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2015-07-04
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This is a penthouse-styled restaurant located on the top floor of M88, right at the heart of Central's Lan Kwai Fong area. The indoor dining area is humbly furnished with a low ceiling and painted almost completely in white, a most unusual color for a Spanish bar. One side of the restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a full view of western Hong Kong's mountains. The restaurant's interior feels very much as if it has been revamped from a residential apartment. Simple would be the rig
I came here with five of my colleagues, one of whom was flying out the next day and treated us all. Two of my colleagues were Japanese natives and were slightly less interested in the food than in ensuring a constant flow of beer. I suspect authentic Spanish restaurants have yet to gain a foothold among Japanese salarymen's favorite after-work hangouts. Nonetheless with so much to drink the night was guaranteed to be an interesting one.
With so many of us we were able to try a lot of the tapas.
Bikini - $50 per piece
Rumor has it that these delightful bites were named after the Bikini concert hall in Les Cortes, but whatever may be the story behind its creation, this Catalan interpretation of the croque monsieur is simply amazing. At Fofo, the toasted bikinis are filled with Iberico ham, specks of black truffle, a thin layer of melted mozzarella and grated argula. The argula made all the difference for an otherwise easily replicable snack. It might have been sautéed in butter or olive oil, then spread over the sides of the sandwich. A great snack to go with red wine.
Gambas al Ajillo - $98 per 5-6 pieces
A typical Spanish tapa with prawns sautéed in garlic and chili. This was weakly seasoned and the prawns were not fresh. Quite a disappointment but I appreciated how this was much less greasy than most other restaurants make it.
Scallop Ceviche - $98 per 5 servings
The crispy shallots that accompanied the dish were nicely done, although it's easy to miss them as simple decorations. Avocado was a great company to the scallop, being creamy and buttery. The texture of the scallop was more of a soft rather than firm one. Taken together it was a mild and pleasing tapa.
Beef Cheek - $105
This was served on top of a tiny, crispy banana and passion fruit roll. The deep-fried roll was an interesting addition to the dish as it was sweet. I didn't like it too much but the beef cheek was so tender. I had two helpings and felt so satisfied. Do not miss this one out!
Chorizo Tortilla - $70
This was amazing, even though it was different from what I had in Madrid. I wonder if Spanish omelettes in Catalonia are different from how they are made elsewhere in Spain. The omelette was thick and big and every bite was filled with diced potatoes, chorizo and onion. It seemed to be an unpopular dish among the guys, but I loved it.
Croquettes - $98
The crispy outer shell was evenly coated and well-drained as the croquettes weren't greasy at all. I couldn't taste the Iberico Ham in the croquettes though and it was frankly a little too heavy after the first one.
Mushroom & Iberico Ham Paella - $345
A flawlessly executed Spanish paella. My only comment would be that I would have liked it to be better seasoned. Otherwise, the dry texture is just as I would like my paellas to be. The portion size is huge. It should be able to feed a village if this came as the last thing after all the tapas. Except for me, everyone just had a spoonful.
My very thoughtful colleague had ordered three desserts in advance--the apple tart ($78), churros ($75) and the chocolate fondant cake ($70).
The apple tart was served with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was amazing. The tart was thin and flaky, and as always ice cream is the perfect match for hot, fresh-baked desserts. The combination was sublime. Churros was light and crispy, and came piping hot, although they were slightly too heavily coated in sugar. The highlight of the dish was the intense, dark chocolate dip. The chocolat fondant was way too sweet! The coffee ice cream balanced that out a little. The apple tart was the best.
Ended the meal with an espresso. The best espresso I've had in a long time. I am looking to come back very soon just for the coffee.
Service was haphazard and miles away from what you'd get paying this price for some of Central's other restaurants. Essentially if you are not reaching out to the attending staff, you will not get any attention or voluntary service (such as refilling water, changing your dishes or taking away finished dishes). I didn't mind it at all though as this was just a casual gathering of friends and colleagues.
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