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2014-03-01
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Originally I had wanted to eat elsewhere for lunch but since there was a long line, I came upon this new place. As it was Italian and I love Italian, always up for new Italian place, I decided to try it. Decor was nice though the table I sat at was made of metal and some water stains.The place had two floors. Upstairs for pasta and bottom floor for pizza. I noticed a real pizza oven. I preferred to sit at the bottom floor and wanted pasta. There was confusion and they gave me a pizza menu. After
The place had two floors. Upstairs for pasta and bottom floor for pizza. I noticed a real pizza oven. I preferred to sit at the bottom floor and wanted pasta. There was confusion and they gave me a pizza menu. After I asked for the pasta menu, there was a bit of hesitation before giving it to me.
I ordered the beef carpaccio appetizer and mushroom risotto lunch set. It came with 2 pieces of crusty baguette ... a French bread, with no butter or even olive oil to dip my bread in. If the meal I ordered had some sort of sauce, it would make sense to dip my bread in it, but there wasn't. How was I to eat this hard dry bread?
The beef carpaccio was nice. Not too salty and soft. I felt more assured. That was until the risotto came. The risotto tasted fine. It was perfectly al dente. Not too hard and not so soft it's mushy. But the ingredients I noticed were bizarre. The mushrooms were canned button mushrooms and .....Chinese shitake mushrooms?? But what really disturbed me was the stated "fresh sprinkle of parmesan" which was actually canned pre-ground parmesan cheese powder. I don't understand. I think I heard Italian speaking staff. Why use cheese powder that is typically found at lower level upstairs cafes found in Mong Gok? I know cheese is expensive in Hong Kong but you're charging almost $200 for a 2 course lunch with no drink.
The food is tasty but for the use of lower end ingredients and charging a higher price is a bit of a rip off. Maybe I should have ordered pizza? I don't know.
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