Antipasto  

I had to open an open rice account to write about the terrible service at this restaurant - one of the worse I have ever experienced in Hong Kong or abroad which prompted the 4 of us to walk out! It was so surreal that it was like being on the set of the reality program "Kitchen nightmares" ......

We arrived at 12pm to the intense dislike of the waitress who was busy beautifying herself and not ready to be working, I guess. She was reluctant to show us a table which was right under a loud speaker blaring pop music. When asked if the music can be turned down, she promptly ordered us to 'sit down first"! As we chatted, she got upset that our conversation interrupted her telling us of the daily special...... As we tried to order, we made another fatal mistake of calling her whilst she tried to put on her makeup in front of the mirror at the bar. Her mood got worse, her attitude became even more condescending as she reluctantly took our orders.

The music became Italian songs and got very loud again and we could not hear each other talking. We requested if it can be turned down again. She started lecturing us that it is the tradition of the restaurant to play music at this volume and nothing could be done. No consideration that since there are only the four of us in the restaurant, maybe that is possible? Can't we change tables? After an exchange in Philipino with another waitress who was grooming herself and doing her hair, her highness reluctantly pointed us towards a table at the other corner of empty restaurant.

"Take your own water!", Miss condescending ordered in an impatient , you-guys-are-so-troublesome tone! That was it, for the first time in my life, we walked out.. We were not about to pay for this abuse.

I hope the owner of this restaurant realizes that their staff are ruining their business.

Assaggio Trattoria Italiana in The Art Centre is a very famous Italian restaurant in Wan Chai. However, for me, I think the food quality is not worth to try. I like visiting those less popular restaurants because you will have surprises sometimes. Most importantly, it is easier to book and you can dine for longer time.

I just read some comments on openrice and some writers recommended Antipasto in Wan Chai. I know that this restaurant has a branch in Soho, Central but that one is smaller than Wan Chai one. So I decided to visit wan chai branch for my best friend’s birthday.

The restaurant is not near to the MTR station, you need to walk about 10 mins from the mtr station. It is opposite to Novotel hotel.

One more reminder is that this restaurant closes in the afternoon and opens again at 6pm. So please don’t try to book a table in the afternoon. =)

Actually the restaurant is not big, tables are closed to each other. However, the atmosphere is good, all tables have a vase with a bottle of wine, of coz it is not free. You can open the wine if you wanna have a drink. Couples can have their anniversary dinner here because of this good atmosphere.

The price of the dishes is not expensive, around $110-300 with variety of choices.

We have ordered:
1.Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
2.Antipasto misto
3.Pasta Antipasto
4.Ribs
5.Hot chocolate pudding

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom is impressing!!! The mushroom is very big and juicy. The toppings (goat cheese, tomato dices and pesto) are also very delicious. Cheese is soft and creamy. The taste and texture is complicated. It seems a little bit expensive because $110 2 pieces only but I think it is really worth to try. Then, we tried the Antipasto Misto. This is the signature dish but I think it is too much for 2 persons to finish the platter. The platter has 3 kinds of ham: smoked salmon, Parma ham and salami together with baked tomato and baked red chili with cheese. For me this dish is kinda salty because it is not served with melon. Each Smoked salmon is not a thin slide; you will feel soo satisfied when you finish it. =) The baked red chilli and tomato are very juicy too. A lot of juice will come out when you bite it. So fresh!! Each ham has 3 slides so it is better to share the dish with 3 persons. After finishing all the appetizers, it’s time to try main dishes!!

Rib was not surpising. I think it was over-cooked because I could see some of the meat was burned. However, I like the pasta – Pasta antipasto very much!! Another signature dish of the restaurant!! Maybe I love creamy food very much!!! Hehe. The salmon was cut into big pieces and each of them just like a cube. The salmon is crispy but it is very soft inside!!! The sauce is creamy again and it is excellent with a very delicious and smooth sauce!! It matches with fettuccine very much because fettuccine is thicker. The highlight of the night of coz was the dessert time. However, the restaurant ruined my plan!!! Because they forgot my request - birthday wordings on the hot chocolate pudding!!! When I reminded them they said they had not marked it down. So they asked me the wordings again in front of my birthday boy. Oh!!!! No more surprise!!!
The chocolate pudding was just standard quality.

Overall, i know that i have ordered too many dishes this time. I will order fewer dishes next time i visit. =) The food portion is not small and it is good to share with friends. And most importantly, most of the dishes are made of cheese and cream so you will feel full easily. I may overestimate the capacity of my tummy LOL!! it is a good Italian restaurant I have tried! Even they forget my request, the service was good and the owner was socialized and friendly. We told him we will return because the food is really excellent. =) My friend was also very satisfied. Surprise sometimes is not everything, right? =)

Just as I had expected! When I read some of the reviews about the ambience, I needed a restaurant that felt private enough for intimate conversation and space. Usually I choose a restaurant based on the majority vote and this one seemed promising and it didn't fail my expectations.

