Papi  

Walk-ins available, reservations preferred.
Menu available at Papi website: http://www.papi-hk.com/

Environment:Classic decor you'd find at any decent bistro in SoHo. Reminds me of Deli&Wine, Classified (Hollywood Road)...etc. Al fresco dining available. Tables quite closely packed but somehow conversations are not easily overheard(!) probably because of the open kitchen which supplies sufficient background noise to drown out and deflect normal conversational volumes.

Food:
Tomato bruschetta Tomato bruschetta is such a classic appetizer that its quality can usually reflect the general aptitude of the kitchen staff. The tomatoes were juicy and I could taste the olive oil. The basil leaf could've been chopped and incorporated into the tomato. The piece of bruschetta was a bit too dry and brittle. I prefer a crisp crust and the middle firm and thick, giving me something to chew on.

Rolled thin omeletteThis had ham in it so I left it alone. Positive comments were made by my fellow diners.

Papi's caesar saladThe caesar dressing was a bit too sour and watery for me. I would've loved some crispy bacon bits and perhaps some quartered egg. The watery dressing made the romaine leaves soggy. Could've been much better. And i wasn't offered black pepper.

Pizza di mare - seafood pizza G ordered this and finished most of it, except the crust. G is not fond of the crust so I finished it up. Didn't try this due to dietary preferences.

Pizza tartufo - truffle pizza with Taleggio cheeseBecause I am a hardcore mushroom fan I have high expectations and requirements for any mushroom related dish. Hugely disappointed when the slice of pizza made its way into my mouth and left no memorable sensations at all. The mushrooms were not fragrant probably because cheap mushrooms were used, and any expensive mushroom used we have been reduced to a fine rubble, depriving the pizza of any soft spongy mushroom texture. Perhaps the mushroom wasn't properly seasoned. The cheese was very mild and soft, which is fortunate. All in all, apart from the faint mushroom flavour I couldn't taste much else. However, I did like the pizza crust. It was thin, and had a delicious crunch. A bit more brittle than a naan, and slightly thicker. The pizza wasn't soggy at all either so the centre also held its shape and had a good chew.

Spaghetti carbonara Satisfactory. Pasta cooked al dente, and the creamy cheesy sauce coated every strand of spaghetti. Slightly dry though, which caked together the nice swirl of pasta. Maybe some pasta water to create the silky effect would help. Not that I'm the master of pasta but thats what Jamie Oliver teaches in the naked chef and you gotta trust the man. can also do with a generous sprinkling of shaved parmesan to finish. And black pepper.

Fresh manila clams linguineA and B ordered this. I didn't eat the clams. Th absence of criticism and praise leads me to te conclusion that it was OK. I tried a forkful of linguine. It was pretty eggy. Not sure if it was fresh made pasta. Maybe it was. Whatever it is I didn't prefer it.

Conclusion:
Probably won't come back too soon. Lots of good options inside the mall, like xiyan flavours, and wooloomooloo. But the atmosphere is alright.