Catalunya – 在這夏天尋找那完美的蛋
在香港眾多西班牙餐廳裡，Catalunya 快將步入兩週年，推出了精選菜單，確實有讓人期待之處。是次菜單包括10道菜，賣相精美，貫徹Catalunya 的水準。
Catalunya has launched their summer tasting menu while it is getting closer to their 2nd anniversary. To be one of the best Spanish restaurants in Hong Kong, the tasting menu is really being looked forward to.
以黑毛豬火腿 Jamón Ibérico “Gran Reserva” 打頭陣，其油份和鹹香讓你不禁食完一片又一片，而蕃茄吐司Pa Amb Tomàquet有點香脆，其酸度醒胃，好讓你為之後的菜作好準備。
Jamón Ibérico “Gran Reserva” and Pa Amb Tomàquet, as starter, have began the dinner with great contrast and got you ready for the following courses. The Ibérico ham was rich with oil but at its perfect saltiness. The tomato toast was crispy and its sourness just refreshed the saltiness from the ham.
接著的兩道菜以獨特的賣相表現出廚師的用心。生蠔以同形狀的碟盛著，表層有用橄欖油做成魚子，在雪莉酒和龍蒿醋的襯托下，一口食下，讓香味在口腔裡蔓延，有衝動想追加。而呑拿魚魚腩伴著麵包條出場，那光亮的油分已預告了它的滑溜，把魚腩片捲在麵包條上食，口感一軟一硬，甚是特別。
Oyster with sherry & tarragon vinegar & olive oil caviar has been presented in an oyster-shaped plate. When you poured the oyster and the caviar into the mouth, the caviar exploded and the flavour all mixed perfectly. Toro Ham was served with bread stick and pine nuts. The oil of toro has beautifully indicated its smoothness. You may roll it onto the bread and enjoy it, whereas it gave you contrast of texture.
西班牙菜除了味道的重要，其賣相也比較考究。蕃茄濃湯配上龍蝦及西瓜，一片鮮艷的紅色，煞是美麗。特別喜歡蕃茄的我偏好這個味道上的配搭，蕃茄沒有帶酸，反而有微微的青草味，清新可人，而西瓜的微甜讓龍蝦的鮮味更突出了。 另一道吸引的菜式便是煙燻大蝦，侍者將樽子帶到你面前才打開，那開蓋的一剎那，煙燻的味道很強烈，食下去卻不強烈。
Tomato velvet with lobster and watermelon has well presented that presentation of the ingredient is essential to Spanish cuisine. The red color of the entire dish has given you a strong visual effect. The tomato wasn’t sour at all but with light green flavour. Meanwhile, the light sweetness of the watermelon has made the freshness of the lobster even more outstanding. Besides, Smoked Scampi has made another example. Server brought the glass jar, which contained the smoked scampi, and opened it in front of you to release the smoke. Impressive!
接著的「蛋」在英文名稱上解作「完美的蛋」，也不為過。有著海膽和魚子醬，那柔軟的蛋白更將它們變突出，味道層次分明，這個蛋真的讓人難忘，再看賣相也著實討喜。
The perfect egg can’t be even more perfect. Egg white made sea urchin and caviar be the main character and let them shine. The different layers of flavour were divided and left you a great impression on the taste and presentation.
再下來的最後兩道主菜，相比以前的幾道便變得平平無奇了。帶子餃子配黑蒜醬，賣相特別，餃子內也有少許鵝肝，但是黑蒜的味道卻有點支撐不到整體的感覺。而另外，羊肉也沒有太大的特別，沒有煮得過熟，肉質剛剛好，乾果蓉也不太突出，沒甚驚喜。
Last two main courses, Scallop “Empanadilla” with black garlic cream and Lame Terrine with dried fruit parline, somehow didn’t leave a strong impression to me comparing to other main courses. Scallop “Empanadilla” contained some foie gras with black garlic cream at the bottom. Though the presentation was quite interesting, the black garlic cream wasn’t able to balance it overall.
主菜結束後，甜品分成了兩部分，先有Sangria一清味蕾，在雞尾酒杯中放了雪葩，然後再把Sangria倒進，那微酸的味道將之前的鹹味洗去，好好迎接真正的甜品 – 朱古力雙食。以兩款不同質感的朱古力組成，那朱古力慕絲溶化的感覺著實令朱古力愛好者著迷!
Pre-dessert, Sangria, was served in a cocktail glass with sorbet. It refreshed the appetite before the dessert was served. Dessert, double chocolate, was rich and delicious. By providing two different textures of chocolate, the dessert could fulfill a chocoholic’s wish – Chocolate mousse that melt into silk in your mouth!
Catalunya
Address: G/F, Guardian House, Morrison Hill, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wanchai
Opening Hours: (Dinner) Mondays to Sundays 12:00 – 23:00
