Continuing the Santamaria legacy

IN 2011, Regina Santamaria was 25 and learning the ropes of the restaurant business from her father, the celebrated three Michelin-starred Spanish chef Santi Santamaria, who had opened his first Singapore outlet at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS). She was getting used to living in Asia and managing the restaurant when the chef, 53, died suddenly of a heart attack in the kitchen - turning her life upside down and leaving his legacy in limbo.

The Singapore restaurant closed down a year later, and so did his other overseas outpost in Dubai, followed by the restaurant …