Review of MESA 15 on Wyndham Street, Central.

I'm going to be brutally honest here, while the food was all beautifully presented, the service impeccable, and the space modern and chic for HK, the food at Mesa 15 fell devastatingly short. Three "pica" plates of tapas in, I was starting to worry that no Michelin star worthy dishes would arrive. It appears that the award winning dishes have stayed in Spain. Looks like we poor Hong Konger's will just have to physically go to Spain if we're going to experience the type of meal that critically acclaimed chef Alejandro Sanchez is known for.

Sanchez's first foray out of Spain is lacking in basic flavor. I'm no trained chef but several dishes were begging for some simple salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon. The dishes we tried are described below:

THE LOSERS

When I see the word gazpacho, I expect a refreshing blend of full flavors of tomato, vinegar and spice. Nothing about this soup was refreshing nor robust in taste. It was an odd blend of flavors and lacked any texture. I LOVE soup and I think this may have been the worst one I've ever had in Hong Kong. Talk about epic failure!


Sanchez's signature fish and chips dish was also a disappointment. Although the batter was light and the fish was of good quality, again there was very little flavor. The dipping mayo hadZERO taste. The chips were the best part of the dish, perfectly fried and flavorful as far as potatoes go. A signature dish though should not rely on the strength of the potatoes!

Razor clams are definitely some of the ugliest bi-valves out there but man, are they tasty when done right! As a Cantonese food lover at heart, I often order these with blackbean sauce. When I saw the pesto version on the Mesa 15 menu, I was eager to try them at $39 HKD a piece. They looked fresh and the green color was vibrant and although the pesto was reasonable in flavor, the clam itself tasted a bit fishey. This was mostly due to the fact that much of the stomach gunk was left inside the clam. I know some people actually like this bit but let me reassure you, in a razor clam where the sauce is light---it's hard to mask that funky odour and taste. Another failure for an otherwise promising dish.

The pulled pork burgers looked promising as they arrived. As I bit into them, I enjoyed the soft texture of the pork and the balance of radicchio ,dressing, and bun. Again the pulled pork was bland and in need of some serious spice. Pulled pork lovers in HK, I would avoid these!

THE WINNERS:

I can't even say that duck breast over braised vegetables was that great. Compared to the other dishes though, it was a solid portion of duck with an appropriate level of seasoning. My only complaint was the lack of crunch on the skin of the duck.


Well you can't really eff up iberian ham! The ham was excellent quality, better than the stuff I've tried at City Super. But at $150HKD per 40 grams, it's no bargain!

If you're looking for a trendy spot for drinks and maybe some quick nibbles then Mesa 15 would be more than adequate. If you're looking for a tapas meal that will blow your mind, I think you're better off saving your $$$ and waiting till your next trip to Spain or keeping to the more traditional tapas offerings in the area.

Price per head with dessert and one alcoholic beverage: approximately $450