Shop G63, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2730 7900
Open: noon-11pm Cuisine: Italian
Price: about HK$375 without drinks and the service charge.
Ambience: for those sitting inside, the open kitchen provides something to watch. There's also an outdoor area with a great view of Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour. The split-level dining area has high ceilings and hard surfaces which make the noise level very high.
Pros: the menu is tempting, especially the pasta dishes, and we had a hard time deciding what to order.
Cons: the fior di zucca (HK$118), squash blossom fritters stuffed with buffalo mozzarella, came swimming in too much fresh tomato sauce, which made the coating soggy. Citrus-marinated king prawns with grilled fennel and orange mostarda (HK$198) were overcooked so the meat was too firm and the heads were dried out.
Recommended dishes: the salumi sampler (HK$138) was generously portioned, with great variety that included thin slices of salami, a delicious mortadella and thick, meaty pieces of soppressata. Testa (crispy spiced pork terrine) with asparagus, organic fried egg and parmigiano crema (HK$128) was heavy for a starter. The breading was thin and delicate, and firm enough to contain the well-flavoured mixture. It wasn't so finely chopped that you couldn't detect the different textures of the pig's head that formed the terrine. My guest's garganelli with prosciutto, truffle cream and peas (HK$178) was so good that I wished I'd ordered pasta for my main course. The home-made pasta quills were silkily textured, going deliciously with the delicate sauce. Dessert of coppetta (Sicilian honey yogurt mousse with apple torta and morello cherry granita, HK$88) was light and refreshing. The tartaletta (gianduja chocolate tart with orange zabaglione and hazelnut crunch gelato, HK$88) was rich and intense.