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2022-04-30
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This Italian restaurant is located on Duddell Street, helmed by Chef Antimo Maria Merone in partnership with JIA Group. Stepping out the elevator the entrance is pretty non-descript, with only the bare wall sign showing you have come to the right place. But after pulling open the heavy opaque door, what greeted you is something completely different. After checking our reservation, the staff led us from the dark green floral wall-paper reception lobby, through a beautiful metal gate, to the main
This Italian restaurant is located on Duddell Street, helmed by Chef Antimo Maria Merone in partnership with JIA Group. Stepping out the elevator the entrance is pretty non-descript, with only the bare wall sign showing you have come to the right place. But after pulling open the heavy opaque door, what greeted you is something completely different.
After checking our reservation, the staff led us from the dark green floral wall-paper reception lobby, through a beautiful metal gate, to the main dining room, like entering into a stately, luxurious mansion.
The brown and curved walls, the soft dome lighting, the marble island in the middle with the two large bell-shaped lamps and the sculpture, all built up for a cosy and relaxing ambience. We were seated in one of the alcoves on the two sides of the entrance, with a nice mural background, giving us good privacy.
Decided to order the Extended Menu ($1,980 each) featuring 8 courses with wine pairing ($1,480 each), a few Aperitivo were served as starter. The Zucchini Salad had delicate flavours from the zucchini puree, with some lemon zest to provide a touch of refreshing acidity. The shredded zucchini was put together like noodles, with a crunchy bite.
On the marble there were two small snacks. One was Semolina Puff, with an airy texture. The broccolini puree on top had a nice sweet taste while the smoked sardines had the delicious savoury note. The other was Ricotta Cheese Roll, with a slight sweetness from the cheese, highly complementary with the hints of spiciness from the charred oregano on top.
Presented on a shot-glass was Clarified Minestrone, an interesting idea made from the traditional vegetable soup sieved and clarified similar to consommé, then chilled to serve cold. The intense flavours of the Italian soup were certainly unmistakable, with a touch of saline permeating throughout on the taste.
The staff then introduced the various olive oils. Ranging from light, medium to intense flavours, he explained in details the taste characters of each. I ended up choosing Muraglia from Puglia, with intense spicy note and also quite aromatic, to go along with the freshly baked bread. Apart from olive oil, there was the anchovy butter provided.
There is a choice for the first course, and we decided to opt for Red Prawn ($500 supplement each). It was a very delicious 3-layered dish, with finely chopped red prawn sandwiched between some fennel and coral panna cotta on one side, and the caviar with olive oil emulsion on the other. Scooping all three layers in one bite, the savoury notes from the caviar integrated superbly with the very sweet taste of red prawn, supplemented with the fennel and lemon juice. The wine paired was Cavalleri Blanc de Blancs, a Chardonnay sparkling wine from Franciacorta.
The second course was Mussels ‘Gemmina’. Chef Antimo got the inspiration from a dish his mother prepared on special occasions. The mussels were stuffed with bread, garlic, parsley and parsnip with a bit of minced prawns, then steamed, served together with a slightly spicy tomato sauce. The rich and intense taste of the mussels was phenomenal, and the other ingredients performed their support roles to highlight the umami flavours to good effect. One of my favourites in the meal, the wine paired was Argiolas Meri, a Vermentino from Sardegna.
The third course was Bottoni. The home-made pasta looked like buttons, hence its name. They were stuffed with honey peas, green asparagus and mint, with the fresh seasonal vegetables on top as well. Finishing each with one bite, the texture of the dough was gorgeous, contrasting nicely with the poppy mouthfeel from the peas. The mint notes were also delicate and not in any way overpowering the sweetness of the vegetables. The wine paired was Pacher Hof Kerner from Alto Adige, a variety born from the crossing between Riesling and Trollinger.
The fourth course was Spaghetti. The home-made pasta was great in texture, with an enticing chewy bite. Some basil leaves were added to infuse the pasta with fragrance. On top of the pasta was the langoustine from Naples, cooked with an amazing broth made with different crustaceans, with great umami and sweet taste. The wine paired was Tenuta Stella Ribolla Gialla Riserva, an orange wine from Collio.
The fifth course was Papparedelle. The chef again had prepared the pasta in-house, with the thin, flat shape perfect with the ragu of short ribs and the Genovese sauce made with Montoro onions. The rich and intense flavours of the meat and the sweetness from the onions was in great harmony. My favourites among the pasta on the night. The wine paired was Paternoster Don Anselmo, a Aglianico from Basilicata.
The sixth course was Kimmedai. The chef had cooked the prized Japanese splendid alfonsino beautifully, searing the skin to give a bit of crispness and enhancing the fragrance of the fish oil, while keeping the flesh moist. With some puntarella to give a bit of bitterness, and the stapled Naples puttanesca sauce, this was another delicious dish showcasing Chef Antimo’s home city. The wine paired was Pietradolce Etna Rosso, made with Nerello Mascalese, a local variety in Sicily.
The seventh course was Baby Lamb from Pyrenees. The less than six-month-old lamb was very tender and perfectly cooked pink, lightly seasoned to highlight its quality and flavours, with the creamy ‘cacio e ova’ cheese sabayon, made with cheese and egg to complement. Pouring the lamb jus to further enhance the flavours, it was finger-licking good, with the baby cabbage also nicely grilled too. The wine paired was Lisini Ugolaia, a Brunello di Montalcino of the famous wine region in Tuscany.
The eighth course was Cioccolate, with the chef featuring four chocolate desserts of different textures, including soft sorbet, creamy mousse, spongy cake and crunchy crust. The cacao was rich and intense in taste, with the flavours obviously in-tune but offering complete different sensual delights. The wine paired was Zyme Traneltri, a passito wine from Veneto, with the right sweetness level and acidity matching well with the dessert.
The last course was Sweet Ending, including three components. The first was a type of Italian pastry with some vanilla cream and citron, with the citrus flavours refreshing. The second was gelato with caramel, with some pistachio on the bottom to increase the texture. The last was chocolate praline, with the rich, sweet taste completing the trio and the wonderful meal.
Service was great, with the staff friendly and explained each of the dishes in details. The sommelier was also professional and able to illustrate how the wines match with each course. Even though the price was a bit on the high side at $7,388 it was a nice culinary experience that we would definitely return to enjoy again.
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