Da Domenico (Moved) New Location

35 Reviews

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Decor

Service

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Value

261

Causeway Bay

Above $801

Italian Western Restaurant

ThePenguin

Level1

If you like to pay exorbitant prices, coupled with average decor and poor (bordering on rude) device, then this is your dream dining destination.As soon as we sat down we realized it was a mistake. We had to ask several times for a menu, then despite being only half full the waiters were too busy to pay us much attention. This was a recurring theme during our meal with us constantly trying to get their attention for anything... In the end we had a couple of pasta dishes which was ok but not wort

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(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2012-05-18

Waiting Time

5 Minutes (Dine In)

Spending Per Head

$1200 (Dinner)

Jacey

Level2

Da Domenico is a restaurant that I still sit on the fence about, after a few visits. While the food is very good, I can't decide if the price tag really matches the food and the environment. I've read the reviews of other Open Rice members, and the restaurant does split opinions down the middle - the food is good, but not great, and service can be horrendous. The bruschetta ($180) - it used to be $150 but now the prices have gone up. I don't know if paying $150 or $180 is worth it for 3 pieces

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The bruschetta ($180) - it used to be $150 but now the prices have gone up. I don't know if paying $150 or $180 is worth it for 3 pieces of toasted bread with tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The tomatoes are fresh and sweet, but I wish there was some herbage.

Their burrata ($320) - just simple burrata cheese, accompanied by tomatoes and balsamic (like the bruschetta) and rocket.

The famous Linguine Gamberi ($520) - it's one of the highlights of coming to Da Domenico; I would sum it up as a very intense shrimp bisque pasta. Pasta is cooked perfectly. It's good, but not over-the-top fantastic.

The clams ($520) were very fresh, sweet and succulent. Nothing fancy, just some parsley on top.

I'm not the type to put a lot of weight on service and decor when I write reviews, but when the pricing of dishes is in the same tier as other 5-star hotel or 2-3 star Michelin restaurants, it really made me wonder what I was paying for. Is it really that expensive to import all those ingredients from Italy, or am I just paying for bragging rights? Clearly the money isn't really going into the decor or service. On top of which, the chef/owner is known for having a temper and when I was there he refused to cook for a table because they were late for their reservation and he didn't want to cook anymore.

Da Domenico is worth trying - just make sure you can stomach the sub-par service and the bill.

Original review @ http://pleasuresofeating.blogspot.com/2010/10/da-domenico.html and a subsequent review @ http://pleasuresofeating.blogspot.com/2010/10/revisiting-da-domenico.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2010-10-22

Dining Method

Dine In

Peech

Level4

163

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My friends keep talking about taking me back here for a meal, and it finally happened tonight. They know the staff well, and were hoping to introduce me to the staff so that the service will be a little better than normal. The poor service (or lack thereof) here has reached legendary status, but the regulars keep coming back on account of the food.

We ordered everything to share, which was great and frankly the right way to do it.

The burrata is always nice with arugula, and came with really ripe and sweet cherry tomatoes. The cheese itself was so creamy and milky... really delicious with a drizzle of aged sweet balsamic vinegar.

The bruschetta was pretty awesome for something so simple. You have again the ripe cherry tomatoes, arugula, and the warm bread has a bit of garlic sauce which was a little raw and spicy.

The mussels were incredibly fresh. I'm a guy who never orders mussels, thanks to Kitchen Confidential. But even I was happily downing these creamy and sweet mollusks, which are among some of the freshest I've had.

I wouldn't imagine leaving here without ordering the grilled scampi. My last visit here was a revelation, and I really wanted to have these yummy things again. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed... Yes, these were still pretty yummy in terms of flavor, and I happily used my hands and sucked out everything I could from each crevice. But you know what? The scampi wasn't really fresh. The texture of the tail was a little mushy, and the claws were kinda liquid and runny. They haven't exactly gone bad, but they're just not the freshest around.

