It’s almost five years since my office has moved from Wanchai to Kwun Tong, and there are so many changes it is just like another life. One thing I missed is the different restaurants I get to visit during lunch. Back then I can walk to Wanchai and Causeway Bay, with plenty of options in a vibrant dining scene. Osteria Marzia was still fairly new then, and I had visited a few times with my colleagues for lunch, where I recalled the food was quite decent.
On this Tuesday evening, I finally return again to this Italian restaurant at The Fleming. In contrast to the bright streetlight outside looking out through the windows, its warm yellowish spherical lighting and wooden floor helps to create a relaxing and cozy ambience, with the high ceiling creating space and a sense of comfort.
The restaurant has been focusing on seafood, and it is still the theme today. To pair, I have ordered a bottle of Umani Ronchi Plenio Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva 2020 ($828). The wine has a nice creaminess, probably due to the 12-month ageing process with lees, with also rich lemony citrus and herbal notes, plus good minerality. I am happy with my choice as the wine goes well with all the food we picked.
The bread is some decent Scarbough Toast, but the highlight to me is definitely the serving of anchovies in addition to the traditional butter. A generous condiment, the salted fish has a rich taste and together with a bit of butter on the toast it is a wonderful treat. I cannot stop eating and finishes all the pieces quickly.
We decide to have a starter and a salad to begin. The first one is Tartare di Gamberi Rossi ($228). The Puglia red prawn has been minced, with a sweet and soft texture. Sandwiched in between there are some Sorrento lemon and almonds, to give some appetizing acidity. Finally, the chef has put some grated Sardinian bottarga on top, with the salted mullet roes giving a nice umami taste to the dish. A nice starter.
The salad is Panzanella ($178), which contains some fresh Roma heirloom tomato with a good balance of sweetness and acidity, together with pickled onion, mint, and croutons. Refreshing and healthy, I like how the small amount of mint has helped to give fragrance while not overpowering the more delicate flavours of the other ingredients, and the large crunchy croutons provided a contrast in texture. Another nice one.
Next, we have a pasta, picking Linguine alle Vongole ($198). The linguine has a fantastic bite, al dente as per our request. The Hokkaido Asari clams are fresh and umami in taste, with the sauce full of the seafood flavours. Scattered with some chopped parsley on top, I in particular like the chili added as it helps to stimulate the palate. Delicious.
For the main course, we have picked Ma Yau alla Griglia ($328). This local fish is famous for its flavours and the chef has grilled the fillet to a beautiful crispness on the skin, with the flesh remaining moist. The trick shared by the chef is to use a special type of paper to wrap the fish beforehand, totally extracting the moisture from the skin before grilling. It is just wonderful in taste, seasoned spot-on also. Underneath there are some roasted red and yellow bell peppers and Tropea onion that had been cooked with tomato sauce, a great complement in taste and acidity to the fish.
The other main course is Amadai ($288). While the taste cannot compare with Ma Yau, the chef has adopted the Japanese cooking technique to pour hot oil on the scales to make it stand, crispy and edible. The sauce is made from saffron broth, adding Sicilian Datterino tomato confit, Sicilian oregano, and parsley oil. Complex and delicious. It is difficult to compare the two, but I would probably vote for Ma Yau among the mains we have on the night.
For dessert, my wife has Freshly Churned Gelato ($118), with the vanilla gelato appropriate in sweetness, soft on texture, with a bit of strawberry sauce and some candied cherries on top. Simple but nice. My choice is Cannolo Siciliano ($58), with the famous pastry from Sicily essentially a tube-shaped deep-fried dough, filled with ricotta, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and some candied orange. Another nice dessert overall.
Service is good, with the staff friendly and taking the time to introduce the whole menu at the beginning. The chef also comes to our table to check out how we like the food and talk to us. The bill on the night is $2,662, reasonable in price as well. If you want seafood, and if you want Italian, this restaurant is a good one to consider.
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