Newly opened Pici in Wan Chai – Italian fare in a crowded house
Delicious handmade pastas are the highlight at this tightly packed spot, but make sure you get there early as they don’t take reservations
Tucked away on a small street near the Star Street Precinct is Pici, a pasta bar opened by the same people who brought us Pirata and the recently opened TokyoLima.
This is the place to come if you like handmade pasta. It’s a quaint spot with 56 seats. The restaurant definitely packs in the guests, with seats taking up every available space, including the bar. We came just as Pici opened (the restaurant doesn’t take bookings), and had a nice and relatively private spot near the kitchen.
As with many other small places, we wondered how we would manage to have all the plates on our table. The meal required some fast eating, or trying to make room to squeeze everything on the table.
We plunged right into the hearty meal with the burrata cheese (HK$95) dressed with olive oil on top of a bed of greens and cherry tomatoes. The slice of Puglia burrata was creamy and good to the last bite.
Next came the house-made meatballs (HK$85) – three of them topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. While the meatballs were tender and moist, the taste was on the bland side and desperately needed the sauce to enhance the flavour.