Then came a pair of pastas...the fettucine vongola verace, the waiter's suggestion, was a little disappointing. I thought the clams were OK, but it would have been better by itself instead of making it into pasta. This paled in comparison to the other pasta dish.

I finally had a chance to try the linguine gamberi, made with gambero rosso. The flavor was every bit as yummy as I expected...so full of the shellfish taste. But once again, it was obvious to me that the prawns were not fresh. My similar plate of pasta at Tuscany by H two days ago was better - and cheaper - with fresher prawns.

The waiter suggested peas, and what arrived didn't look too appetizing. While they were really sweet to the taste, they were so plainly overcooked that they started to turn yellow. I must admit that after peeling the skins off each pea two weeks ago, my standard for peas are even higher than before.

The veal liver was a good way to finish the meal. Thinly sliced and pan-fried, it was simple yet delicious.

I was pretty glad to have come back, and overall the food was pretty good. But as I said to my friends... if I'm paying this kinda money at a restaurant with zero decor and service that is legendary poor, then I'd be pretty upset if the ingredients weren't the freshest that money can buy. The food tonight definitely did not measure up to my high expectations. I'll have another chance to return in a few weeks, so we'll see what happens...

original blogpost with pictures and wine notes: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2010/05/dado-dado.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2010-05-01

Spending Per Head

$900

Mikehkhk

Level1

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I heard of this restaurant for so long and finally was taken by a freind there last nite!

they have a reputation for bad service and unforutnately that is very true. we had a booking but when we arrived, we stood there for 10 minutes without anyone coming to take us to our table! At last we had to walk to the table without being served!
The bread was cold and the dipping was so little for a whole table of people. That is not nice.
The deco is not much to mention as it is just so plain wiht a few pictures on the wall. put it this way, I can't tell its uniqueness and italian elements!!!
The food was ok but not surprising. It simply is not bad but just ok.
It is certainly not Great Italian good that I would agree or recommend!

As one of my friends in the dinner quoted, it is Roman trattoria at 5 star prices.

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Date of Visit

2010-04-22

Spending Per Head

$1000 (Dinner)

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Major Tom

Level2

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I was looking to see how a restaurant in HK can charge such an expensive price, even more expensive than 5* hotel restaurants like Mistral and Sabatini's. I was hoping for out-of-this-world Italian food and was quite disappointed.

The food was average at best. I could probably make a pasta sauce and also soup better than this place. The veal was ok but nothing special. For very average food, they rob you blind.

Service was non-existent. It's not that the staff has poor attitude. Instead, they were simply not paying attention or weren't trained properly. How could any restaurant put your plate of food on your table without telling you what it is? Even the local tea cafe would do that. The girl waitress was so shy and passive; the male waiters were inattentive and ignorant. I disagree with the other poster that we should stop complaining about service. If you pay this much money ($2,000 for two people), I expect perfect service. It doesn't have to feel like a 5* hotel, but it has to feel comfortable and attentive.

If you want better food, go to Mistral. I am not a huge fan of Sabatini's because of their relatively stuffy atmosphere and tiny portions, but I'd go there and still have money left vs Da Domenico. If you want good Italian food, go to Grappa's at Pacific Place instead. A dish of Spaghetti Marinara there costs around $150, the Ragu $100. Here, it costs three times as much and it doesn't taste that great.

On a value vs what you get scale, this place gets negative marks. With the price Da Dominico charges, you can buy your plane ticket, fly to Italy and have better meals for much less.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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catc1688

Level1

Da Domenico got really bad service!!!! regardless the food was good sometimes! but every time we went there, the service was never good! from the chef owner himself to the waiters are all have very bad attitude. they are only good to celebrities or their friends, dont even care if you the regular customer in the restaurant!me and my friends stopped going there since this year, we just wanna to have good food and enjoy the restaurant but not bad attitude!!! The desert there are auwful!!!!]

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Da Domenico got really bad service!!!!
regardless the food was good sometimes! but every time we went there, the service was never good! from the chef owner himself to the waiters are all have very bad attitude. they are only good to celebrities or their friends, dont even care if you the regular customer in the restaurant!

me and my friends stopped going there since this year, we just wanna to have good food and enjoy the restaurant but not bad attitude!!!

