The interior of Italian restaurant Paletto is classy, with intimate dining corners, an impressive glass wine cellar and wooden floors. The menu is extensive, offering creative dishes rarely found in Hong Kong along with classics such as osso buco, lasagne and chicken cacciatore.
The mixed appetiser platter featured carpaccio in Panzanella bread, San Daniele ham and honey ham, caprese mignon with buffalo mozzarella, fried seafood, and home-made beef tartare with black truffle cream.
The caprese was like a half-moon sandwich, with two slices of juicy tomato and buffalo mozzarella in between; the deep-fried prawns were meaty; and the beef tartare was on a bed of black truffle cream that overwhelmed the palate.
Next came the fresh, home-made pasta with Boston lobster, plump clams, green asparagus and cherry tomato. The lobster was perfectly cooked, the meat was succulent and sweet, but the pasta was overcooked.
For the main course, the grilled Atlantic black cod was nicely prepared with baby greens. For dessert, the tiramisu was presented in a pastry cup, but was heavy on the cream, which inundated the hints of coffee.