Spanish Restaurant in HK: Fofo

Fofo by el Willy (Hong Kong)
20/F M88, 2-8 Wellington Street,
Central, Hong Kong
(852) 2900-2009

Fofo by el Willy isn't your typical Spanish restaurant especially with its all-white decor and figures of pigs, birds, and penguins as restaurant decorations. If one takes a closer look at the animals, one will also notice that they are all exceptionally "chubby", which also represents the name of the restaurant, as well as the Spanish word, fofo! I loved their dazzling white interior, which was a good change from HK's hustling scene. Prior to coming, I had diligently and thoroughly done my foodie research; and had already prepped by epicurious tastebuds for an orgasmic meal. To start off, everyone was presented with a slice of complimentary bruschetta. Not my favorite bruschetta in the world, the mashed up tomatoes made the base of the bread too soggy in my opinion. Andy and I each ordered a glass of sangria: he had white and I had my usual red - for how can we call it a "Spanish" meal without sangria?! Oh, and before I go further, I just want to note that my experience at Fofo has led me to realize that it is better to stick to tapas rather than their full-blown entrees. A useful tip for myself and future newcomers!

Our first tapa, and one of Fofo's signature dishes, was the Scallop ceviche, avocado & crispy shallots. The creamy avocado hidden on the bottom of the scallop was such a bonus! The crispy shallots also helped bring out a saltier and stronger flavor between the scallop and avocado. Our next dish, Organic leaves sauté in raspberry vinegar, was only ordered because of guilt (and health consciousness). The word organic and leaves provided me with enough evidence that it's a healthy choice, given that everything else I ordered were either high in cholesterol or "heart-attackable".

The veggie dish came with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, cucumbers, and edible flowers. While Andy and I expected a cold salad, the dish was surprisingly cooked and warm! I couldn't really taste the raspberry vinegar, but that was probably a good thing because I wouldn't want the sauce to overpower the veggies.

Our next tapa, Balic style Salmon, Sour Cream & Black Truffle Honey is ranked #2 on my NOM list. As soon as the dish was placed on our table, the truffle smell filled the air. I swear I could practically taste the truffle with my nose! The sour cream did not play a huge role for this dish as only a small dab of it was used underneath each salmon hors d'oeuvres (to keep them in place). The Salmon and mint leaf, paired with the crostini and black truffle honey was heaven in my mouth. The sweet and salty combination made me drool...sexy!

Our third tapa, Seared foie gras, scallop, beetroot, kumquat & popcorn powder is currently holding its place in the #1 spot of my NOM list at Fofo thus far. The taste of this dish was orgasmic...I immediately perked up after my first bite. I loved how the chefs at Fofo were daring with their ingredients. Once again, I was in awe of the mix between sweet and salty...this time with kumquat jam and foie gras. Sprinkled on top were pieces of popcorn powder..how nicely done! I highly recommend this dish (along with the salmon tapa).

The well-known Crispy suckling pig was our fourth tapa dish and another Fofo signature dish. The juices from the meat gushed out at first bite. The top of the skin was a little too dry and crispy for me, but the tenderness of the meat saved me and this dish from total disappointment. I would still recommend it!

Our next plate was something I've never tried before: Organic Eggs, Potatoes & Chorizo. Chorizo is a sausage that has many different varieties and is eaten all over Spain, made with pork meat and paprika. The best part of this dish is the DIY part -- popping the egg and mixing the ingredients together! 

To be honest, I didn't like this dish. It felt too gooey and the chorizo was too salty for me (though I must admit I am very sensitive to high sodium foods). The fried potato did not help clear up the "gooey saltiness" instead, it made me feel extremely fatty because I felt like I was eating oily french fries with....goo. Not pleasant. However, I do think this eats requires an acquired taste because Andy really enjoyed the entrée. He, on the other hand, loved the gooey texture! I'd say order it and judge for yourself : ) Originally, this dish was our last dish, but feeling extremely "fofo" and adventurous, we decided that our stomachs could fit one more dish. We called for a half-size order of Black truffle & pumpkin creamy risotto. This dish is strongly recommended if you are a truffle fan like me! At first glance, the creamy risotto might look like mac n' cheese (creamy and heavy), but since it is mixed with pumpkin, the risotto was subtle and light. The warm risotto was the perfect dish to end our meal. Service here is also great...loved the way our waiter said, "Enjoy!" after every serving :D

Overall: 4/5