The desert there are
auwful!!!!]

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$1500

HK Epicurus

Level4

1.3K

202

Let's face it. Da Domenico is classified as an Italian Trattoria but no more. (Trattoria Definition: Less formal than a Ristorante, more formal than an Osteria.). If you don't believe me, well, it happens to agree so on their own business card! I must say that I arrived here carrying the mentality of 'a Man on a Mission' - acutely aware of its notorious pricing policy and its recalcitrant-stance in blocking any reviews by famed Food Critics... I could already imagine myself erupting into out

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Let's face it. Da Domenico is classified as an Italian Trattoria but no more. (Trattoria Definition: Less formal than a Ristorante, more formal than an Osteria.). If you don't believe me, well, it happens to agree so on their own business card!

I must say that I arrived here carrying the mentality of 'a Man on a Mission' - acutely aware of its notorious pricing policy and its recalcitrant-stance in blocking any reviews by famed Food Critics... I could already imagine myself erupting into outbursts of mockery laughter after the meal, as I would clinch at any opportunity to pounce on the pretentious and declare Ceremoniously at the end of the meal, that Da Domenico the Trattoria, of limited menu items, can thereby be banished into the over-rated category and register a place in my books of 'Yet Another Myth Busted'. Mentally I was prepared to claim and repudiate the experience as something along the line of "Opportunistic vultures, who don't bother to print out but hand-scribble their menus with exuberant prices for both mediocre service and food quality. *Already having my self chuckle at this point!

* But that doesn't mean my evil demeanor will all eventuate according to plan! As I began digging into my dish after another dish, will I uncover any major flaws or minor blips and bloopers, which would add up enough for me to debunk the myth and 坼它的招牌?

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"BREAD BASKET" -
This consisted of Bread Crisps and a vertically cut rather than diagonally sliced baguettes. They were not only stone cold upon arrival, but initially no accompaniment of dips or butter were given automatically. After notifying the waitstaff, a tenuous answer in the form of a weak knod was detected before some Balsamic Vinegar, a home-made Pesto dip and an Olive Oil bottle were placed on the table.

The balsamic was great and viscously thick as expected, it of a decent quality and properly Aged. I don't normally have balsamic with bread but I found myself innately re-dipping the bread into the pond of syrupy essence. The olive oil was of the solidly robust rather than fresh, lively dressing type. It was good but lacks the depth of top quality oil. The pesto meanwhile was a perfect partner to the crisp bread, but the bread loses out to the quality shown at Zefferino's. If only the bread was pre-warmed..... but nevertheless, another encore round was ordered. I want to indulge in more of that vinegar... rather than the bread.

"LINGUINE CON GAMBERI " -
Da Domenico has a selection of signature seafood dishes. In between the Sicilian Scampis and the equally famed Linguini with Gamberi Prawns, I was more interested in the latter - scampi's aren't as easy to stuff up as a more 'revealing' pasta. Afterall I was here to try their cooking!

The Linguine was surprisingly made up of 2 types of prawns rather than singular type. It has lots of prawn heads and legs all intact and sometimes I had to spit the legs out repetitively! The prawns given in larger quantities were more of a normal, locally sourced sea prawn, whereas the more expensive imported Italian Prawn counted as totalling 3 medium pieces! The latter are of the Italian 'Gambero Rosso' variety from Sicily, a name more synonoumous with the prestifious Food & Wine guide or Restaurant which has superceded the meaning of the famous original Italian Red Prawn.

The Linguine pasta wasn't home-made but one wouldn't expect it to be, no sane chef will make linguini in-house, much like Inaniwa noodles in Japan. I have no problems with that. The pasta was cooked to the perfect degree but it was a medium for soaking up the seafood sauce rather than carrying its own soul, as it lacks pasta wheat taste. The Sauce carries a hint of alcohol and some mintily aniseed flavour somewhat (whether from softened fennel or Pernod or other herbs I can't tell), the prawn heads and shells plus possibly other shellfish or fish, cherry tomatoes and tomato puree and saffron made a delectable base stock that coated each strand of pasta. It was really good indeed. Both types of Prawn meat however were slightly over-cooked, the red prawn tasting better than the lesser prawn in terms of flavour, but their heads were awesome as expected.