First of all the owner, Arndt, was the one who greeted us at the door and showed our way to some private tables (made a reservation). The service was important as it set the theme of the restaurant and gave a positive impression before the meal. The waitress was pleasant and allowed us to sample the wine before we decided to order the bottle.

The menu wasn't overwhelming and it had the right amount of choices for each part of the meal and had traditional italian selections that were expected. This time I didn't take any photos as I didn't think there was a need to especially when some were of the items that we selected were already posted, and there is consistency! My husband and I started with the scallops which were cooked perfectly followed by the Caprese salad which offered a substantial portion that satisfied our palates before the entree. For the entree we enjoyed the Marinara Spaghetti Seafood Pasta (we generally enjoy the tomato sauces) followed by the slowed cooked ribs that were cooked to perfection. The full rack was enough for sharing between two people and its rare that I enjoy meat this much, but I couldn't stop picking the meat off the bones!

The final part of the meal was a delight, we had the chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream. It was a perfect portion to share and the night was complete with the right ambience, food and service!

I'm definitely coming back again with my husband or a few friends to share this great place with others!

It's a real pity when you have to rate down a restaurant because of the maitre d's inefficiency. No matter how good the food is, there is little reason to return when one has to signal the waitresses for a menu (15-minute delay) and wait 30 minutes for her first glass of water. Not to mention I had made reservations already but still had to wait 10 minutes to be seated. What a great start to a much anticipated dinner with a sorely missed friend. So that set the stage. From there things...well, plateaued.

Environment:This is what we sat down to. Almost nothing. At least they should have the decency to set the table first....?? The small restaurant is extremely jam-packed full of people and the lights are low, you are sitting back-to-back with the adjacent table, conversations easily overheard, you can barely get to the toilet without having to say one or two 'excuse me's. Quite noisy. Although they try to be accommodating it's not the most romantic place to celebrate one's anniversary - which is what one couple celebrated tonight - the guy probably asked the resto to play 'their song' and then a waitress served up a large bouquet of flowers and told the girl 'he loves you' and then the lights went on again. I thought he would propose. But no that didn't happen. We joined in the woo-ing and clapping.

Food:
Expensive still water - not requested $38Whaat? The maitre d opened the bottle before our very eyes before we had any chance to object. No he didn't even ask us whether we wanted still, sparkling, plain old tap, or hot water. Unacceptable. But we were not going to make a fuss because he already looked extremely flustered, having to pacify impatient diners, and politely turn away this foreigner whom he told to wait 10 minutes for a table but eventually decided he made a bad decision. Poor guy. Gave him a break.

Bread basketBread sticks and extremely oily focaccia was served. The bread wasn't salted. It had the right texture, but was way too oily and flavourless for me. Even the EVOO and vinegar could not bring it to life. An underseasoned loaf is, and will always be, underseasoned, bland, and boring. Bread sticks did not impress either.

Seared scallops topped with finely chopped olivesHere they are. I've never actually eaten a whole scallop voluntarily...or otherwise, but because there were 6 and D is incapable of finishing them single-handedly I thought I should help. I had 2. Texture: acceptable. Flavour: I have no point of reference. But it wasn't fishy. That is all. Was it very fresh? I think no. D said it was not a fair representation of the tasty scallop. D also said that the chopped olives (?) were not a good match for a scallop. D prefers the scallops lightly seared. And consumed. I guess I would not recommend this dish.

Pinot Grigio
A white we ordered to go with the scallops. Fruity, sweet, easy to drink. Recommended for people who don't reaaaally like wine but would like something cold that is not pop to go with the food. Really quite nice. $75 per glass.

Cappellini al fungi $90Good thing is that servings are generous. You kind of feel like you're getting what your money is worth. This pasta is basically wild mushrooms and asparagus in white wine garlic sauce. The pasta was al dente - thickness somewhere between angel hair and spaghetti. Some would call it spaghettini. They were also very generous with the veg. Sadly the whole dish was overseasoned and became too salty. That is our only complaint. I would recommend this - if they seasoned it right.

Pizza antipastoWhite mushrooms, cheese, and very salty parma ham. The thin crust was very nice, I liked it. But again, too salty! Not special although it's advertised as the signature pizza. Flavours were slightly disappointing.

Conclusion:
The food is actually OK. But the service spoils it all. Therefore it is unlikely I will be returning. If I do, it would be out of sheer convenience.

