El Vaso De Oro @ Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, a wealthy city that attracts the best chefs from around the world. You come to Hong Kong to eat, and eat well. Princess commands that we eat Spanish tapas, and tapas it shall be.

Spain has become the gastronomy capital of Europe in recent years, due to innovative chefs and artisans like Ferran and Albert Adria, Jordi Roca and his brother Joan and Josep. But the traditional Catalan and Spanish staples are also comforting and delicious. El Vaso De Oro opened in 2022 in this quiet neighbourhood on Sai Street, and it has become a favourite spot in the area. Led by Chef Carlos Salvador Asensio, the restaurant serves classic and hearty Spanish dishes that are perfect for a casual lunch or dinner.

Deep Fried Baby Squid ‘Andulusian’ Style

Andalusia is Spain’s second-largest autonomous community, encompassing its southern coastline (also known as the Costa del Sol). This deep fried squid appetiser has appeared in every Western restaurants I have been, and I never associate it with Andalusia. Lightly dusted with a flavoured flour and flash fried in hot oil, these baby squids were good appetiser to kick off the meal.

Patatas Bravas

Patatas Brava is a classic Spanish tapas, and is simply crispy potatoes with spicy sauce. Every chef has his own secret recipe for the sauce, and this version is really spicy. And I loved the spice crust on the roasted potatoes.

Pulpo a la gallega

Galician-style cooking, hailing from northwestern Spain, focuses on incredibly fresh seafood, hearty stews, and high-quality local produce. Some Galician cooks specialize in this dish. They are usually women, known as polbeiras. Octopus gallega was served with sliced cooked (mashed?) potatoes, smoked paprika and olive oil. The smokiness and spice from the paprika really made the tender and delicious octopus stands out.

Chorizo Ibérico Vela JOSELITO 100% Natural

Joselito hams and shoulders are among the best valued hams in the world for their numerous distinctive features compared to other hams made in Spain. Pigs have a lot of pastures to graze. There are 3 hectares per pig, so they are encouraged to exercise, which encourages the generation of infiltrated fat. Its production methods are artisanal, following the tradition for more than 150 years. These hams and shoulders are recognised worldwide by a multitude of world-class chefs and food critics. The chorizo was so moist and flavourful, they were perfect to snack on while you chugged the sangrias, cavas or ice cold beers.

Oreja de Cerdo

Oreja de Cerdo, a Madrid classic of crispy pig’s ear served with a spicy brava sauce. The pig’s ear is slowly confit, then seared on the plancha until it’s crisp on one side and tender on the other.

The texture is a perfect mix of crunch and chew that pairs brilliantly with a cold drink. Served over a smooth, smoky brava sauce. Simple, creative, and full of character.

Guiso de Callos con Garbanzos

I never expected to try this tripe stew Galician style with chickpeas once again, and of all places, in Hong Kong. I tried this dish for the first time in Barcelona at Bar Pinotxo, which served a Catalan style callos. This version is Galician style stew with added ingredients like the chickpeas. But the flavour hit all the right spots and I started looking for bread.

Bread is not free, so we ordered some. My goodness, these were some of the best bread I have eaten for a long time. You really need to order this because you would need the bread to soak up the wonderful sauces from the tripe stew. In fact, bread is so essential in tapas it was a crime to charge for it.

Paella de Marisco del dia

They are famous for their paella, and every paella is made fresh to order. We picked the seafood paella, a bestseller, although the traditionalists will frown at that. The portion size is for two persons, but if you are having a lot of tapas like us, it was enough to be shared by 4 persons, especially when the finished product was so rich and flavourful. They have another luxe version that included some Carabineros (Mediterranean red prawns). While I enjoyed those sweet sweet prawns, I think this paella is already very good as it is.

Bikini de Jamon Iberico, Queso y Trufa negra

Next, we had the famous Bikini, a cheeky name for an Iberico ham and melted cheese sandwich because of its triangular shape, spiked with black truffle. I was expecting it to be thinner than this. This version is like a typical Hong Kong salted beef omelette toast with luxe ingredients.

Gambas al Ajillo

And instead of dessert we ordered garlic prawns in olive oil, and with that, another portion of that excellent toasts.

I like the food served here, the staff was friendly, and Chef Assensio checked in with us when we ordered maybe some of less conventional choices like tripe and pig’s ear. It was an enjoyable evening of drinks, food and friendship. Looking forward to return.

El Vaso de Oro
G/F, 44 Sai Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Tel : +852 5993 5958 (Reservations)

Visited May 2026

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