Given its success and the hectic pace of the F&B industry in Hong Kong, it’s a little surprising that it’s taken four years for popular Spanish restaurant Catalunya to expand its concept beyond Wan Chai. A spin-off rather than a second branch, La Rambla is a slightly more radical sibling, offering more avant-garde Catalan and Mediterranean dishes.
The interior is smart yet relaxed – credit to local design studio Stanley KC who handled the job – and with floor to ceiling windows looking out on the harbour, is flooded with natural light. Attention has been lavished on the little details too, from the Alessi cutlery to the Bang & Olufsen sound system. The views from the patio are currently tarnished by building works but once complete the view should be properly impressive. Helming the kitchen is Barcelona-born chef Ferran Tadeo – also executive chef at Catalunya – a man who counts the likes of Albert Adrià (el Bulli) and Sergi Arola (Arola) as his mentors.
On our visit we miss the lunch à la carte menu, which runs from 11.30am to 3pm and then again from 6pm to 10.30pm. Still, a snack menu of tapas is available and we order up suckling pig and foie sliders, the truffle, jamon and cheese toasty bikinis, the lobster croquets and patatas bravas. Prices are steep – these ‘snacks’ amount to $560 – but the quality and flavours are incredible and on-point.
Our appetite sufficiently whetted, we’re excited about trying the full menu. Look forward to our full review shortly.