice and airy and fluffy, and was fried perfectly: crispy but not overdone, and it wasn’t oily or greasy at all. We also were recommended the local shrimp, which tasted like what you would get if you infused the flavor of the air near an ocean into the shrimp. It tasted like what the fresh sea smells like. Amazing an not fishy or briny at all. Best shrimp I’ve ever had.
Then it turns out that the owner/​chef was a Chinese restaurant chef for the last 20 years. He said that his friend had just given him a fresh duck and offered to make some of it, Beijing style. So we had some of his duck. It was juicy, the skin was crispy, and it wasn’t greasy or oily, and didn’t taste gamey at all. A really great job of cooking the duck. Really great. He was a chef at his Chinese restaurant for the last 20 years in Murcia, and wanted to try something else.
This guy’s cooking is first class for sure. The whole family, his wife and kids, are really friendly. They all help out at the bar and provide really great service. It’s a great environment where everyone seems like they’re happy and friendly. Overall, a great place to grab a drink (it’s ridiculously cheap) and to have some nice food. And if you’re in the mood for it, some really great and authentic Chinese food. Now another step in my conquest to have Chinese food in every country I ever visit.
Next time you’re in town, make sure you come here. Great and cheap food, friendly owners, and a great atmosphere.