Having said all that - I've always believed that any Crustacean arthropods and their heads will inevitably carry a lot of umami aroma and taste and in that sense, one must give credit to this natural ingredient rather than attributing it completely to the skills of the chef. Any Crustacean based dish, involving the usage of say Crab Roes or Crayfish shells and livers, or Prawns - when cooked with ENOUGH quantity of crustacean roes and shells are bound to fulfill your senses. As a side note, that is why I detest the usage of prawn heads in a Bouillabaise soup, as it ruins the fish sweetness and essence. Compared to a similar pasta dish I tried cooking just once before, I think mine wasn't too far off to be honest. Bearing in mind - this Pasta set me back $480 + 10%!

SCORE: 4.8/5

"FETTUCINE AL RAGU" - Spelt Fettucini on Shop's Menu?

A Ragu or Ragout pasta dish is one of my must orders when trying a restaurant because a Tagliatelle with Ragu is one of the most traditional pasta dishes in Italy. Its a good test of the kitchen's cooking skills and bares all to the outside world, their inner food philosophy and training skills.

Unlike the Linguine above, this Fettucine was made in-house and hung dry before re-cooking. Although it lacked eggy taste, it was cooked perfectly again and probably the most perfectly cooked pasta I've had recently in HK, more so than the above dish. It also resembled more of a Tagliatelle than a Fettucine in terms of thickness and mouth feel.

The downside to this dish is obvious to the keen eye, however, The so-called Ragu meat tasted mainly of de-skinned sausage meat, usually reserved for cooking Bolognese sauce than a true Ragu - which by defnition should be a slow-cooked meat with a shredded meaty texture that has absorbed its braising liquid. Here, it was mostly like minced meat, slightly herbed, spiced and chili. It was enjoyable definitely but does not satisfy the hype of its namesake, considering this simplest of simple dishes sets one back in the order of $240 + 10%.
SCORE: 3.8/5

"TIRAMISU" -
I was already full and hoping to order an Italian Coffee, them using an imported brand that isn't available in most Italian restaurants. But a Cappucino here is $60 and an Espresso would cost $55. Ouch! Bordering on Mandarin Oriental prices and even more than Robuchon and PIERRE.

In the end I opted to try the Tiramisu, to be served in a Cup. My expectations were high, again, don't forget I was still on a mission! Should I see any downfalls during any part of the meal, it would only make me more right in the end!

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately since I will pay $77 for this, it really was a great Tiramisu and completely authentic in taste. In some areas better than the COVA version. Although not much Savoiardi biscuits were detected at the cup's base, the filling carried some coffee liquor essence but perhaps it could do with more! The creamy topping meanwhile was full of Eggy and Mascarpone taste, largely yellowish beige in colour and beaten to a pleasantly smooth texture rather than overly dry nor overly refrigerated. Its not perfect - but its relatively one of the best I've consumed in Hong Kong so-far. Once again it proved my previous bias as being a bit too sensitive and paranoid, this Trattoria really had substance!

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IN SUMMARY - I thought the food served in Da Domenico can only be rightfully declared as really good but somehow amiss in terms of satisfying the 21st Century palates. All of this quality comes at a price and one surely should not expect Haute Cuisine quality dining and be pampered by Culinary masterpieces. That's even though you will end up paying nearly the same price or more anyway!

