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Tiramisu with limoncello
3 Recommended
Level2
7
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Tosca cares about every detail of your experience
2017-05-14 2259 views
This was my first visit to Tosca, but it will by no means be my last. After we were greeted by the hostess, we stepped into the main dining room and couldn't help but be struck by the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour. It's arresting. It's moving. It left my mouth agape, and that's okay. It's meant to.The hostess seated us at a lovely table right by one of their fountains, but moments later came rushing over - apologizing sincerely - to inform us that there had been a name mix-up and this was
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This was my first visit to Tosca, but it will by no means be my last.

After we were greeted by the hostess, we stepped into the main dining room and couldn't help but be struck by the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour. It's arresting. It's moving. It left my mouth agape, and that's okay. It's meant to.
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The hostess seated us at a lovely table right by one of their fountains, but moments later came rushing over - apologizing sincerely - to inform us that there had been a name mix-up and this wasn't actually our table. She led us to the table meant for us, and even though I'm sure she saw our broad smiles, she continued to apologize for the inconvenience. There really was no need to apologize, though, because we couldn't have gotten a better table. It was in a quiet corner of the restaurant and right beside the window. If I didn't know better, I might think this was done on purpose to fill us with joy. It certainly did.

Soon after we settled into our new table, a server came to greet us, introduce the menu to us, and make his own recommendations. We'd seen the menu before we arrived (they emailed it to us when we made the reservation), so we'd actually already made our choices. They were precisely the same as his recommendations. 
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As he walked away with our order, another server arrived with water, a basketful of fresh bread, and two types of olive oil to choose from. I'm not a connoisseur of olive oils. I've mostly only had off-the-shelf bargain oils through my life. Tosca has radically changed my relationship to olive oil. Those breads, and those oils, were just as much a highlight of the meal as every course that was to follow. It was about this time that I started to realize something: At Tosca, every detail is important. 

Four fresh breads (baked parmesan crisps, focaccia, sourdough, ciabatta)
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I'll not take you course by course. I'll just show you pictures and say that each mouthful was so delightful that I was filled with gratitude for everyone who made it possible. 
Tomato soup and fried mozzarella cheese
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Beef carpaccio
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Fusilli with chicken ragout
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Beef short rib, tomato sauce, oregano, and gratin potato mille feuille.
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Tiramisù with limoncello
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Petit fours
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 After each course, someone came to ask us how it was, and if we ever ran low on bread or water they were there to refill it before we realized we were in need. Chef Pino Lavarra even came by to check on us! To meet someone who has brought such happiness to you is always a thrill.

But, then, that was true of everyone at Tosca. We lingered there for two hours not just because of the view and the food, but because every member of their team cared about us and how we felt during our time with them. There aren't many experiences in my life I can say that about.

Thank you, Tosca. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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    DETAILED RATING
    Taste
    Decor
    Service
    Hygiene
    Value
    Date of Visit
    2017-05-12
    Dining Method
    Dine In
    Spending Per Head
    $498 (Lunch)
    Recommended Dishes
    Four fresh breads (baked parmesan crisps, focaccia, sourdough, ciabatta)
    Tomato soup and fried mozzarella cheese
    Beef carpaccio
    Fusilli with chicken ragout
    Beef short rib, tomato sauce, oregano, and gratin potato mille feuille.
    Tiramisù with limoncello
    Petit fours
    Level4
    926
    107
    My first experience with Chef Pino's First Table
    2015-12-02 7773 views
    I was doing a bit of finger counting at home the other night. Out of all the Michelin starred restaurants in Hong Kong, Tosca was my most frequently visited one in 2015 by a country mile. I thought there were a few reasons that played a role in this. For one, the location was unbeatable as it's in the proximity of where I usually hang out. Then, of course it's that gorgeous view which became the easy choice for me to bring my out-of-town visitors over. But last but not least, let's not forget Ex
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    I was doing a bit of finger counting at home the other night. Out of all the Michelin starred restaurants in Hong Kong, Tosca was my most frequently visited one in 2015 by a country mile. I thought there were a few reasons that played a role in this. For one, the location was unbeatable as it's in the proximity of where I usually hang out. Then, of course it's that gorgeous view which became the easy choice for me to bring my out-of-town visitors over. But last but not least, let's not forget Executive Chef Pino Lavarra's modern Italian cuisine that's been giving me a heart warming feeling ever since his arrival more than a year ago.
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     Here's the man behind the scene - Chef Pino Lavarra, playing with his Apple laptop and perhaps uploading a few photos on his Instagram.
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     I've heard of Chef Pino's First Table for a while now and quite honestly, it's a fabulous deal. For $688 per head, you get the front row seats to the Victoria Harbour and a surprise 4-course menu from Chef Pino and the crew.

    As promised, I showed up approximately around 6pm (First Table = First customer) and was immediately guided to our table by the window. The best part of all, I don't even need to waste time going through the long menu and get everything into Chef Pino's capable hands.
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     Following a little chit-chat with our server, here comes our amuse bouche which was a potato purée tonight.
    potato purée, Sicilian red prawn chips, dash of sea urchin, caramelized purple onions and dill
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     It was nicely complemented by some Sicilian red prawn chips, dash of sea urchin, caramelized purple onions and dill. Solid start.
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     Warm potato cream and autumn salad was a curious choice immediately following the potato purée. The texture was slightly different (call it purée or foam) with this one being a lot more soupy but I thought the flavors were vastly similar to our amuse bouche. It was good serving it with some croutons and goat cheese but I'm still raising my eyebrows on this one (Grade: 2.5/5).
    Warm potato cream and autumn salad
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     Homemade fusilli with chicken tomato sauce and provolone cheese was next and I called it a refined version of Spaghetti Bolognese. The homemade fusilli was really nice with just the perfect bite and there's this wasabi-like aroma coming from the provolone cheese which brought everything together nicely. All in all, an elegant and well executed dish (Grade: 4/5).
    Homemade fusilli with chicken tomato sauce and provolone cheese
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     My third course was pan seared John Dory with chestnut, trumpet mushroom, and a bit of fried squid on top as garnish. The texture of the John Dory was decent but not overwhelmingly good and I didn't particularly like the wine sauce (Grade: 3/5).
    pan seared John Dory with chestnut, trumpet mushroom
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     More successful was the Pecorino roasted lam loin with salsify and creamy beetroot salad. The lamb loin was nicely wrapped with a pastry of parmesan cheese giving it a lovely texture on the outside. Fairly nice but didn't blow us away (Grade: 3.5/5).
    Pecorino roasted lam loin with salsify and creamy beetroot salad
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     I was excited about dessert as always and was overjoyed to see one of my favorite dishes here as tonight's dessert - tiramisu with limoncello. They've always got one of the best tiramisu in Hong Kong but tonight slightly off the mark due to the extra liquor (comparing to their usually perfect portions). Still a pretty comforting finish to an enjoyable evening (Grade: 3.5/5).
    tiramisu with limoncello
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     I never get tired of this view especially under the clear skies. Too bad the windows were a little fogged up back at Tosca there so the photos didn't turn out as well as I originally thought they would.
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     Chef Pino's First Table was a pretty special experience although being such a picky customer, I'd probably like to have a say with what I put into my mouth. Now, the million-dollar question. Would I be back for another First Table experience? Well, probably not anytime soon.

    (The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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    10 Recommended
      Post
      DETAILED RATING
      Taste
      Decor
      Service
      Hygiene
      Value
      Dining Method
      Dine In
      Spending Per Head
      $688 (Dinner)
      Recommended Dishes
      Homemade fusilli with chicken tomato sauce and provolone cheese