MESA 15

Though the décor of this new Spanish tapas place isn’t particularly imaginative, we were quite impressed with the two things that always keep people coming back to a restaurant- the quality food and courteous efficient service.

The interior of Mesa 15 has wood floors, grey marble tables and white ceramic tiles on the walls. The wood beamed ceilings are mirrored with dark glass. As with traditional tapas places, the seating is on bar stools. There are a few high tables at the front of the venue which are great for people watching. Walk further in and there’s a bar counter which is perfect for people dining alone. A long communal table that can seat several parties takes up the middle area and off to one side there is booth seating with windows overlooking the kitchen. There’s few more high tables for two at the back and soon the 2nd floor will be open as well.

The menu at Mesa 15 was conceived by Michelin-star chef Alejandro Sánchez of Restaurante Alejandro in Roquetas de Mar. This is his first foray outside of Spain. There's delicious array of tapas, pica-picas and a few main courses- all of which will have your tastebuds singing 'Ole!'.

Start off with the delicious assorted cold cuts platter which includes thin slices of chorizo, salami and sausage. The platter comes in 2 sizes which is perfectly suited to match your appetite level. The cold gazpacho soup is also a great starter and is a refreshing delight with just the right blend of piquant tomato flavor balanced by a hint of cucumber. The quail salad with mixed greens was also fresh, healthy and balanced by a hint of lemon. The ham and cheese croquettes were creamy, not too salty and lightly crispy on the outside. For main courses we highly recommend the 24 hour slow cooked suckling pig. The crispy shell has a thin layer of melt-in-your mouth fat underneath and the meat is ultra tender and cooked to perfection. The menu is actually quite imaginative and not as traditional as your typical Spanish tapas place. Most of the dishes are from Analucia- where the chef is from.

If you have room for dessert, try the raspberry surprise topped with an airy raspberry mousse which is almost molecular in texture. It’s foamy and has a crackling finish (kind of like the 'pop rocks' candy you eat when you’re a kid). The layer underneath has a delicious cream which is not heavy. The intriguingly named dessert “Pork Belly in Heaven” is a creamy mango-flavored dessert which surprisingly is completely vegetarian. It’s so rich that it almost tastes like it was made with pork fat!

The service at Mesa 15 is excellent considering how recently they just opened. We asked the waiter just to bring us a little of everything and he didn't even flinch at the out-of-the-box request. He also came back over to verify that we wanted more food. It's not that easy to find servers in Hong Kong that accomodate such requests with such style and efficacy.