I have read a few positive comments on openrice, and thus would like to give this restaurant a try. We arrived late on a Monday evening, and were greeted with a sincere smile as we walked into restaurant. Though we have made no reservation, the manager kindly seated us at the one last table inside the restaurant.

We have ordered wings, another starter (forgot already), burger and pasta. I wouldn't say the food are the best in town, however, given the price they charged on each dish, I can see great value for money. The burger was nicely done in the chinese way, and the pasta was cooked at perfection.

The most impressive thing out of all wasn't the food, but simply the outstanding services they offered. I know this may sound a bit too much, but I can actually see some better and more caring services from this restaurant when comparing to some 5 stars hotel in Hong Kong.

With this backdrop, I would recommend people to try this restaurant, it is really a place which offers good food and service for the amount of money you pay.

It has been over 4 years since I last wrote on Openrice. However, for the sake of real Italian food-lover, I suddenly have the urge to publish my comments on this "Not Really Italian" restaurant.

First Visit

Entered this restaurant in our causal outfits at around 8pm on a Saturday evening and was surprised to know we are being seated towards the entrance of this restaurant. The waiter claimed the restaurant was fully booked, but that is okay. It is the food and wine we are after.

As we ordered the food from menu, and selecting wine from its "Specially chosen Wine Menu", maybe the waiter could sense we are going to spend big, he proactively made us a bigger table by combining our table with the table next to it. Thought the restaurant was fully booked?

Anyway, back to the food and wine. They offer Italian wine with a significant mark-up, but to be frank, their wine list lacks of all the fine Italian wine. As far as I could see, they are offering wine with good profit instead of wine that will go well with the food. Ordered a Sicily Wine, then try to order our food base on the wine we have ordered.

Salad - the vegetables are not fresh, as could be evidenced by the dry rocket spinach which actually turns black at the time of serving. Well, if you are going to serve salad at limited budget, please avoid rocket spinach.

Parma Ham with Fig - the chef has obviously decided to use fig instead of melon solely for the sake of differentiation. The ham they served are extremely salty, combined with the dry and non-sweet fig they served, I really have doubts over the chef's taste-buds. In the future, please use melon instead.

Ossobucco with risotto - risotto and the ossobucco are both over-cooked. No little spoon is served with the dish, I was forced to use my hand to suck out the bone mallow. After tasting it, it is so obviously that the ossobucco has been frozen for long...

Raviolli with foie gras - sorry, I could only taste duck liver but not goose liver...

Their signature pasta dish - This was ordered at their recommendations, as I really want to give this restaurant a final chance, and I specifically tell them to keep the pasta al dente. After 30 mins wait, the pasta dish finally arrives, yes the pasta is al dente, which is good. However, the sauce is too chessy, I couldn't taste anything else apart from cheese.

Finally, going back to the wine. I asked the manager on why putting this "Sicily Wine" on the menu and he couldn't respond. I asked if he knew what sicily wine is like, and what food does it go best with, he remains silent. Obviously, the wine is here for profit but not for marriage with food...

I have provided my comments on all dishes to the manager, and he said they will make adjustments and would like us to visit them again. So here comes my next 0.5 visit

0.5 Visit

Received a communication from manager telling me that they are running a seafood special at their restaurant. Then I asked what kind of seafood they served, I was surprised to learn that they now serve oysters, crabs, and some lobsters at dinner time. When I asked if they serve whole lobsters, or scampi. He asked what is scampi , and said they dont serve whole lobsters...

Without waiting, I hang up the phone. Obviously all their lobsters are not fresh...

Afterall, I think this restaurant maybe good for the view... but if you are serious food or wine lover, I am sure you can find much better places to go

Have heard a lot of good publicities about this restaurant..but here are my findings,

Went there with my girlfriend on a Friday afternoon, tables are nicely placed, good decoration, spacious and elegant. I particularly like the well-furnished open kitchen and the huge crystal light hanging in the middle of the main dinning area.

Services are attentive, all staffs are well-dressed with good manner. Cutleries were served just before your dish arrives, similar service was not experienced elsewhere apart from Amigo.

Foodwise, it is acceptable. Goose Liver as starter, yet I believe the portion is a little too much, it makes me feel so full and heavy after finishing half of the dish. Steak and scallops as main course, and I must admit, both dishes were disappointing given the expectation I had on this restaurant.

Overall speaking, at HKD 500 per person for lunch, I will call it a good taste of service and decor, but not really worth for the kind of food they served.

Given that I work, live and have fun at the TST area for most of the time, I have hardly visited any good restaurants on the Hong Kong side...

Went to Petrus a few days ago, tables are well-spaced out, setting and services are good, I particularly like the fact that the captions are of no hurry in forcing you to order whilst me and my gf are enjoying our champagne and conversations together...

Okay, finally we have decided to go for the Tasting Menu with Wine... at HKD 1550 per person. (Quite an expensive menu indeed... at least at the moment of ordering)

I have not had any "Tasting Menu" for long, the last time I had this kind of menu, is whilst I was still in England... and the experience is just "so-so", ten courses, each of relatively small portion... and I did feel hungry after the meal

Anyway, at Petrus, infront of the nice habourview, the "Tasting Menu" comes as a surprise to me... Eight courses, every one of it is exceptional... Duck Liver Pate, is the best pate I have ever tasted... lamb chop, sea bass (wonderful dish, I have only like 2 fish dishes in my life, one is here and the other at Sabatini) are all well-presented with great taste... the matching wines are also at the highest quality, and the very one thing that I like about this meal is that... the size of each dishes is just right.. and my stomach feels happy after the meal...

With the service, environment, and food qaulity as such, HKD 1550 is an acceptable price.

I went to this restaurant for family dinner last week. Although I have never been there personally, I have long heard about the expensive menu and the "free plate" that you will receive after tasting the restaurant signature dish..

First of all, Wine Menu - a set of reasonably priced Italian Fine Wine, have opened a bottle of Aramone at HKD 800, which is the same price as the same bottle at Knutsford Terrance, full body with good aroma, a good recommendation from the staffs indeed.

Food - the signature dish - Lobster Sphagetti, is average, Lobster is fresh, added with hand-made pasta on tomato sauce, the overall taste is quite good indeed, but priced at HKD 280?, is a bit too much...On the other hand, steak and sea bass is below standard... but one dish that I must recommend to all, is the Rack of Lamb, nicely marinated, with two chuck of garlics sandwiched inside the rack of lamb, it gives the lamb a great favour indeed... and it is only HKD 250...

n a nutshell, some od the dishes and services are good here, but with the decorations as such, and marked-up heavily, I think there are more valuable choices elsewhere.... yet... I do miss the Rack of Lamb there