Spanish sensations

The char-grilled US Angus sirloin steak is served with roasted vegetables and traditional Catalan Romesco sauce. Photo provided to China Daily

Spanish restaurants, especially fine-dining establishments, are becoming be popular, and in Hong Kong, there is one in particular that is attracting gourmets in the know. Donna Mah explores the lofty heights.

It's still a bit of a shock to enter a busy shopping mall in Hong Kong and, after a dizzying maze of elevators and escalators, arrive at a fine dining restaurant located on one of the upper floors of the complex. At The One in Tsim Sha Tsui, Zurriola is on the 18th floor.

Spanish wines, some of them quite rare, are prominently displayed in the glass walls as you enter the stylish restaurant. However, the show-stealing view is what draws you in. Zurriola boasts panoramic views of Hong Kong from the indoor dining area and the outdoor terrace.

The fine-dining restaurant offers both services with nicely priced set lunch menus that include a starter, a main, dessert and coffee or tea, and a more extensive dinner tasting menu. The portions are generous and the presentation is of a high standard.

Executive chef Pedro Samper hails from San Sebastian in the Basque region of northern Spain, but he says his food is not limited to Basque cuisine. He wants to "bring the essence of Spanish cooking to the diner by using traditional flavors".

An example he highlights is the 62C Mackerel confit with Spanish bell pepper sauce and green leaves.

Mackerel is commonly found in Japanese cuisine and Samper decided to first lightly marinate and then cook the fish for about a minute at 62 C, achieving a soft "medium-rare" texture. With a sprinkling of ground, fried black olives, intensely flavored pureed red peppers and slightly bitter greens, there is a full spectrum of flavor in this seemingly simple dish.