Quintessentially Italian Trattoria food very well executed, its nothing more and nothing less. It reminds me of Auction Bids - every human values an item, a wine or an antique item slightly differently in their own unorthodox perspective. If you're happy to pay a 50%+ Premium for essentially classical dishes, but with very limited choices and friendly yet unprofessional enough service, then this I could unconditionally recommend to you. I certainly enjoyed my meal but unfortunately, a ho-hum $240 Fettucini Au Ragu dish once again failed to thrill nor astound my senses, infact my Spagehetti Bolognese eaten at Quarry Bay Epoch at 1/5th the price carried more sophistication in the meat's cooking. The Bread basket was really below modern standards despite everything else falling into place eventually during the night. The general score must be marked down accordingly and fairly.

OVERALL: Mid '3' to Mid '5'

Bread Basket Not Upto Standard

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Aged Balsamic, Pesto, Olive Oil

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Linguine Con Gamberi !

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Ragu Ragu Ragu.... Where In The World Are You?

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Grated Parmesan, but Tasted like Grana Padano!

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Tiramisu Not Perfect, But Really Great

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Outrageous Coffee Prices for a Trattoria.

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CheesyMe

Level3

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Almost every negative comment here is somehow related to the price and/or service.
Come on people... would you buy a Rolls Royce and complain it's "not worth the price because it's just as comfy as a Mercedes?" or buy a Lamborghini and complain that "for the same level of performance it's much more expensive than a Skyline GTR?"
If you want cheap, go to Al Dente, Pepperoni's CPK, or worse yet, Pizza Hut.
If you want service, go to Peninsula, Grissini@Grand Hyatt, or Sabatini.
If you want good food, and I mean PURELY GOOD Food, much like people buying a Lamborghini for PURE driving pleasure (sans the show-off types), then go here.
Those who complain about the decor must understand that decor is there to attract people who are not focusing on eating their foods!
Those who complain about the service... think of it as a restaurant in France! You don't get great service in lots and lots of European eateries.

Like I wrote before. This restaurant is a bargain, it's pricey, but it's good value, because it's saving you a plane ticket to Italy. This restaurant is indeed for the filthy rich to have a taste of Italy.
I'm not one of them, I can barely afford a meal there, but I love it there and understand why it's so popular, simply because it's good. Really good.
And it SHOULD be priced that expensively, because you know what would happen if they priced it like SOHO restaurants?
It would need a 3 months' reservation.
食唔起就唔好去啦...

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$1200 (Dinner)

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KCF

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I came here once years ago when it first opened. i remember the food was good but it was pricey. i guess since i haven't been back until recently, it's safe to assume it wasn't exceptional fisrt time around.

however this night, i thought the food was absolutely amazing, very pleasantly surprised. yes there were some quirks with the service, for example, the restaurant closes by 10pm so they do not take reservations past 9pm. i was very late actually didn't arrive until 930 while my friend got there by 9 and ordered first. however we didn't get bad attitude from the waiters nor owner/chef. yes service seemed a bit rushed as i was late but the watiers were pretty apologetic about getting us to order dessert and pay early. i found the experience quite typical of good no nonsense italian restaurants in europe. don't expect opulent service like the french haut-cuisine or modern gastronomic experience type place. it is expensive because the food is great.

it's really the little things that show if this is a high calibre restaurant. we had the parma ham w/ melon. you would think parma ham is parma ham, it's salty, taste like ham, etc. well i had the BEST parma ham in HK here, better than sabatini. the ham was so thinly sliced, with no tendon/residue, it practically melted on my tongue. and the melon was so perfectly sweet, with strong aroma (some fruit can be just sweet but no flavour), it went perfectly with the ham.

next we had the mussels in white wine sauce. the mussels were just cooked slightly under, juicy, plump and flavourful. it was actually a very big dish and we could barely finish sharing between us. the white wine sauce is very traditional, but very well done.

for main, we had the linguini w/ scampi. it was really yummy, i'm drooling as i recall the flavour. the linguini was perfectly al dente, the sauce was just right amount and flavour, the scampi was plentiful and delicious. a lot of restaurants, their pasta w/ lobster or some expensive seafood is quite stingy w/ the seafood but definitely not here. there was so much scampi i practically had a piece in every bite!

dessert, had the semifreddo and it was also very good.

overall, i felt like i was in italy having a great authentic italian meal. it's really down to earth setting and traditional recipies with exceptional quality ingredients that sets Da Domenico apart from the rest.

