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On Spanish Cuisine
Spanish food is simple and [made from] very good products. This is more important for me. Fantastic mackerels with ham and cheese, really good prawns with herbs—this is real Spanish food, and I try to do it right here. The mashed potato bombas are very good, they are very traditional from Barcelona… in Barcelona they are from one district, Barceloneta, that is near the beach. Barcelona tapas are more fancy. The food is the same, but the presentation is more fancy.
On Star Chefs
Some of the celebrity chefs teach you a lot, and some of them are like superstars and they don’t even look at your face. They look at you like you are rubbish. Some of them don’t know the names of their staff. They are superstars—they don’t care. I learned a lot of good things and bad things; I learned what I have to do and what I don’t have to do.
On Cooking
Is it stressful? Not stressful, just funny. No, I really like it. For me, it is more stressful if you are half-busy. When it is busy, everybody is working, working, working—and it is funny. You know, after work we [the staff] drink together and we talk about some funny situations. Sure, yes I enjoy myself in the kitchen, but I chose this. A lot of people, a lot of bankers in Hong Kong, don’t enjoy this kind of work. They only make money. A lot of assholes around the world don’t enjoy their lives. I am really happy.
On Working in Hong Kong
Sixty percent of the menu is a fixed menu from the Boqueria brand, and 40 percent is my own food. The difference is my specialties. The specials are weekly. Today, I have black truffle croquetas with Ibérico ham and wagyu sirloin. We use very special wagyu—only two restaurants in the world have this wagyu. In the US, portions are so big. The potato bombas, if we make the portions like in the US… we cannot make any money.
Try Izquierdo’s fare at Boqueria, 7/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St., Central, 2321-8681.


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David Izquierdo

Magazines

Valencia native David Izquierdo, who once ran the kitchen of the lovely but now-defunct Uno Mas, has returned to Hong Kong as chef de cuisine at Boqueria, the Hong Kong branch of the eponymous tapas bar in New York City. He talks to Kirsty Ward about Spanish food, what makes him happy and his awesome mom.
