Luckily replacing Mesa 15 on 15 Hollywood Road is its casual dining sister Numero 15. At least we didn't have to go away empty handed!
The dining area is nicely revamped and has now completely transformed into a casual tapas bar. Rustic wooden bar tables and high stools, along with funky framed artworks and dim lights combine to provide a much more relaxing and inviting mood for diners.
The kitchen is not exactly open but the slightly tinted window allows diners to peek into the activities happening behind the scene.
Slow-cooked egg, one of Mesa 15's signature dishes was next on the agenda but it was disappointingly bland despite the addition of chorizo, mushrooms and a smoked potato foam (3.5/10).
After a bit of a slow start, things were finally picking up for us.
Our next course was a superbly executed ox tongue skewer served with a spicy mojo dip. The mojo dip had a little North African twist to it, which I didn't totally like but there was little doubt that this was one of the best ox tongues I have had in recent memory (7/10).
I called this the Spanish version of Scotland meatballs, or Volcano balls as they called it. Wagyu meat balls and melted cheese were deep fried to golden color before being served up with a spicy tomato sauce.
This should be your cup of tea if you don't mind something a little cheesy (7/10).
But the highlight of our night came courtesy of the slow-cooked Iberico pork belly bun, which was another house specialty here.
The Iberico pork belly had the perfect "melt-in-your-mouth" texture and they cleverly added a Chinese twist by introducing a Chinese-style bun to the mix. Along with the crispy pickled cucumber and kimchi mayo, they worked very well together to provide quite a mouth-watering experience for us (9.5/10).
We were down to our last tapas - a mini octopus and pancetta rice with green alioli. When they said "mini", they really meant it!
Despite its miniscule size, we thought it was still perfect to be shared among 2 to 3 friends where everyone gets a few spoons (5/10).
Finally something sweet before we called it the night. We had the banana-toffee with bailey's frappe and greek yogurt foam.
Perhaps I was expecting something a little sweeter on this night (4/10).
Some of the tapas here (ox tongue, Iberico pork belly bun etc.) had us wanting to come back for more while there were some which were simply "hit-and-miss". But the casual-chic ambiance and innovative cuisine is definitely perfect for gathering among friends.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, 15 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2362 0881
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