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Foodiesincrime

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Wow, I was supposed to have a nice last meal with my boyfriend before he jetted off for the US and unfortunately I encountered the WORST meal I have ever had in Hong Kong. What a waste of money!

We had walked past the restaurant a few times before and it seemed quite quaint to so we decided to try it out. Of course, with the prices, we expected a quality meal. I'm not necessarily a connoisseur but I know a bad meal when I get one and this is bad! I've eaten at so many other "creme de la creme" restaurants and equally pricey ones but never have I been struck with such terrible service and food. I couldn't even be angry, in fact I was speechless because it was an appalling dining experience.

First we entered the restaurant and the first impression I had was a gaggle of waiters running around like they were flustered and running a marathon. As one previous reviewer mentioned, they were like headless chickens and that analogy is perfectly true! It looked very unprofessional and we were quickly hustled to our seat. But for the longest time there was NO ONE to serve us! Come on, there aren't that many tables and there were definitely enough waiters around to have a competent service. We waited patiently for our table to be set and our menus to be given to us but it was definitely more than 10 minutes before we decided we needed to take some action and call someone over to give us menus etc.

Then one of the waiters ran by and literally threw a basket of bread at our table. No butter, no olive oil or balsamic vinegar, but get this...we didn't even have any cutlery or plates to eat it with! All we had was a lonely basket of bread. I couldn't believe it.

We had to ask for our menus and for water, then when the water came it was once again just DUMPED at our table. Were the waiters for this "classy" restaurant not trained to water for their customers. We asked one of the female waiters if they did not have glasses for water and only wine, and she just said (in very poor english) that there was "only that one" and walked away. She didn't even think about serving us for one second. This really was getting far beyond my imagination and was regretting not just getting up to leave and going somewhere else like L'Atelier, Bo Innovation or Gaddi's. I suppose I was curious at how much worse it could be.

I didn't want to complain yet to see how bad it gets but my boyfriend said we should tell the manager so we would get better service moving on. Right. We couldn't even get anyone's attention and it took another 15 minutes before anyone asked for our orders. Absolutely shocking. My bf had talked to the manager at this point so he came over and apologized profusely and rather unprofessionally. Then he gave an excuse and said that there were a lot of customers and tables and so everyone was really busy due to the demanding customers. WHAT????!!!! How could you blame it on the customers? You're supposedly running a quality restaurant that should have the capability to professionally handle that many customers. I would have fired him if I were his boss and heard him say that.

As if it could get any worse....so we asked for recommendations and he kept pushing us to get the cheese which we didn't want. We wanted to order the parma ham and melon but he told us in a whisper that the parma ham was bad and we shouldn't get it. There was one table across from us that had ordered it, so 1) is he being bias and serving others bad food? and 2) why is a good restaurant serving bad parma ham anyways? Not quite sure I'm convinced.

I also asked the same server if there was butter and just as I began to ask for olive oil and balsamic (he heard me start the sentence), he had whirled around and ran off before I could finish. How absolutely rude. They definitely do not do any training at this restaurant for their waiters and if that is the case, they should not market themselves as a top tier restaurant with these ridiculous prices. It's not worth it.

So we went for the bruschetta for starters and the signature linguine scampi and ox tongue for mains. The bruschetta was decent but nothing special. Then the linguine scampi came and I was expecting a $600 dish to be good. I'm not even going to mention the cheap-looking dish it came in, as long as the food is enjoyable. But I'm sorry, I'll have to respond in the negative. The linguine was flavourless and dry - it tasted like the side dishes I get at $70 set lunches in Central, and the scampi was way way WAY overcooked. By now I was regretting the meal so much I wish i had just gone to Fat Angelo's. Because honestly, I could have got that dish at Fat Angelo prices and quality.

