Michelin-Starred Spanish Chefs Launch Two Distinct Dining Concepts
The new Police Married Quarters (PMQ) in Central will welcome two new restaurants: Isono Eatery and Bar and Vasco. Located on the sixth and seventh floors of Block B within the PMQ complex, celebrated Spanish chef Paolo Casagrande from the two-Michelin-starred Restaurante Lasarte in Barcelona will introduce Hong Kong diners to the best of Basque cuisine.
Isono and Vasco are the result of a collaboration between executive chef Paolo Casagrande and Spain’s culinary maestro Martin Berasategui. Having earned seven Michelin stars throughout his career, Martin Berasategui has received more Michelin honours than any other Spanish chef.
While Paolo Casagrande will oversee the menus of both Isono and Vasco, the restaurants’ kitchen staff trained under Chef Martin Berasategui. Since Paolo’s appointment as Executive Chef at Restaurante Lasarte, the culinary partnership has attracted worldwide media attention and earned the pair multiple honours.
ISONO EATERY & BAR
‘Isono’, a derivative of the Latin word unisonus, meaning ‘having a single sound’, reflects Chef Casagrande’s passion for consistency pursuit of perfection.
With its rustic interiors, use of raw materials and open-plan design, the sixth-floor Isono will convey a casual vibe conducive to communal dining. Welcoming up to 120 guests, four private rooms will add an air of intimacy, providing an ideal setting for couples or groups of up to 10.
Serving authentic, affordable Mediterranean-inspired dishes designed for sharing, guests will have the option of half or full-size portions. Isono’s cross-cultural menu will incorporate elements from Italian, Spanish and French cuisines, including hearty homemade pastas, ocean-fresh seafood dishes as well as cured and roasted meats.
Signature dishes include Mussels in White Wine (mussels are sourced from Europe depending on the season), Mezze Maniche Pasta (sautéed Aubergine confit, tomato, fresh Mediterranean anchovies and oregano) and Pata Negra Platter (comprising ham, lomito and salami).
An outdoor area – featuring a separate bar and welcoming lounges – is an ideal venue for al fresco dining. Within this setting, guests can indulge in a drink, sample items from the bar menu and enjoy the view overlooking the PMQ complex.
VASCO
Boasting sleek interiors, views overlooking the surrounding Central district and a refined tasting menu, the seventh-floor Vasco offers a fine-dining alternative. Vasco (from País Vasco, the Spanish name for the Basque region) can seat up to 60 guests and comprises two semi-private dining rooms for six-eight diners. An additional two private dining rooms, one for up to eight guests the other configured for a group of 14, provide diners with an exclusive retreat.
Chef Paolo Casagrande invites guests on a culinary journey with a choice of two tasting menus.
Vasco offers eight-course menu and the five-course selection, highlights include Red Palamos prawns on a seabed and urchins with crustacean mayonnaise or the low-temperature cooked turbot settled on onions and paprika marmalade, brained endive, clams and octopus.
An a la carte menu is also available.
To complement the restaurant’s creative food selection, local cocktail connoisseur Charlene Dawes has curated an intoxicating drinks menu. Rest easy with ‘A Good Siesta’ (Beefeater 24 Gin, Sherry, Campari and drops of orange bitters), or look sharp with ‘Smoke & Knives’ (Vodka fat-washed with Iberico Ham, Sweet and spicy mix, topped with tomato and lemon juice).
Drawing Room Concepts, the team behind the highly successful AMMO and Michelin-honoured Drawing Room, is responsible for Isono and Vasco. “In keeping with our other dining concepts, Isono and Vasco combine the talents of a Michelin-honoured chef with a unique design and environment,” explains Drawing Room Concepts CEO Tony Cheng. “We’ve earned a reputation for serving affordable, authentic cuisine and we’re confident the opening of these two new restaurants will further enhance our standing with Hong Kong diners.”
www.isono-vasco.com.hk
https://www.facebook.com/IsonoBarandEatery
https://www.facebook.com/vascofinedining
Isono and Vasco
6 /F and 7 /F Block B, Police Married Quarters (PMQ)
35 Aberdeen Street, Hong Kong