Posts Tagged Italian
Review – Otto e Mezzo (8½), Hong Kong
We were delighted to hear that Umberto Bombana, the chef from Toscana at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, recently opened up a new place at the Alexandra House in Central. We loved Toscana and missed it ever since the Ritz closed down in 2008. As with many new restaurants, we had to make bookings more than a week in advance. Not a problem, just book and wait…we’re used to it.
The decor is modern with an irregular shaped mirror ceiling, which made the dining area seem larger, but unfortunately echoed the conversations from the diners. It made it too noisy for a restaurant of this caliber, maybe not be the best place for a candlelit dinner. We sat near the entrance, which was next to their Ageing Cellar housing aged hams and cheeses. We couldn’t stop noticing the room every time the door was opened, as the smell was quite pungent.
We started immediately with the amuse-bouche – even before we ordered. A lentil bean soup with mozzarella was not bad as the beans were well blended so that there were no whole beans left. You can tell we’re not fond of beans. The bread was incredible. We just had to refrain ourselves from filling ourselves with it.
The sommelier recommended the 2000 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore from Tuscany, which fulfilled our requirement for a full bodied wine and showed a resemblance to Bordeaux, which we love.
We ordered the Marinated Beef Tenderloin as appetizer. Essentially, this was beef carpaccio with a fancy name. Large crispy Parmesan cheese flakes replaced the normally shaved type. Accompanied with sun dried tomatoes, this was good, but not spectacular.
The main course, Braised Veal Cheek and Veal Fillet on porcini mushroom and barley risotto was amazing. The veal cheek was so tender and soft, it just melted in our mouths. And the barley risotto was very nice, no rice but replaced with just barley. A nice twist that worked well.
For dessert, C tried the Coffee Trio, which contained a Tiramisu, a warm coffee tart and a crunchy coffee ice cream. The tasty trio’s strong coffee flavor almost had her skip her Cappuccino. And we had to try the Crispy Pear Tart. This was R’s favorite dish at Toscana. Although it was still wafer-thin, it could have used a few more minutes in the oven. It wasn’t uncooked, but a slightly browned crust would have made it much better.
The food was good but maybe we had high expectations, so we expected a bit more. Since the restaurant is quite new, we hope that time will iron out the small imperfections. The portions were small for à la carte, but that means that there will be room for dessert(s) 
– 17/20
Otto e Mezzo (8½)
Shop 202, 2/F, Alexandra House
18 Chater Road
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2537 8859
E: info@otto-e-mezzo.com
W: www.otto-e-mezzo.com
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Main entrance on 2/F
100319 Otto e Mezzo - By Chef Umberto Bombana
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Amuse-bouche, lentil bean soup
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Review – Jamie’s Italian (Canary Wharf), London, England
We were taken to this place by R’s university friends and it was because C is a fan of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks. We didn’t even notice that it was Jamie’s restaurant until we saw all the cookbooks and Jamie branded merchandise lining up the walls.
The philosophy behind Jamie’s Italian was to re-create fantastic, rustic Italian dishes, using recipes that have been tried, tested and loved! The environment was very casual and created a “neighborhood” feel. The restaurant’s open and friendly attitude emphasized that no bookings were necessary, but in reality, that meant going early to get a seat as it was fully packed.
We must have over eaten these past few days, so our appetite was not up to par. So we started off with a vegetable antipasti plank (£6.65/US$10 a head) which was placed on top of two cans of Italian peeled tomatoes. Very rustic. The crispy squid would normally be considered a small portion, but it was just right. The highlight was that it came with “really garlicky mayo” (£5.10/US$7.75) – nice, but for garlic addicts like us, it was a bit mild. Our main course was the linguine alle vongole (£12.25/US$18.60), made from south coast clams – very fresh.
Overall, the food was nice and simple, once again reinforcing that food doesn’t have to be fancy to taste good. Prices were very reasonable too, for London standards. Moreover, the casual atmosphere made it a great casual place to catch up with old friends.
– 16/20
Jamie’s Italian
Canary Wharf
Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place
Canary Wharf
London, E14 5RB
England
T: +44 (020) 3002 5252
W: www.jamieoliver.com/italian/canary-wharf
100217 Jamie's Italian - Canary Wharf entrance
100217 Jamie's Italian - Canary Wharf entrance
100217 Jamie's Italian - Napkin or dish cloth?
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Great Pizza @ Gvsto, Hong Kong
We planned for a casual lunch at this Italian restaurant in the new Nexxus Building in Central, Hong Kong on a nice Saturday afternoon. Didn’t plan to do a review, but had our camera close at hand for other purposes. There’s a set menu with buffet appetizers and desserts plus a choice of main courses, either pasta or meats. But what caught our taste bud’s attention was the pizza at the buffet appetizer area. We noticed a new one was bought out from the kitchen, but we must have taken a slice at least 5-10 minutes afterwards. Even after the delay, the pizza was very good – the crust was a bit chewy, the way we like it. Those who like it very crispy might be disappointed. And the proportion of the tomato paste and cheese was just right, neither over powering the other. We went back for more, but it was a bit cold by then. The waiter told us that they didn’t use a brick oven, but rather just a specialized pizza oven. That explains why it lacked a bit of the brick oven’s burnt aromas. Nevertheless, it was very impressive.
We will definitely come back for a more formal tasting and review.
– 18/20 (for the pizza)
Gvsto Pasticceria – Ristorante
2/F, Shop 201-203, Nexxus Building
77 Des Voeux Road
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2147 3768
E: info@gvsto.com.hk
W: www.gvsto.com.hk
100116 Gvsto
100116 Gvsto - Pizza
100116 Gvsto - Pizza
Review – Bistecca, Hong Kong
We had high expectations for Bistecca. This Italian steakhouse is located in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong and the entrance was like walking into a meat freezer. There were many cuts of beef nicely displayed in a glass fridge. Inside, there’s an area like a butcher’s shop where you can buy meat to go.
Unfortunately, the appetizers were very disappointing. We ordered a steak tartar and a calamari. The steak tartar was definitely not the traditional minced raw beef that we expected. It was simply raw strips of beef rolled up and seasoned with salt and some finely grated cheese. It wouldn’t have been bad (just different) had it not been so tough. The beef was not tender at all, which had us wondering…
Luckily the Fiorentina 32 oz Porterhouse Wagyu steak (HK$898/US$115) redeemed themselves. This cut was very tender and was charcoal grilled to perfection with a slightly burnt and crispy crust. A very nice bottle of ’89 Angelus complimented the beef perfectly. Corkage was HK$250/US$32.
The ‘main course’ also gained some points. The apple tart, although not the thin and crispy type that we expected, it was still very nice.
Next time we will stick to the steaks and the desserts. Maybe we’ll get some takeaway and throw some on the BBQ at home (as it is very close to C’s office).
14/20
Bistecca Italian Steak House
2/F, Grand Progress Building
15 Lan Kwai Fong
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2525 1308
W: www.diningconcepts.com.hk/bistecca
091114 Bistecca - Meat fridge at entrance
091114 Bistecca - Place mat showing parts of the cow
091114 Bistecca - Cover of the menu
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