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2018-05-20
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This was by far my favorite Italian meal in HK. We had the brunch on Sunday for 318 plus service charge each. It was well worth the price for the quality and quantity of the food. The location is a bit inconspicuous, but is easily reached by cab if you ask them to take you to Fenwick Pier. As you enter the parking lot, you see signs to go one of two ways: to the left is the restaurant. To the right is the market, from which many of the ingredients served at the restaurant can be purchased and br
The location is a bit inconspicuous, but is easily reached by cab if you ask them to take you to Fenwick Pier.
As you enter the parking lot, you see signs to go one of two ways: to the left is the restaurant. To the right is the market, from which many of the ingredients served at the restaurant can be purchased and brought home.
We arrived before our friends did, so we first checked out the market and were blown away. The quality and selection of Italian specialties is superb. We saw some jarred stuffed peppers, pickles, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes, among many other things, but we weren't sure which to get and decided to return after brunch, when we were less hungry and could make better decisions. After our meal we did return and bought many delicious ingredients.
But first, our friends arrived and we entered the restaurant.
The atmosphere was very welcoming and homey. some might call it cozy, but my HK understanding of cozy is just a polite way of saying cramped, which this place was not. The tables were not too close together at all and varied in size. There was also a nice view of the harbor, though of course there was also some construction work to look over. It is truly a very nice place to enjoy a meal.
The first thing we had was the appetizer buffet. This is an absolute must and was the highlight of our meal, unquestionably. The spread was superb, containing all manner of assorted Italian delicacies of salads, pickles, meats, and cheeses. What I found pleasantly surprising though was how much the salads, pickles, and cheeses eclipsed the meats. I love Italian cured pork and ham well enough of course, but I am not often impressed by it, unless it is the centerpiece of the appetizer dish. It clearly wasn't though, as you can tell from both of my plates (yes, I got seconds, and so should you). I will briefly describe each plate below:
Normally the bread served at a restaurant is unremarkable, and we thought the same here. But I must say the focaccia was lighter and fluffier than any I've had before, and comes highly recommended.
At the top is some Caesar salad, arugula, and beet salad. The beet salad won. Never in Asia have I tasted such beautiful, candy-like beets with a wonderful sweetness. I am not sure if the market nextdoor sells them but I think they might, and if so they would definitely be worth getting and adding to a salad of your own.
The tomatoes were unreal---fresh from Italy of course and without any equal. On the left are some very big green olives, which were incredible. I was worried they would be too dry, as has been the case with big olives I have eaten in the past, but they weren't at all. the roasted pepper salad, salami, bread, and pancetta were all lovely of course, but the true star of the plate was the soupy cheese on the bottom. I don't know the name but it is incredible. I highly recommend accompanying it with one of the garlic cloves in olive oil.
The sun-dried tomatoes on top were something special because they were not too dried. I generally don't like sun-dried tomatoes but these had a mellow enough flavor that I was very happy. The soft cheese with truffle was a nice treat as well. What really shone for me on this plate though was the melon and the anchovies. The melon was unbelievable---ripe and sweet but not too soft. The anchovies were something special as they were soaked in vinegar and reminded me very much of herring or whitefish in vinegar that I have had elsewhere in Europe, but the anchovy's mellow flavor shone through beautifully. So much for the appetizers.
I hate to say it but I don't think the mains had any chance of successfully following up the first act. They were all excellent, but they lacked the "wow factor" enjoyed by the appetizer buffet.
I got the fried veal. I never allow myself veal but thought it might be okay to make an exception here. It wasn't, and I feel bad. I found it to be quite dry, but I have no idea how any moisture could otherwise have been preserved in such a thinly-pounded, deep fried cutlet. The crust was exquisite, but I only worry that it made light of the veal it was supposed to complement. The potatoes and bed of arugula however were wise complements. I don't think I would recommend this one.
The lamb chops on the other hand might have been the best I've had in HK. they were wonderfully rare, as I like them, and exquisitely tender with a nice char. Personally, I would have liked to see a pan sauce, but maybe that's just me. The balsamic an olive oil drizzle felt like a tease. Again though, we couldn't stop talking about the appetizers throughout our whole experience with the mains.
Our friends ordered the macaroni allamatriciana and the seafood soup. Both looked fine and I think next time I will try one of those, as I do love both dishes at home and would like to try them in a proper Italian restaurant setting.
I don't have a sweet tooth but the desert buffet was wonderful. What stood out most to me was the chocolate mousse, tiramisu, and the small cannoli. Each comes highly recommended.
张贴
