Farfalle (top right) is a welcome addition to Central. Managing director Karen Mok Seen-wah trained at the Los Angeles branch of Le Cordon Bleu. For Farfalle, Mok teamed up with pastry chef Sam Wu Man-ying then recruited Eric Lau, a friend from culinary school, as head chef. Wu says, 'Karen asked me if I would be interested in running a pasta place with her. We selected the name as it's a type of pasta and its butterfly shape gave us the interior design concept.'
With its soft yellow tones, the 1,000 sq ft space is homely and serene.
The three chefs created a menu that favours pasta and pastry. The pasta dishes include farfalle Alfredo with parma ham (HK$78), homemade pesto chicken spaghetti (HK$78), and homemade vegetarian fettuccine with wild mushrooms and onions (HK$98). Other savoury dishes include smoked salmon tartare with pan-fried quail egg and grapefruit jam (above left; HK$78) and goose liver risotto with red wine reduction (HK$118). For the dessert menu, Wu has created chocolate chocolate chocolate (above right; HK$60) - a mousse, ice cream and rice crackers concoction.
Farfalle has set lunches for HK$58 with soup or salad and pasta; for an extra HK$6 you can have dessert. The dinner set is HK$148.
Farfalle is at 28 Gough Street, Central, tel: 2543 1822.