LET’S SHARE! ¡ COMPARTAMOS!
The Spanish capital and our home city may be worlds apart, but when Madrileño MANUEL PALACIO and Hongkonger CALVIN HUI switched cities they also found plenty of similarities
MENTION THE WORDS cocido madrileño to Manuel Palacio and his eyes mist over; his voice taking on a dreamy expression. The chickpea-based stew – crammed with pork belly, chorizo, beef shank, cabbage, carrots, turnips and more – is one of Madrid’s champion dishes, and was a winter staple during his childhood.
‘My father was very traditional – Saturday and Sunday family lunches were nonnegotiable,’ says Palacio. ‘ Without fail, my two sisters, my parents and sometimes uncles and aunties, too, would all sit down around the table for a formal meal. I loved – and still love – cocido, but my favourite time was cooking
with my dad and having good ham and olives with our aperitivo.’
A career as a chef and entrepreneur led Palacio to Hong Kong in 2012, where he encountered a whole new culinary vista, although some aspects of city life struck him as more than a little familiar.
‘I fell in love with Hong Kong’s diversity of cuisines, something that is missing in Spain,’ says Palacio, whose stable of 10 outlets in Hong Kong includes a Spanish grill, a dumpling house and a British cocktail salon.
‘But it struck me that gastronomy is an important part of daily life in both Hong Kong and Spain. Our food is enjoyed in small portions, and we both recognise the importance – the joy even – of sharing a meal with your seniors.’
It took very little to persuade Palacio to embark on an extensive Hong Kong food tour, ingesting everything from the city’s edgiest eateries to better-known establishments gilded with Michelin stardust.
‘ Temple Street may be blindingly obvious, but it is probably one of my favourite spots for street food,’ says Palacio. ‘I love everything about it, particularly the chaos. The food is great and it is just madness – everyone running around. That’s part of the charm.’
From the near-ridiculous to the sublime: another favourite is Fook Lam Moon, the 70-year- old Wan Chai restaurant dubbed ‘the rich man’s canteen’, where roast suckling pig and double-boiled soups occupy a prominent position on the menu.
‘I eat here once a week at least because I need my dim sum fix,’ says Palacio. ‘I could eat three- dozen xiao long bao every day. I can never seem to get enough. If I don’t go here, I go to Din Tai Fung.’
And then there’s that other Wan Chai phenomenon: Under Bridge Spicy Crab.
‘ This is my go-to for dinner after a late night, as you can eat there at 2am or 3am when everywhere else has closed.’
For those with friends and relatives visiting from abroad, one of the first questions on arrival at Hong Kong International Airport is about their next meal.
‘ Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons serves probably the most authentic high- end Cantonese cuisine, my out- of-town guests always love it; and Jade Garden (14 outlets around town) is very reliable, too,’ says Palacio.
‘I also take visitors to Samsen in Wan Chai for Thai noodles, and by way of contrast, to Pici for some straightforward, handmade pasta.’
For a final pick, Palacio homes in on Mott 32, with its very own duck-roasting oven, air- drying fridge and stellar reputation. ‘ The place is superb – I dine here once a month.’
As to his origins, 32-year- old Palacio started out 17 years ago, washing dishes at a chocolateria in Madrid. ‘I thought I might run my own restaurant one day, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be running a culinary empire in Hong Kong.’