G/F, The Pemberton
22 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan
Tel: 2851 0682
Open: 11am-10.30pm (Sunday from 6pm)
Cuisine: Italian
Price: about HK$380 for a three-course meal before drinks and service charge.
Ambience: the restaurant is down a few steps from the lobby of The Pemberton building. The room at the entrance has a long, curved bar with seats and a table for communal dining; we walked down a corridor that had smaller tables lining one side of it, and were seated in the intimate back room, which was cool and comfortable on a hot evening.
Pros: our main waiter was very good and explained the dishes as they were served. Since we were sharing everything, the kitchen divided our pasta dishes so we each had our own miniature portions. The menu is brief - an edited selection of tempting dishes.
Cons: due to lack of soft surfaces, the noise level was high.
Recommended dishes: the truffled fried oysters (HK$80) won over a non-oyster lover in our party. Lightly fried, so they were barely cooked, the subtle taste of the Coffin Bays was not overwhelmed by the creamed spinach and black truffle aioli. We only wished for a bigger portion of cheese in the burrata with eggplant jam, pickled red onion and arugula (HK$95). The soft, liquidy interior of the burrata was proof of its freshness, although a few grains of crunchy sea salt sprinkled on top would have been a nice touch. Spaghettini with bottarga and razor clams (HK$160) had a nicely spicy kick at the back of the throat. My portion contained a plentiful amount of clams, and the hint of orange zest lightened the slight oiliness of the sauce. Chittara with sea urchin (HK$165) was lovely, with a creamy but light sauce, and textural contrast from the subtle crunch of crab roe. Milk-braised boneless suckling pig with roasted mushrooms (HK$310) went well with our side order of roasted cauliflower with anchovy and mint sauce (HK$48). Of the four desserts, the affogato (a shot of espresso poured over ice cream) would have kept us awake all night, but coconut panna cotta (HK$80), though it sounded dull, was a good choice after a heavy meal because it was so light.