Hooray Bar and Restaurant
P502 World Trade Centre, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay Tel: 2895 0885 Open: noon-2.30pm, 3pm-5pm, 6pm-10.30pm Cuisine: a mix of Italian, yakitori and Spanish tapas. Price: about HK$350 without drinks and the service charge.
Ambience: an outdoor dining area takes up most of the 2,000-square-foot space of this decidedly laid-back eatery.
Pros: the roomy terrace (right) with an unobstructed view of the harbour is definitely the biggest draw. The oyster bar and yakitori grill sit at the centre of the space, with tables on either side. The area with the best view is reserved for drinks only, with high tables, bar chairs and lounge seats.
Cons: the food is somewhat overpriced and nothing to write home about. We ordered a set of six tapas (HK$370), choosing a mix of hot and cold dishes including grilled octopus, meatballs, clams with chorizo, and asparagus with romanesco sauce. The asparagus had just the right amount of crunch, but the romanesco sauce was nowhere to be found on the plate. The clams were fresh, but the chorizo was dry and had none of the smoky spiciness of a quality version of the sausage. Overall, the tapas portions were small and hard to share between more than two people.
Recommended dishes: my guest and I opted to share a salad and a meat dish after the tapas. The beetroot and gorgonzola salad (HK$138) was simple but enjoyable; the walnuts were nicely toasted and fresh, a complement to the creamy blue cheese. The vinaigrette was light, bringing out the sweetness of the beets. The kurobuta pork chop with avocado salsa (HK$248, left) came with a small smear of pumpkin puree that was more decorative than anything else; the meat was firm but juicy, well seasoned and lightly char-grilled.
What else? Hooray encourages drinking through economy of scale - at least where wine is concerned. A simple Italian pinot grigio (one of about six by-the-glass choices) was HK$108 a glass - and not a very generous one at that.