My bf and I couldn't even finish the meal and even though we had to use our fingers to pick the meat from the scampi, the waiter didn't bring lemon water to dip our fingers in until after we were almost done. Oh wait, the water didn't have lemon - it was just hot water and so hot I practically burnt my fingers unwittingly.

I had seen enough so I called the waiter over to cancel the order for my ox tongue. I'd rather fill myself up with streetfood than sit through this ordeal anymore. The free prosecco the manager offered was certainly not enough to ease the pain and the prosecco wasn't quality either.

I would be ashamed if this place was advertised in food guides as a fine dining for Hong Kong because it would definitely jeopardize our city's reputation. Everything is of the poorest quality here and although some long-time clientele may call this place home, I would much rather take my money elsewhere to splurge for real service and good food.

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Date of Visit

2009-06-23

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uncleben

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Da Domenico offers the true taste of Southern Italian home cooking and all produces & ingridient are imported from Italy = the chef's home country. Tasting the best quality of cooking is what we come here for and adequate service will serve the purpose. "Who cares about services when one can savour heavenly cooking here!"

Just look at the picutres and I don't need to say anymore. The surrounding is simple while offering a comfortable environment for dinning experiences. A super venue for ones to enjoy good foods and wines with a few friends while won't be disturbed by large noisy crowd.

Maybe I am prejudice? becoz I am a regular customers and definitely won't miss out on seasonal dishes like white truffle, figs and squids and prawns.

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食鬼0

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Despite various critiques against Da Domenico's service, I would still strongly recommend this place to those who want to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine created with fresh ingredients flown from the Mediterranean Seas. It may be true that they do not offer immaculate 5 star service or boast upscale hotel ambience, but they do possess a simplistic charm that allows one to relax and truly enjoy the FOOD (which really is Da Domenico's principal selling point) at ease.

My favourite dishes include the Linguine Gamberi, which hauls me back to Da Domenico again and again with its delightfully rich aroma of shrimp miso, cooked just to the right degree of al-denteness and the Grilled Calamari, which is so intensely sweet and fresh that it is addictive. The Grilled Scamorza is also highly enticing, although as an appetizer it is slightly heavy so it would be ideal if one portion is shared between two. Do also try the tomato bruschetta (which smells heavenly) and the calamari pasta!

On a side note, the owner chef can be nice too. He has cooked bigger portions for my friend and I on days we seemed to have ordered too little and also let us try new dishes at no extra charge. He is just a bit "different". So don't be put off by that and go enjoy some fine Italian at Da Domenico!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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F.F

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If you like to be treated with trashy customer service, Da Domenico is definintely number one choice in HK. I have been treated with poor servivce at various restaurants before but Da Domenico's service is beyond "the absence of" but more like "I'm a snob and I don't exactly care about your business" level.

Originally I wanted to book a table for ten for my cousins' bridal shower dinner. I made a call to the restaurant and a man picked up. I started my conversation of booking in Cantonese asking for rsvp on Sep 3, and he replied me in English "so you want Sep 3rd the Wed." I was a little shocked as in why he'd respond in English when I conversed in Chinese, thought it was a little unprofessional but went with the flow and continued the conversation in English. When I mentioned I need to book a table for ten, he immediately said we don't cater to parties of ten. I asked if they were full house that night, he replied no but he doesn't want to end up losing business b/c we don't show up. He explained it has happened numerous times before where customers cancelled last minute without calling in and they lose business. I understand their situation and since I'm 100% confirmed I suggested idea of making a non-refundable deposit which will guarantee my attendance. He objected again saying that he can't do that his business will close down and he doesn't need our table of ten b/c he has alot of close repeat customers that come in everyweek anyhow. I was very offended by his rude reply and it sounded more like "who cares about catering to your table when I have my own repeat customers anyhow". I was furious and said to him I'm outraged at the customer service level I'm getting from a renown restaurant like Da Domenico. He then replied with " we are just a small restauarnt and we are very very poor." Honestly, poor is the last word one would use to describe Da Domenico when they are known to be expensive and hosts celeb/upper class diners. He then said to me "go find another restauarnt and what do you want from me...hangup!" I was just speechless when he told me to hang up and still cannot understand how they manage to operate on such service levels. I assume they offer great customer service to their own circle of known customers but not to any new diners who are up for tasting of their food. Truly no comment but to be extremely disappointed in Da Domenico.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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paparazzi

