Iberian flavours star in the next edition of 'Global Kitchen' at Bolhão

After a Vietnamese-inspired gastronomic experience, Bolhão will once again host the 'Global Kitchen in Porto' event on 1 June. This time, two chefs, one Portuguese and one Spanish, will bring Iberian flavours to the table, but always with recipes prepared with the ingredients available in Porto's historic market.

Between talks, showcookings and tastings of exclusive menus, served free of charge and limited to all those who want to take part in the gastronomic journey, the host chef, Aurora Goy, from the 'Apego' restaurant in Porto, is joined by the Spanish chef Lucía Freitas, from the 'A Tafona' restaurant in Santiago de Compostela.

After a visit to Asia, 'Global Kitchen in Porto' will take you on a journey through Iberian culinary culture, in which the two top chefs will come together to share the stove, the table and the city, with the commitment to use the fresh produce available at Mercado do Bolhão.

With different career paths, Aurora Goy, who became a chef in Paris and has worked with leading professionals such as Alain Ducasse, Guy Savoy or José Avillez, and Lucía Freitas, who owns a Michelin-star restaurant in Galicia, will have the opportunity to pool their knowledge in a gastronomic celebration experience that will be in full contact with the public.

Getting 'hands-on'

'Global Kitchen in Porto' made its debut on 13 April at the Bolhão kitchen, where Vietnamese chef Luke Nguyen, with the support of chef Rui Martins, prepared a delicacy from his country - banh xeo. The snack was prepared with vegetables from Vietnam, such as shiso leaves, and with ingredients typical of Bolhão.

Under the guidance of chef Luke Nguyen, visitors had the opportunity to get 'hands-on' and contribute to the preparation of the Asian delicacy.

The Councillor for Tourism and Internationalisation, Catarina Santos Cunha, responsible for implementing the 'Global Kitchen in Porto' project, was present at the initial edition and praised its importance for the city's international positioning, revealing that she was 'very proud and extremely satisfied with the first meeting's results'. The councillor also noted that these opportunities put 'Porto on the world gastronomy excellence map'.

Vietnamese chef Luke Nguyen said he was 'impressed by the variety of products and the freshness' of what is sold at Mercado do Bolhão, and was keen to return. 'I got to know a Porto that went far beyond my expectations and I hope to return very soon to discover more of the city', he said.

'Global Kitchen in Porto' will run throughout April, May, July, September and November. Residents and visitors of Porto are invited to take part in the initiative on weekends, which involves tasting exclusive menus that are served free of charge and limited to 150 portions. More information about the initiative here.