Celebrity Life

With the culinary synergy between the Chinese and the Spanish, it comes as no surprise that so many of us love Spanish food in Hong Kong. Perhaps it’s the similar style of sharing dishes, the rice in paella or our collective love of pork. Either way, the city is hungry for a food fiesta, and if you can enjoy a stellar view overlooking Victoria Harbour at the same time, then all the more reason to visit La Rambla by Catalunya.
Located in the heart of luxury retail, La Rambla spans over 5,000 square feet of space in ifc mall -- including an outdoor terrace bar -- while serving up Catalan-inspired cuisine created by Executive Chef Ferran Tadeo, an elBulli alum. Driven by the season’s best ingredients, Chef Tadeo has developed a new à la carte menu in time for spring that features classic Catalonian flavours in modern-style tapas.

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New menu highlights include a reimagined version of the iconic pulpo gallego, in which Galician octopus is grilled, instead of the traditional stewed version, in the grill-oven hybrid Josper. Here, migas (or crumbs in Spanish), papada joselito (cured pork jowl) and paprika is sprinkled on an indulgent cured egg yolk atop truffle mashed potato and burnt celeriac cream. A new take on the much-loved Spanish potato salad, or ensaladilla rusa, is given a distinct Asian twist with soy-marinated bluefin tuna from Toyosu fish market in Japan and nori mustard mayo. Pickled chillies from the Basque Country of Spain, otherwise known as Piparras peppers, add a mouth-puckering heat that makes this an ideal dish to kickstart any meal.

Other new dishes to try include the 12-day dry-aged pigeon from France’s Racan de Verry, which is given a spicy rub in Chef Tadeo’s secret recipe. It’s served pink and tender on the bone, making it the must-order meat on the menu. Catalan butifarra sausage with parmesan rice is another one to treat yourself to: Smoky slices of Iberico sausage from La Prudencia in Spain sit on a bed of rich, cheesy parmesan rice, which is adorned with fresh Hokkaido uni.

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Meanwhile, much-loved favourites including a creamy avocado and lobster roll dressed in salmon roe and caviar in light zesty ponzu, and butterflied Spanish red prawn remain. For the latter, you will be pleasantly surprised by a rather large -- 3XL to be exact -- carabinero, grilled to perfection and oozing with roe. It’s served with toasty rustic bread to mop all the juices while you spoon out the meaty prawn. The ever-popular bikini has also been given an update: The mini sandwiches now feature Spanish-style suckling pig paired with a spiced mango chutney to cut through the richness of the pork.

And what’s a Spanish dessert without cinnamon sugar churros? At La Rambla, it’s served in an ice-cream-sandwich style with vanilla ice cream and silky caramel sauce. The pastel de chocolate also satisfies sweet cravings with a mirror glazed chocolate mousse cake accented with passion fruit to bring the fragrances of fresh spring into play.

La Rambla by Catalunya, 3071-73 level 3, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2661 1161

The post La Rambla Reinvents the Classics with New Spring Dishes appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.