Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Calle Ocho

This Spanish restaurant is located at Fashion Walk in Causeway Bay on Cleveland Street. It is under the Pirata Group, and offer all-day dining, open throughout the day. We come on a Friday early evening, with the sun still shining brightly.

The restaurant has two floors and we are seated on the ground floor, at a small table in the corner. Inspired by the historic Madrid de Los Austrias neighbourhood, the walls are decorated with Spanish tiles. I start with a glass of Pazo de Senorans Albarino ($110). 

Deciding to order a la carte, we start with a few tapas. The first is Classic Espanola Tortilla with Chorizo Iberico ($95), a fluffy egg omelette with chorizo pieces. The sausages have a slight spiciness but not too much, with kimchi aioli and spring onion on top. Quite good. 

The Smoked Sardines ($150) has been added with some croutons on ajo blanco, a kind of cold almond and garlic soup, which has also been added with grapes, olive oil, and a hint of balsamic vinegar. Not sure whether we should enjoy the soup or not but no spoon is provided. Decent.

The last tapas we have is Iberico Ham ($230). The thinly-sliced 48 months Iberico ham has nice savoury flavours, with good balance of fat and lean meat. On the side is pan con tomate, or tomato toast, with the tartness goes well with ham. Quite good too.

For the main course, we have the small Arroz Negro ($140). It is a black paella with the colour coming from squid ink, and the rice is full of flavours from seafood stock. On top are some crispy calamari and alioli. The rice has a nice bite and crisp on the edge. Best dish in the evening.

The other main course is Iberico Pork Pluma ($260). The prized cut has been grilled and paired with a mustard and vermouth jus, with some apples puree at the bottom, and a charred chili on the side. While the pork is delicious, it is a bit fatty. But still a decent piece of meat.

For dessert Ivy has Burnt Cheesecake ($95), with cream cheese and raspberry coulis. I have Torched Torrija ($80), with the brioche bread soaked in milk and then torched to give a bit of char on the surface, plus a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and some mint leaves. A decent finale for the meal.

The bill on the night is $1,276 and reasonably priced. Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. Despite its location at the edge of Causeway Bay and the recent slowdown in economy, it is still very busy during our visit, a testimony to its popularity.