Dinner dine-in restrictions got you feeling blue? Well, we’re not fretting! We can still celebrate our weekends in style with a delectable Spanish brunch feast at Murray Lane on the ground floor of The Murray hotel. Serving up a delicious spread of cold cuts, cheeses and baked goods alongside made-to-order tapas, a mouth-watering carvery and desserts, the tapas brunch ($598/adult; $328/child) also offers a free-flow add-on for $248 to really get the party started.
Created by our previous Foodie Forks Chef of the Year Edgard Sanuy Barahona, the menu is a love letter to the flavours of the chef’s Spanish roots. He grew up working in his grandmother’s restaurant kitchen in Lleida and then went on to work at several esteemed restaurants in Spain, including Torreó de l’Indià, Rincón de Diego and Michelin-starred Hofmann, before moving to Hong Kong as head chef of tapas joint BCN (now closed). He later joined Maximal Concepts as their group corporate chef and was also the culinary director of Epicurean Group.
A festive pitcher of sangria ($198) marked the beginning of our tasting. The red wine sangria is stirred with cognac for an extra kick.
We loved the plentiful spread of cured meats, including the chef’s favourite blood pudding, as well as the array of cheeses and freshly baked pastries. Made-to-order tapas range from a creamy potato and mayo salad with salmon roe, to slow-cooked eggs over potato and wild mushroom, to truffle bikini sandwiches. The grilled padrón peppers, blistered and salted to perfection, were one of the highlights for us. Note that the brunch includes two types of tapas per person from a long list.
The octopus Gallega with potato and smoked paprika and crunchy mushroom croquettes with their creamy centres are must-orders.
The freshly shaved Ibérico pork has just the right ratio of fat to lean meat.
At the time of our visit, there was a carvery station offering crispy suckling pig as well as roast beef, but this station will soon change to a paella counter featuring a one-metre-long pan ordered specially for the occasion.
Churros, puddings and cakes marked a sweet ending to our meal. We especially adored the churros, piping hot from the fryer and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Verdict
A delicious and not over-the-top weekend brunch that will leave you happily satiated without needing the rest of the day to recover. There’s also an al-fresco dining area for those looking to enjoy a meal outdoors.
Lobby, The Murray, Hong Kong, 22 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, 3141 8888, book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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