Tired of tiramisu? Head to Hong Kong restaurants Aria and 208 Duecento Otto for an authentic twist on traditional Italian desserts

Dec 16 , 2020

Lemon Textures by executive chef Andrea Zamboni at Aria, an example of modern Italian desserts conjured up by chefs in Hong Kong. Photo: Chen Xiao-mei

Which eatery has a take on Caprese cake and which channels intense Amalfi lemons? Aria’s executive chef Andrea Zamboni and 208’s chef Zeno Bevilacqua reminisce about childhood desserts and present their latest creations

If you are eating at an Italian restaurant, it would always be wrong not to try dessert – the country’s sweet treats are among the best, and most potent and affecting, in the world.

We hit up two of Hong Kong’s best Italian eateries to see what personal twists their chefs were making on the country’s famed after-dinner offerings.

At Aria, in Central, executive chef Andrea Zamboni presents Lemon Textures. “I wanted to showcase the different textures of the famous Amalfi lemons which are not only double the size of normal lemons, but smell amazing and have sweet, juicy flesh,” says Zamboni, who has worked with the father of modern Italian cuisine, Gualtiero Marchesi, among other culinary luminaries, over his 20 years as a chef.

Executive chef Andrea Zamboni, Aria. Photo: Chen Xiao-mei

His Amalfi lemon-based signature dessert also includes cream, crumble, jelly, sponge, chocolate and candied lemon peel – something he was inspired to create while on holiday. “I was on holiday in Capri with my family and while walking around I kept seeing gardens with these amazing lemon trees. Then later, we were sitting in a piazzetta [small square] enjoying lemon gelato, and in that moment, I was truly happy and peaceful, so I wanted to recreate that same feeling in a dessert,” he says.

Zamboni’s other favourite dessert ingredient is chocolate. “It has a bit of everything – sweet, sour, bitter – and it is very versatile,” says the chef, although he admits to not having a sweet tooth. But when he wants to make dessert, his mother’s tiramisu is his go-to recipe: “If you have eaten at Aria, you will know that my mama’s tiramisu is famous among our guests. How could I say no to that?”

Chocolate and almond cake Caprese with limoncello ice cream at 208 Duecento Otto in Sheung Wan. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Over at 208 Duecento Otto, in Sheung Wan, chef Zeno Bevilacqua offers a chocolate and almond cake called Caprese with limoncello ice cream. Caprese cake is a classic family-style Italian cake from the south of Italy, says Bevilacqua, who has been a chef for more than 10 years: “Originally made with cocoa powder, almonds and eggs, it is a classic dessert which remains popular and much-loved today.”