Spanish restaurants, especially fine-dining establishments, are becoming be popular, and in Hong Kong, there is one in particular that is attracting gourmets in the know. Donna Mah explores the lofty heights.

It's still a bit of a shock to enter a busy shopping mall in Hong Kong and, after a dizzying maze of elevators and escalators, arrive at a fine dining restaurant located on one of the upper floors of the complex. At The One in Tsim Sha Tsui, Zurriola is on the 18th floor.

Spanish wines, some of them quite rare, are prominently displayed in the glass walls as you enter the stylish restaurant. However, the show-stealing view is what draws you in. Zurriola boasts panoramic views of Hong Kong from the indoor dining area and the outdoor terrace.

The char-grilled US Angus sirloin steak is served with roasted vegetables and traditional Catalan Romesco sauce. Photos provided to China Daily

The fine-dining restaurant offers both services with nicely priced set lunch menus that include a starter, a main, dessert and coffee or tea, and a more extensive dinner tasting menu. The portions are generous and the presentation is of a high standard.

Executive chef Pedro Samper hails from San Sebastian in the Basque region of northern Spain, but he says his food is not limited to Basque cuisine. He wants to "bring the essence of Spanish cooking to the diner by using traditional flavors".

An example he highlights is the 62C Mackerel confit with Spanish bell pepper sauce and green leaves.

Mackerel is commonly found in Japanese cuisine and Samper decided to first lightly marinate and then cook the fish for about a minute at 62 C, achieving a soft "medium-rare" texture. With a sprinkling of ground, fried black olives, intensely flavored pureed red peppers and slightly bitter greens, there is a full spectrum of flavor in this seemingly simple dish.

The Spanish Salmorejo soup with avocado cream and Japanese sea urchin reminded me of a beautiful orange sunset. Served cold like gazpacho, the avocado cream and sea urchin gave this soup a delicious richness and sweetness.

The char-grilled US Angus sirloin steak is served with a traditional Catalan Romesco sauce made of nuts and red peppers and tasted as good as it looked. Presentation of the food is important at Zurriola, as it should be, and the steak and vegetables were arranged like artwork on the plate.

Another specialty at Zurriola is the pan-fried tiger prawns broth rice made with Bomba rice. Bomba rice absorbs 30 percent more moisture than regular rice yet maintains a firm texture. It is similar to Italian Arborio rice but does not cook to a creamy consistency. The Bomba rice in this dish is slowly cooked in a broth made with prawn shells and heads giving this saffron-scented dish its sweet seafood flavor. It's a good choice for seafood lovers.

For a light dessert, the mojito granita is icy cold, minty fresh, served with peach sorbet and not too sweet. It hits the spot.

The other incentive to eat at Zurriola is star-spotting. It is owned by Hong Kong celebrity actress Carina Lau, and you may just see her equally illustrious friends from the industry eating here.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

The Spanish Salmorejo soup with avocado cream and Japanese sea urchin looks like a beautiful orange sunset. Photos provided to China Daily

(China Daily 11/24/2013 page14)