I know a place: Chef Jesus Pascual

I started cooking with my mother at a very young age. I was curious and loved to watch her cook, and she was happy to pass on her culinary skills. My father encouraged me to become a professional cook. In school I studied the basics of Spanish and international cuisines, and managing a restaurant.

I've been here for three and a half years and I think Hong Kong lives up to its reputation as a food paradise. My comfort food is still Spanish - it doesn't matter whether it's traditional or modern.

When I go out to eat my first priority is the authenticity of the food followed by the environment. The taste of the food is more important than presentation. Other aspects of the restaurant, like decor, are minor details to me.

I go to Saeb-E-Hlee Lub Ped (84 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, tel: 2716 2938) for real Thai food. My favourites are crispy catfish salad and pork larb. I like the clever mix of spices with fresh herbs and fruit. It tastes exactly like the version I ate in Bangkok.

Whenever I crave soft shell crab rolls or tuna belly sashimi I go to Sen-Ryo in Central (shop 3099-3100, Podium Level 3, IFC Mall, tel: 2234 7633). They offer simple, high-quality Japanese food that won't empty your wallet.

The food at Sabah Malaysian Cuisine (98-102 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2143 6626) reminds me of the dishes I tried while travelling across Malaysia. I like the way they do the sauce for the chicken satay and the beef rendang is delicious.

It's nice to have more Spanish restaurants in the city so people can try and learn more about Spanish gastronomy. Most of the Spanish chefs in Hong Kong are from Catalonia so they prefer Catalan cuisine, but Spanish gastronomy is much more than that. At Olé I serve signature dishes from different regions of Spain, including roasted suckling pig from Segovia, paella - which is originally from Valencia, cod with clams, and baby eels in green sauce from San Sebastián. Most ingredients are imported directly from Spain.

I think an authentic Spanish restaurant should have a real Spanish chef, just like an Indian restaurant should have an authentic Indian chef.

48hours@scmp.com