This Michelin 1-star Italian restaurant is located in Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, on Level 102 of ICC in Kowloon. Diners will need to go up to the hotel lobby at Level 103 before taking the escalator down to the restaurant. Helmed under Chef Angelo Agliano, it is known for its exquisite Southern Italian cuisine.
Seated at the window side looking out to the gorgeous view of Victoria Harbour and the HK Island skyline, the restaurant has a couple of fountains, a very high ceiling, and the overall ambience exhibits exquisite luxury while not overly restrictive and formal. A cozy and comfortable setting.
I start with a glass of J.L. Vergnon ‘Hautes Mottes’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature 2013 ($508). The wine is completely vinified in large oak barrels on lees and bottle aged for a minimum of 6 years before disgorging, with a good nose of lemon and biscuit, creamy silky palate of good acidity and chalky.
The Amuse Bouche comprises of three, with the first a pan-seared tuna cube with tuna sauce, French blue lobster with tarragon jelly, and Burgundy puree tart with mullet bottarga from Sardinia. All the three bites are great in taste, but I am particularly impressed with the blue lobster on the thin crunchy toast, with the umami of the lobster balancing perfectly with the acidity of the jelly.
The second Amuse Bouche is Sicily red prawn jelly, with a celery foam and caviar. The red prawn has good sweetness and umami, matching well with the delicate celery foam. The caviar not only provides a prestigious but additional layer of umami and a bit of saltiness as condiment. Equally impressive.
The Sourdough is very good, with a crunchy crust, fluffy inside, and a good sour note, perfect to pair with the four types of olive oils available to choose from. The bread is so good that we finished the whole loaf before the first course is served, and I am tempted to finish the second one too if not to reserve space for the courses to come.
We have picked the Ricordi menu ($2,988 each), featuring the chef’s signature dishes with also white truffle. And I also go for wine pairing ($1,580). The first wine paired is Villa Bucci Verdicchio Classico Superiore Dei Castelli di Jesi 2021, a refreshing white with green apple and lemon zest notes.
The first course is Capesante, Cavolfiori, Tartufo Bianco. The thinly sliced Hokkaido Scallops carpaccio is sweet in taste, with some pieces of crunchy air-dried Cauliflower to give a contrast in texture. Paired with Puree of mushroom and cauliflower on the side to give a bit of earthy note, matching well with the shaved Alba White Truffle on top. A very good starter.
The second wine paired is Anselmi Capitel Foscarino 2020, made from 90% Garganega and 10% Chardonnay, and demonstrating fresh and floral notes supplemented with some ripe apricot and stone fruit, and a hint of salted almond and herbs on the finish.
The second course is Fregola Sarda Artigianale, Scampi e Cime di Rapa, Tartufo Bianco. My favorite dish in the evening, the Organic Sardinian Fregola has a wonderful al dente bite, with the New Zealand Langoustine sweet in taste. The chef has made a puree from Rapini Flowers, bringing forth some peppery and mustard flavors, and then add the shaved White Truffle on top. A feast of delightful tastes.
The third wine paired is Tenuta Selvadolce ‘VB1’ Vermentino 2020, an orange wine made from Vermentino with very short skin contact. There are nice oxidization and honey notes reminiscent of sherry and also good nutty characters of almond and a bit of saline in the finish.
The third course is Triglia di Scoglio, Daikon e Porri, Tartufo Bianco. The chef has prepared a seared Mediterranean Red Mullet fillet which showcased its original flavors, with Daikon and Baby Leek to balance the richer taste, together with the Champagne Soup which has the nice fragrance of the mushroom and topped with some Alba White Truffle. Really flavorful combination.
The fourth wine paired is Mastroberardino Radici Taurasi Riserva 2016. With a deep ruby color, the wine is 100% Aglianico, showing complex and fine notes of red cherries, balsamic vinegar, tobacco, and spices. On the palate the licorice and black pepper is noticeable and good match with the wagyu.
The fourth course is Kiwami Wagyu, Peperoni e Cipollotti, Tartufo Bianco. The Sirloin of Kiwami Wagyu Beef has been seared medium rare, very juicy but got some tendon so requires much chewing. The Piperade and Spring Onions on the side is a good complement, while the green pepper sauce is flavorful. The White Truffle adds further fragrance to the beef. A bit of a letdown because of the meat texture though.
Before transitioning to dessert, a palate cleansing Sorbet is served. Under the lemon sorbet is the diced aloe vera, and the staff then pours in some extra-virgin olive oil, made from olives harvested from very old olive trees. An interesting and highly refreshing combination to good effect.
The fifth wine paired is Donnafugata Ben Rye 2020. A highly recognized dessert wine, it is made from 100% Zibibbo, or Muscat of Alexandria, with concentrated dried apricot and peach, orange marmalade, and sweet figs, followed by plenty of honey and caramel flavors. Sweet but not cloying.
The fifth course is Cioccolato di Modica, Frutto della Passione, Gelato al Miele. The plating is artistic, with the Modica Chocolate Fondant Tart with Passion Fruit cream, with caramel and mint sauce to complement. On the side is Honey Ice-Cream, which is not too sweet and helps to balance the richer and more indulgent chocolate tart to good effect.
For Petits Fours, the staff shows us the cart with a multitude of sweets. I end up choosing a blood orange jelly, sea salt chocolate, mandarin skin chocolate, and macaron. Together with a cup of Double Espresso ($90) it is a fantastic finale to the meal.
The bill on the night is $9,316 which in my opinion is on the high-end. The team is attentive, and the sommelier Anthony in particular is very engaging, sharing and checking in to ensure everything is in good order. But somehow, I feel the staff are not as enthusiastic as I would expect. Overall, I would rate this restaurant as very good, but not great.
