Two of Spain’s top social media chefs Jérôme Quilbeuf and Miquel Antoja touched down in Hong Kong this month, courtesy of the summer showcase at Rustico, the rather-quaint Spanish restaurant tucked away in Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon.  

Transforming Rustico into a fine dining mecca from 11-14 June, Chef Jérôme and Miquel’s four-hand, seven-course tasting dinner menu, Journey through modern Spanish cuisine, showcased signature items from famous Barcelona restaurants Nonna Maria and 130 Restaurant.

The culinary journey started off with Iberian ham croquettes – a crispy affair made special by truffle crème. The next appetiser – a mini version of Nonna Maria’s mini seafood pizza, complete with a Nonna Maria tiny pizza box – was extremely easy both on the palate and on the eyes, so much so that we can safely declare it to be the most Instagram-worthy dish of the seven courses.

The next two courses, a sea bream ceviche with strawberries, sweetcorn and pumpkin, and a salad of hearts of lettuce with Romesco sauce were light and flavourful, but the dish that created a lasting impression on us was the duck consommé with foie gras Kombu seaweed and plums, thanks to its delicate and beautifully balanced consommé. The fresh scallop in shell and the juicy red prawn rice did not disappoint either, but were overshadowed by the next course – a beautifully braised beef cheek with Pedro Ximenez wine and apple coca. The melting-in-the-mouth-meat deservingly won its place as the champion of the evening.

The foodtastic journey reached a perfect conclusion with not one but two desserts – the Blanc almond manger with Mediterranean Sea water ice-cream and a luscious grand finale titled ‘Textures of Chocolate, Barcelona 2018’.  

For food-enthusiasts who have missed the culinary journey so far, there’s still good news! From 15 to 25 June, Rustico returns to its rustic roots to showcase the celebrity chefs’ ten trendy tapas specialities, including the Nonna Maria-style mini pizza paella (HK$118), Iberian ham croquettes with truffle crème (HK$25) and the ever-popular red prawn tartare with strawberries (HK$108). Also on offer is a range of Spanish dessert specialities like pina colada (HK$70) and red fruit meringue (HK$70).

Address: Shop G01, G/F, D2 Place ONE, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon
Reservations: (852) 2743-4511 or http://www.rustico.com.hk/reservations.html

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay