Spanish steakhouse Rubia serves up Galician delicacies
- In addition to the delightful items on the menu – think octopus Gallega, chorizo and Iberico ham – even the drinks list is heavy on exciting options
FARE Spanish steakhouse
AMBIENCE Small but vibrant, the restaurant has a bar on the ground floor and comfortable seating for diners upstairs.
COST Steaks average HK$500 for 220-280g, tapas range from HK$30 to HK$220.
WHO TO BRING Friends, dates and family. Not vegans.
TURN-ONS Rubia specialises in steaks from Rubia (which means “blonde”) cattle from Galicia, choosing mature animals for deeper flavour, and dry ageing it for 45 days. One of the most impressive things about the restaurant is its adherence to its concept. In addition to the Spanish and specifically Galician items on the menu, even the drinks menu was heavy on Galician options. Meat takes centre stage and we started off with bar bites of Iberico ham (rich and nuanced, not salty) and Iberico chorizo (subtly rounded and not overbearing.)
The chorizo was later included in the Russa, a Spanish potato salad that normally features tuna, but the substitution of sharp chorizo gave the dish nice depth and heat. We tried the boneless rib-eye for our mains, which was delightfully rich in character and not too fatty, paired with warm piquillo peppers. The food is simply presented, with the fresh, authentic ingredients speaking for themselves.
Galicia is also known for its seafood, and we were expecting octopus with a bit more bite, as the Galician octopus is larger and tougher due to the colder waters, but the octopus Gallega, slow cooked and dunked in a sous vide bath, was surprisingly tender.
TURN-OFFS We actually liked the warm cheesecake for dessert, but for those who aren’t fans of blue cheese, the Valdeon blue cheese might be too rich.
DRINKS There’s a decent selection of Spanish cavas and wines, with half a dozen from Galicia, but also old and new world choices. We recommend the Galician beer, cider and gin, the latter distilled with botanicals from the region.
Rubia
UG/F and 1/F, C Wisdom Centre, 35 & 37 Hollywood Rd, Central 2889 1199
