I burst out laughing when I heard one of Hong Kong's most respected Italian distributors recommend a meal at Ciao Restaurant. 'Ciao?' I asked. 'Ciao? You mean that overly oreganoed, upmarket version of Italian fast food?' 'That,' she said, 'was the old Ciao. Now it's entirely new. You're in for a surprise.' The surprise was that the 'old' Ciao disappeared 17 months ago. With no publicity, Massimo Muredou took over, bringing with him French-Italian partner and chef, Marc Francois, as well as a century of traditions in the Sardinian restaurant trade. You can see a remnant of his heritage on the wall. A shadowy, almost mystical photograph of old wine bottles lying in a dark cellar. 'That comes from my grandfather, who had a restaurant in Sardinia almost a century ago. He died at the age of 106,' Muredou said. If grandad was an original, so are the other Italian pictures and mosaics on the wall of this narrow restaurant. And so is the menu. The menu of the old Ciao, stocked full of culinary cliches, now features original dishes. Muredou tries to represent most of the areas of Italy (though rarely his Sardinian dishes, which do not sell), as well as new recipes from chef Francois. His wine list, almost all Italian, is small, discriminating and pricier than the food. But the combination can produce a rich-tasting meal. If nothing else, you can begin with one of the bruschetta or crostini dishes. These are the equivalent of tapas, drinking food, served mainly around Rome and Tuscany. These consist of wonderful things on fresh bread and toast. The black olive paste was very tasty, but I enjoyed the crostini fegatini, with sauteed chicken livers lightly tangy with Marsala wine. The best, according to friends, is the bruschetta with mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese, but that sounds almost too rich. The soup selection is paltry, but the antipasti can be surprising. Naturally, Muredou pushed the sardines (named for his homeland) with chilli and garlic, but I chose the insalata rustica. Some may consider this salad a little dry. The lettuce, green beans, potatoes, capers and tomatoes feature a dressing of plain vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, although Muredou will reluctantly give French or Italian dressing if asked. But what was the strong gutsy cheese? I'd never had it before. That, Muredou said, was Taleggio. 'That is one of the most expensive cheeses in Italy. You can't find it anywhere else in town,' he added. My guest eschewed the appetisers for the gnocchi, those little potato dumplings which are usually so boring. Here, though, the pesto made the dish. The pinenuts, vinegar and fresh basil made all the difference. There are few fish dishes on the menu, but Muredou, who grew up around the fish markets of Sardinia, says his sea bass flambeed with grappa is worth having, as well as the occasional crustaceans. Main courses could include oxtail, tripe or beef, but we wanted something different. I once had turkey from north Italy made with truffles and cheese. Ciao's turkey is a bit simpler, but also more ancient. The habit of adding fruit to poultry goes back to Roman times, and the turkey at Ciao filled with Italian plums is tasty enough. I had the panfried New Zealand lamb fillets, which were exceptionally tender, richly tasting of thyme and bell peppers. This came with a mixture of peppers, eggplant, zucchini, carrots and tomato, the classical Italian peperonata. Something like a ratatouille, it was a bland version, hardly up to the rest of the meal. We had two wines, a light and flowery Campofiorin at $370 and an Amarone for about the same price. That isn't cheap, but the food itself - filling and tasty - cost just over $700 for the pair of us. Almost forgotten (except at my gymnasium) was the dessert list. Ciao has home-made ice cream and tiramisu, of course. New, though, is the Coppa Belinda. 'Belinda,' Muredou explains, 'is the name of my mother.' Obviously one cannot criticise a dish with that kind of cachet. This combination of sponge cake, black chocolate and whipped cream is a homage to calories and unholy waistlines. CIAO RISTORANTE 54 Morrison Hill Road, Wan Chai, Tel: 2893 4213; Hours: 11.30am-3pm, 6.30-11pm (closed Sunday lunchtime)