Manuel Robles, of Hong Kong's Olé Spanish Restaurant, talks signature dishes

"I made my decision pretty quickly. Our group executive chef, Jesus Pascual, brought me on board and I asked him a lot of questions before I came, so that helped. It was my first time in Hong Kong and, when I arrived, it shocked me a bit because everything is so different from Spain. Everything goes so fast. But it was easy for me to adapt to Hong Kong and I started to enjoy it quite a lot. It's been three months now."

"I had a job developing security systems but, when I was 32, I decided I wanted to become a chef and enrolled myself in culinary school. It was not a very hard transition - I've been cooking a lot since I was very young. I enjoy experimenting with different dishes. It's just I'd never tried doing it as a professional."

"Yes, it was an orange cake. I took my mum's recipe book, picked one and tried making it on my own. It was good. I was eight."

"It's been 10 years since I became a chef and I still love seeing my customers enjoy their meals as much as I've enjoyed preparing them. It's something I learnt from my mum, who has the most influence in my cooking. I realise when she is cooking for me and the other people in the house, she doesn't do it just to feed us, but to make us happy. That's how I learned that cooking is not just about the food, but also about spreading happiness and expressing one's feelings."

"Juan Mari Arzak [owner of the Michelin three-star Arzak, in San Sebastian, Spain]. He is a great chef who combines traditional food with modern techniques. He has great respect for produce and its natural taste. I've been following him and reading his books for a long time."