This Italian restaurant is located in Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel in TST, opened since 2007 with the name meaning 'kitchen' in Italian. If you park the car at the Ocean Terminal Rooftop one can just enter straight through the hotel entrance on the floor, and inside on the right is the restaurant.
There is a nice bar near the entrance, and walking further in is the dining area, where the kitchen is on the other side, allowing diners some glimpse of the activities. We were seated at the window side, with comfortable and spacious seats overlooking Victoria Harbour.
After ordering a cocktail to start, we were served the amuse bouche, which is a tart with some diced procini mushroom, with black truffle seasoning and some cream cheese and dill to accompany. A very nice snack with rich truffle note, the porcini is crunchy on texture and the tart base is baked nicely, crumbling on the bite.
We had two appetizers to share. The first was Grilled Mediterranean Octopus and Seared Hokkaido Scallops on Lemon-scented Mashed Potato, Olives, Pesto and Tomatoes ($298). The octopus is nicely grilled, just cooked and not overly done, so the texture is chewy but easy to cut. The scallop is large in size, beautifully seared, and soft. On top the diced olives and tomatoes give some contrasting flavours and acidity to freshen the seafood, with the mashed potato underneath having a creamy and smooth mouthfeel. A nice starter.
The other appetizer was Smoked Gold Salmon Loin with Oscietra Caviar, Black Truffle and Dill Sauce ($288). Serving on a tray where mist came seeping out of the hole in the centre, the plating is pretty definitely. The salmon is slightly smoked so the flavors are not solely dominated by the wood. There are two small pieces of brioche to eat the salmon with to give another experience on bite, while the dill sauce, as always, is the perfect compliment to the salmon. Another nice dish.
Next we had our soup, with me going for Lobster Bisque with Creme Fraiche and Braised Shallot ($228) while my wife had Traditional Italian Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto ($138). The lobster bisque is very good, rich and creamy, with the soup steaming hot when pouring in the bowl. The pieces of lobster meat is sweet and the shallot further helps to give nice fragrance to the soup. Very nice indeed.
Coming to an Italian restaurant I always would try one of their pastas. And so we had Small Ravioli Stuffed with Beef and Pork, Demi-glazed and Green Apple Puree ($338). I was surprised at the portion when it was served, with so many pieces of ravioli, each stuffed with good amount of meat. On the taste, the thick demi-glaze sauce provided a great savory note to the ravioli, and with the green apple puree supplemented with the sweetness making this a highly appealing pasta. Really nice.
For the main course we had the Pan-fried Whole Dover Sole 'Mugnaia Style', with Lemon Sauce and Parsley ($488). The staff brought the really large sole on the serving cart to show us, and then helped to de-bone the fish for us. The portion was good for two people, and fortunately we did not order another main course. The lemon sauce also made the fish less heavy on the palate. There was also an assorted side dish accompanying, including baked potatoes, plus green and purple broccoli.
Going for dessert, I had Lychee Panna Cotta with Rose Jelly and Lychee Caviar ($98), while my wife had the Modern Light Tiramisu ($108). Both very beautifully presented, the panna cotta has a nice fragrant lychee aromas while at the same time rich and creamy. The lychee pearl or caviar is certainly interesting, with a crunchy texture and once bite burst with the lychee juice. The red rose jelly on top of the panna cotta not only enhanced the aesthetic, it added a perfume note too. Might be quite girlish, but it is certainly nice in taste.
The service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. I found the locals tend not to explain the dishes, but the foreign ones did introduce the dishes in some details. Again I hope we see more improvement regarding this in future, which can significantly help customers understand the special cooking techniques, ingredients, and other attention the chef and team had paid in preparation.
The bill was $2,408 and it was a bit on the high side. Seeing the signature menu is only costing $788 each, maybe it is worth to try it out next time?
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