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2009-05-15
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The visit to GVSTO Pasticceria (also spelled as Gusto at the restaurant) was completely impromptu and spontaneous. The reward, as a result, was also unexpected. At first, I was simply attracted by the plethora of colorfully decorated mini pastries at the counter, together with the fresh-made raw pasta in the case. There was a chef (Italian, I imagined?) churning out fresh pasta at the time. Fresh? Dolce? Sounded exactly what I wanted after my disappointing brunch at Angelini. (http://www.o
The visit to GVSTO Pasticceria (also spelled as Gusto at the restaurant) was completely impromptu and spontaneous. The reward, as a result, was also unexpected. At first, I was simply attracted by the plethora of colorfully decorated mini pastries at the counter, together with the fresh-made raw pasta in the case. There was a chef (Italian, I imagined?) churning out fresh pasta at the time. Fresh? Dolce? Sounded exactly what I wanted after my disappointing brunch at Angelini. (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=1995732)
The restaurant was quite deserted when my mom and I were seated at 3:30pm. There wasn’t a menu for desserts or afternoon tea, but the staff was extremely friendly and introduced us with different options: the afternoon tea set ($120pp) included a set of 8 or so mignon pastries (Italian miniature cakes and tarts), and a choice of tea or coffee; an array of traditional and popular Italian pastries such as cakes, torta, panna cotta, tiramisu, fruity croissants, and biscotti were also available for a la carte. Since we wanted to explore a variety of Italian desserts rather than being limited to just mini mignon pastries we decided to order 2 desserts plus a few mignon pastries to share.
First came were the five different mignon pastries ($8/pc). Neither my mom nor I were chocolate fanatics, so our selection focused mostly on fruity selection. The strawberry and kiwi tart and the raspberry tart both featured a sweet jam topping encased with a jelly shell over semi-custardy innards and a buttery tart base. True to authentic Italian dessets, the pastries here were not shy on sugar and butter. The crust, rich in butter, crumbled gently into your mouth, and the mildly fruit flavor served as a great foil to the buttery richness. My mom was a huge pineapple lover, so the caramelized pineapple tart was her favorite, especially with the syrupy dried pineapple bits to chew on.
The meringue tart was an eye-candy itself, and the fluffy airy meringue outshone the sweet jam inside. The “provocative” looking dessert, what FoodieWil known as Little Peach, were made with two mini bomboloncini filled with custard cream stuck together, and a little more cream in between the two. Bomboloncini are simply Italian donut balls, and the ones I experienced from Italian pasticceria or restaurants had always been fried fresh and hot. These ones were cold and lacked the satisfying crunchy factor of freshly fried food, but the velvety and creamy custard was still delightful and delicious.
The mignon tarts were just the warm up for us, as we were hoping more that would blow us away. My Panna Rappresa ($108), elegantly served in a martini glass, was so silky-smooth that every spoonful slipped down to my throat effortlessly. It was flavored with citrus and when combined with the fresh strawberry jam on top, this super creamy Italian pudding was extremely refreshing without an ounce of heaviness. I loved the candied coated mint leaves which added another layer of herbal essence. This will be my go-to dessert for the hot summer coming! My mom loved it so much that she insisted in switching her dessert with me. Mom, have I ever say No to you?
My mom’s (or now my) Zuppa Inglese ($95) was made with layers of velvety milk and white chocolate topped with an opulence of sugar crunches and raisins. Similiar to all the desserts we tried here, they put attentions to details and presentations, perhaps not as much as Robuchon’s salon, but appealed through simplistic elegance. The surprise came with you dig inside and uncovered a rosy-sugar-crusted sponge cake. This Zuppa Inglese was a more contemporary attempt to the traditional trifle dessert, with the sponge cake not really soaked in alcohol and the chocolate more moussy and creamy than usual. It had to be enjoyed as a symphony act, because each individual component didn’t really standout but together it’s a delectable balance of creaminess, sweetness, and crunchiness.
While my mom and I were savoring our desserts, the head pastry chef Raffaele Grasso greeted us at our table and asked for our feedbacks. Upon chatting, I could feel his passion about making Italian pastries, albeit his limited English. Sharing our same principle of “Mamma is the most important”, he was glad to hear that my mom loved the desserts he created and even took a few pictures with us. After we exchanged contacts, he graciously offered us some complimentary mignon pastries. Good call on his part, as I would have missed the scrumptious coconut custard tart with chocolate ganache, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I was completely satisfied with the food, but even more enjoyable was the extraordinarily friendly service here. Besides Chef Raffaele, everyone who worked here was kind, helpful, and always had a smile on his/her face. Although they were not familiar with all their offerings (with the restaurant being so new), they were extremely patient and tried their very best to answer your questions. Their friendliness was something that I had almost never experienced in Western restaurants in Hong Kong.
Sometimes there are unexpected simple things that just fill your day with happiness, and the dolci and service at GVSTO was one of those things that made me smile, especially after a tough day. GVSTO successfully marries traditional Italian desserts with sophistication and style, without losing sight of the genuine quality of authentic Italian pastries. I will certainly return with my mom, and perhaps next time we will try out their fresh made pasta. This is indeed a sweet memory, particular when my mom agrees.
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