Food for sharing

"Food tastes better when it is shared," says chef Izquierdo, of Boqueria in Lan Kwai Fong. He is dishing up a variety of tantalizing tapas from different parts of the Catalonia region of Spain with some new dishes for autumn.

From October to November, chef Izquierdo will deliver dishes to share in celebration of autumn, including fresh Spanish artichoke and cuttlefish paella for HK$488 ($63) and the hearty wood-fire roasted Spanish artichokes with Iberico ham (HK$288). For something a little meatier, the sauteed chorizo sausage in rioja wine reduction (HK$138) and the suckling pig "Segovia style" (HK$388) make the perfect choices.

Boqueria, 7/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong.

852-2321-8681.

Head-to-toe pig dining

"Not many people are aware that the often neglected parts of a pig can be delicious," says chef Jean Paul Gauci. Throughout October, chef Gauci takes diners on a tasty journey with starters including a rustic Caillette (HK$110), a dish of pork haggis in patties traditionally eaten in Provence. For a bit of spice, opt for spicy pork kidneys (HK$95), baked inside a whole potato with creme fraiche. For mains, try seared pig's tongue (HK$215), a hearty dish that has an even distribution of fat and meat, served with spinach and parsley puree, green peppercorns and capers, or perhaps nibble the crispy pig's trotter (HK$230) stuffed with kidneys and wild mushrooms, snow peas and herb salad.

Wildgrass, 1/F, 8 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong.

852-2812-1826.

Old style "bing sut"

Pak Lee Cafe Since 1964 brings the old cafe to a modern location in Sheung Wan, giving a new meaning to the traditional "bing sut". The original shop was established in Shau Kei Wan in 1964, serving reasonably priced dishes inspired by the expensive Western restaurants of the time, including egg pearls, a retro snack from the 1950s of deep-fried dough coated with sugar, deep-fried shrimp toast, and, of course, the legendary Hong Kong-style milk tea. The new restaurant not only preserves a selection of classical "bing sut" delicacies but also launches new dishes made with Pak Lee's original recipes created over the past 50 years. Satisfying main courses including baked beef blank and rice with tomato, curry dishes, and fatty beef slices with udon in tomato soup.

Pak Lee Cafe Since 1964, UG/F, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

852-3575-9896.

- Donna Mah

(China Daily 10/13/2013 page14)