From pasta to pad Thai – where an Italian expat gets her carb fix in Hong Kong

When Roberta Picco wants a taste of home, she heads to Giando in Wan Chai for burrata, or Castellana in Causeway Bay for risotto

One Dim Sum, Tsim Chai Kee and Sun Fook Kee are places she heads to for flavours closer to (her adopted) home

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Fettuccine in rich farmyard ragout from Giando in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP

Published: 12:15pm, 17 Jun 2019Updated: 12:29pm, 17 Jun 2019

Originally from Italy, Roberta Picco is the Asia-Pacific resident sales manager of Ethica Wines, which represents a group of high-quality Italian wine producers.

I love simple and fresh food, made with great ingredients. Being Italian, I love carbs – pasta, bread and pizza. But I also have a big garden back in Italy, growing vegetables, tomatoes, wild raspberries, figs, baby spinach, eggplants and herbs. In Hong Kong, the city is so multicultural, and it offers an incredible range of choices.

With my job, I am lucky to eat in lots of Italian restaurants. I always enjoy the homey atmosphere and authentic food served at Giando (Tower 1, Starcrest, 9 Star Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 8912). I am a big fan of their burrata and the insalata di polpo e patate.

Ever since it opened, I haven’t stopped dining at Tokyolima (18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, tel: 2811 1152). I love to pair the food with a huge glass of refreshing and spicy gin and tonic – it’s a perfect match with their Nikkei cuisine. Their dishes please the eye as well as the palate. I love the T3 salad, served with the glass noodles with a crispy texture. Also, the tuna and watermelon tartare cannot be missed.

Mysore masala dosa at the Saravanaa Bhavan. Photo: SCMP

There are some places I must visit at least twice a month, for lunch, an easy dinner or a solo meal in Hong Kong. One of them is Indian restaurant Saravanaa Bhavan (4/F Ashley Centre, 23-25 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2736 1127), serving southern Indian vegetarian dishes. It’s simple and local, mainly frequented by Indians, and very yummy. I love the crispy and tasty masala dosa, the thali and palak paneer.

I am addicted to chicken pho – I eat it almost every day. I think Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant (York Place, 22 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2586 1828) has the best pho in town.