Dinner @ 22 Ships

22 Ships 是一間在香港近年極受歡迎的新派西班牙小菜（Tapas）餐廳，常常大排長龍（等候時間要差不多兩小時），充分表現到西班牙菜在香港的名聲（Popularity) 和吸引力 (Fascination)。雖然不是正宗西班牙菜，但 22 Ships 的食物和裝潢都加料炮製，相當迎合愛吃西餐的顧客。菜式如 Squid & Salmon Paella ($148) 和 Iberico Pork and Foie Gras Burger ($158) 尤其出色，味道變化多端。不過餐廳地方偏小又吵，而且人多滿座時很擠迫，坐得很不舒服，無法集中地引人入勝。價錢也比較貴，晚餐要＄300到＄400一位。

22 Ships has been much raved about in Hong Kong (with its notorious line-ups up to several hours) showcasing the brewing popularity and fascination of the Spanish cuisine among Hong Kong "eaters".  Although the namesake of the restaurant is its address already, 22 Ship Street in Wanchai, 22 Ships is still hard to find due to the small size of the restaurant.  It is comprised of the main open bar taking up the center stage, surrounded by bar tables, and several small tables with a tiny al fresco dining area which is profoundly reminiscent of the pubs in New York.  Despite all the talk about how difficult it is to get a seat at 22 Ships (as it only allows walk-ins), me and my friend Chow Chow decided to go for an early dinner when she had to go into work that weekend.

We arrived a little before 6 p.m. on a Saturday and we were surprised to see that there was no line-up.  The decoration was hip and stylish, and their daily specials were written on the main blackboard on the wall. The service was extremely attentive and friendly (no service fee is charged!). However, the restaurant was so small and intimate, and we found the seats to be very discomforting and cramped.  The price was certainly not casual at all as dinner was priced at around $300 - $400 per person.

(1) The Squid & Salmon Paella ($148) was a daily special available that evening and it proved to be an admirable dish.  The salmon was attractively cooked, and the pieces of smoked ham provided element of saltiness and crunch to the texture.  The paella rice slowly turned into black colour because of the squid ink which offered a unique flavour.  Albeit a bit small, the paella rice was moist and succulent and C liked it very much. However, Chow Chow, a tapas lover, pointed out that paella rice was expected to be dry and not too wet, and she considered this to be more like risotto.

(2) We then ordered the  Iberico Pork and Foie Gras Burger ($158)  which was served with avocado, cucumber and pickles. These mini-burgers or sliders were just sheer bliss on a plate! The Iberico pork and foie gras tasted pristine, fresh and juicy beyond our imaginations. The kitchen has definitely nailed its signature burgers, but might need to work on the size/portion though, as we certainly could do more for this price!

(3) The Scallop Ceviche ($118) was another accomplished dish served with apple and walnut.  The scallop was smooth and sensuous with pieces of apples and walnut sprinkled on top of the dish.  The result was a light and transcending experience to our tastebuds!  But the dish could use some sauce or dressing to elevate the flavour further as it was a bit lacking to its fullest realization.

Overall remarks:  Our dinner at 22 Ships ended on a complaint you'll likely hear about-- that it was just too crowded, noisy and uncomfortable.  It's up to you whether it's forgivable to pay an expensive price and to sit uncomfortably for dishes from one of the most hyped Spanish restaurants in town (the place was fully packed by 7 p.m. with people lining up outside).  The food and service, however fascinating they were, became just a lukewarm Spanish dinner for us and there are many places in Hong Kong with better seating and cheaper food than this.

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

22 Ships  (website)
22 Ship Street, Wah Chai, Hong Kong 灣仔船街22號地下
Telephone: 2555 0722