Level1

I am a person whose primary hobby is eating at nice, sometimes extravagant, so I am not opposed to spending a fortune at any restaurant as long as the meal is satisfactory. But as for Da Domenico, come on, some good ratings by famous gourmet institutions still do not make this a Michelin star restaurant over night. The ambience is very plain, service is terrible, food is only acceptable, but THE PRICE IS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!! Their food never ever deserve that kinda price! Silly.

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(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Peech

Level4

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Last night I finally made a return visit to Da Domenico after an absence of more than 5 years. I had stayed away from this establishment because of a perceived lack of service, but primarily because I felt that anything that wasn't a "special" wasn't really worth having. But if one were to have the "special" then the bill would instantly skyrocket, leaving me wondering whether I would be better off at a 5-star hotel where at least there would be excellent service...

The reservation was for 8:30pm, and I was the first to arrive at 8:45pm. The first question from the waiter was something like: "Do you know when the others would arrive? The reservation was for 8:30?!" Hmmm... not a good start on the service front - but I guess it's not unexpected. I sit down at our table and wait for the others to arrive.

I immediately take note that the waitstaff - all two waiters plus a bartender/waiter - were buzzing around the place and running around like headless chickens. They were simply too busy and didn't know how to execute things in order of priority. For one of the tables, they didn't have time to clear the leftover plates and glasses until at least 30 minutes after the diners had left the restaurant. And there were a couple of tables around with leftover dishes.

Took us a while to get their attention to bring us some water, as the waiter insisted on first laying down the extra setting that we requested, and then bringing us the menu...all the while leaving us very thirsty. When I got tired of waiting for them to come back, I went to the bar and asked for a corkscrew so I could do the wine service myself. I brought the wine to dinnr, so why couldn't I be the one popping the corks? The waiter happily obliged.

When the last few friends arrived around 9:05pm, we were told by the waiter that it was already "last order" and could we please look at the menu quickly. What?! 9pm last order?! Did I walk through a portal and ended up in another country?

For starter I ordered the grilled cheese, whose Italian name escapes me... The blob of cheese arrived on a plate with two halves of a cherry tomato, dripped in a bit of balsamic vinegar. Honestly, this really wasn't anything special - just looks and tastes like toasted mozzarella.

Fortunately the main course made up for all the disappointments up until now. The grilled scampi was simply awesome. I can't describe it any other way. Awesome. The plate was fully laden with the shellfish, and I was genuinely surprised with how many of them were in front of me. Of course, given the very high price for the dish, I would have been very upset if there were only a handful. I offer some to friends around the table and everyone is happy.

The tail is very fresh and sweet, even better than the ones from the Mandarin Grill the night before. I dispense with the cutlery and dig in with my hands. With the head and the claws in front of me, I eagerly chew on these delicious bits and savor every bit. One of the friends saw what I was doing, and commented that I "looked like a kid in a candy store." He was absolutely right. I was in heaven. I left nothing to waste, going through every head and claw to try to get at everything.

Even though I didn't get a taste, the plate of linguine gamberi next to me also looked pretty damn good. The red shrimps out of their shells looked fat and yummy. Gotta try it next time.

We order two different tartuffos - black and white. Most places don't offer the tartuffo blanco, and I did not regret order this here. Yummy white chocolate with a bit of espresso infused.

So what's the verdict? A resounding YES! The service was non-existent, and I would actually give negative marks for it. And maybe you will have some dishes which leave you wondering why you had to pay such outrageous sums for them. But when you get to taste dishes like the grilled scampi (and by all accounts, the linguine gamberi), redemption would have been achieved. You will come back for more. And I most certainly will. Soon.

original blogpost: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2008/08/return-to-da-domenico.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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