COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Tapagria opened last year to much fanfare and hype, thanks primarily to actress Carina Lau being one of its backers. She gave the place instant visibility, while Spanish cuisine’s trendy profile kept Tapagria – an amalgam of ‘Tapas’ and ‘Sangria’ – flush with diners and drinkers.
But now that the spotlight is fading, does it hold up on its own merit? If nothing else, the tapas bar at The One – along with two sister ventures: contemporary Spanish restaurant Zurriola and the Kyoto cuisine counter Kyo-Shun – is all about exuding style and class. But like many a movie, cinematography doesn’t always equate to substance and content.
Clearly, it’s doing enough business that they still force diners to choose between two seating sessions: 6pm to 8:15pm or 8:15pm onward. We took the earlier option. At that hour, the room was far from packed, with just a few occupied tables scattered about, mostly people finishing their afternoon drinks rather than settling in for an early dinner. A trickle of new guests only started appearing around 7pm. I wondered if they would have to return their tables by 8pm as well?
Tacky Spanish scenes taped to the wall
The modern-looking room is not uncomfortable. The long, curved open kitchen and interior, apparently Antoni Gaudi-inspired, is pronounced enough to compete with the impressive 18th-floor skyline view for attention. But they’ve ruined the look with a few things that are more tacky than classy; there are taped pictures of Spanish scenes – that’s taped, not framed – on the walls, marring the venue’s otherwise clean look. Less obtrusive but more revealing is the cheap, fake fire place panel that still sits atop the kitchen area. It’s less Gaudi and more gaudy. If you think it’s tacky to have one at home, it’s exponentially worse in a restaurant.
Since the bar is as significant as the kitchen here, it’s no surprise that the signature drinks menu boasts 65 different sangrias. I’ve always considered sangria to be a cheap and easy way to make uninteresting wine more palatable, so it doesn’t impress me so much. Anyhow, as Tapagria only lets you order by the half jar minimum, it’s difficult to even try more than one flavour unless you go with a large group.
Galician-style Octopus with Mashed Potato
We decide to test out a Cava sangria L18 with Hendrick’s Gin, cucumber and honeycomb (HKD320 for half jar). The cucumber and honey was indeed very refreshing, but to literally have bits of honeycomb in the jar means you’re constantly picking wax out of your mouth with every sip, which isn’t so nice.
The kitchen has similar issues of overlooking fine details that can turn an ordinary meal into an exciting and memorable night. In all honesty, Tapagria is not the most authentic Spanish bodega in the city, but the tapas aren’t too bad. They just lack the wow factor. It’s a matter of missing some simple, small touches in many cases.
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil would have made all the difference in the Galician Style Octopus with Mashed Potato (HKD85). The squid had a very nice texture – firm with just enough chewiness to make it interesting – but the bland, dry mash potato underneath just felt like excess filler carbs.
The sillily-named VIC (Very Important Croquet), made with Iberico ham and topped with an additional thin slice of Iberico (HKD22 each), was enjoyable and appropriately hearty, but the presentation was clumsy as the Iberico slice kept falling off.
Sauteed Iberico Chorizo with White Wine
The Sautéed Iberico Chorizo with White Wine (HKD65) was served with the chorizo soaked in a little pot with all the wine juices. Because of this, the charred and crispy bits of the sausage were diluted in the liquid. The wet chunks of meat lost much of their appeal, not to mention taste. If the idea was for us to enjoy the flavourful juice, then why not give us a little accompanying bread? Again, details.
The Charcoal Grilled Almeria Prawns with Romesco Sauce (four pieces for HKD198) were a tad overcooked, but the flavours were still strong and delicious. You’ll especially like this if, like me, you’re partial to sucking prawn heads for their intense seafood taste. Much more successful was the Slow Cooked Suckling Pig with Caramelized Apple and Honey Mustard Sauce (HKD95). Presented on a pretty Mediterranean plate, the two pieces of pork meat were on the lean side, which I don’t mind too much. The caramelized apple on the bottom provided a nice sweetness, and the honey mustard lightened the dish even more.
Charcoal Grilled Almeria Prawns with Romesco Sauce
A different paella is created each day at Tapagria depending on the ingredients available. At our visit, it was primarily seafood with prawn, squid, some pimento pepper, and possibly some chicken stock to ratchet up its meatiness. The rice was possibly a tad over al dente, but that could be on purpose to tailor for local palettes. The thing is, the daily paella (HKD145 for a plate enough for three or even four people to taste) is cooked in a huge skillet displayed at the front of the kitchen. When you make an order, they simply scoop you a big plateful.
Slow-Cooked Suckling Pig with Caramelized Apple and Honey
That’s how they do it in Spain, but, for Tapagria, it would be nice if a bit more effort was made in regards to an elegant presentation. I would think Hong Kong diners expect a bit more than unadorned rice on a boring plate. I assume Carina Lau wants to attach her name to a sophisticated, modern tapas bar, not a canteen.
Seafood Paella
The service was briefly worth mentioning. Experienced servers are always in short supply in Hong Kong, and finding quality front-of-house personnel is a major headache for most hospitality groups. As we paid our bill, we offered a suggestion to the server that they should perhaps strain the honeycomb wax from the sangria we sampled. The wait staff didn’t seem to understand our meaning (in English and Chinese). We suspect the person just didn’t know there was wax and honey in a honeycomb, and had perhaps never tasted the food and drinks they are serving.
It’s not a major deal, but it’s hard to believe no other customer has pointed out the unpleasant wax problem before. Do you suppose Tapagria doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or are Carina Lau’s fans too polite to complain?
Tapagria, 18/F, The One, 100 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, Tel. (+852) 2147-0111
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