Casual lunch with friend, I order pasta of the day my friend order steak.

Appetizer: Salad
Comment: Very fresh, decent portion

Main Course:
1) Pasta of the day (Crab meat with angel hair, high quality ingredient & very tasty. I rarely see resuarant use high quiality olive oil to cook and I can tell nerely no MSG is added)
2) Steak (Very juicy Better than some 5 star hotels in HK)

Dessert: Icecream pancake: Order to make, nothing to complaint about

Conclusion:
Yum and I will definitely revisit! Sadlly I did not take any pictures

My girlfriend is really troublesome. I wanna take her to a Chinese restaurant in Wanchai but she denied my offer and she didnt want any chinese food before the lunar new year. She ran out of the restaurant, and showed off her Jimmy Choos while walking. She rushed into this restautant cuz there were candles.

This restaurant was a bit quiet. I wondered why my girlfriend kept scolding the italian about her Prada jacket and Kelly bag. I felt sad for my coat, cuz it was used to cover my girlfriend's jacket and bag.

My girlfriend found out that the candle was fake and dirty. She was dirty too.

She chose the red words cuz she didnt know other words on the menu.

I chose the meal of rice with chicken and mushroom. I guessed my girlfriend insisted that I shouldnt order that becuz she wanted to eat what i ordered as well.

Seemed that my girlfriend should have some problems in hearing. Thats only simple English by the waitress.

I've been here several times for lunch, once for dinner and I am overall very satisfied with Antipasto.

The lunch set especially, at around HKD100 is simply delicious and includes soup, the main course, and desert or tea. The atmosphere is very friendly, nurtured in particular by the jovial and hospitable manager, Mr. Fettmann. Often very crowded at lunch time but I've never had to wait for a table.

The only downside would be that they are a bit short staffed at times.

Highly recommended.

This is my second time at this restaurant. The first time was a few months ago and food and service was good. So we (3 of us) booked this place again for lunch.
As I went in, the table arrangement was poor. I had to choose among two tables under pot plants (which would hit my head) and one in the middle of the crowd, all were small square tables for 3 people. When I asked for the waitress to remove the pot plant for me, she said she could not do so, and all the other tables were reserved (with reserved signs on them). Then I complained about how the table arrangement was during my last visit and insisted she removed it. The she just removed it without any need to seek "higher authority".
Then I noticed one of the reserved tables was served to a walk-in customer (a guy), and I was not served anything (just let me sat there with no staff to attend to) for over 10 minutes. I waved for the waiter to come over; he only said "sorry" and froze there with a broad smile. Then I had to say "this is not enough. Do something." I had to tell him to bring water and bread to my table. Pity I did not take a picture of the bread (it was yugh and I had to ask them to change, which, of course, did not come back with a proper basket.) When the waiter returned, he put up the same "broad" smile and offered coffee and dessert (were they not already on the menu ??)
I had to complain about its service because I notice they serve Europeans and Chinese differently (two Europeans were given a table for 4 people!) and men and women differently. They need to understand what service is about - it is not about a fake broad smile, but how you treat your customers.
My friends orders Roast Lamb with Couscous, which did not come with a drop of couscous at all.
Anyways, I am not returning to this restaurant again, until they have trained/replaced their staff.

Our party of three had no preconceptions about this place. But the table was comfortable, the food purely delicious, and the price exceptional. I'll be taking my business clients to Antipasto every chance I get!

It has been a busy week which included meetings for us at Wanchai for 4 out of 5 days. We decided to look for some new lunch options to cheer ourselves up a bit. Having read all the positive reviews here about this restaurant, we locked in on Antipasto on this particular day.

The 'Good'
Starter - Sauteed prawns
Out of the 3 starters, I picked the sauteed prawns. To my pleasant surprise, I was presented with 5 large pieces of prawns, all nicely seasoned and cooked.

Birthday gathering
At a table next to us, they were celebrating the birthday of a friend. The staff (the owner actually) surprised the birthday gal with a birthday song and cake.

The 'Bad'
The Sirloin
The presentation and sauce were okay but the texture of the sirloin left much to be desired. It's sort of like biting on a worn-out tire, you get the idea!

The Service
The owner mentioned about 2 staff missing in action due to illness. Perhaps that's the reason why the service has been relatively slow, particularly the delivery of food.

Privacy
There was absolutely no room in between tables so we were kind of listening in our neighbours' conversations and vice versa. Would definitely not mind a bit more room for more privacy.

Weighing all our options, we did not think we would be back.

We went to Antipasto to celebrate a friend's birthday, and it was truly a great experience.

We were very happy with the food...

For starters we ordered scallops and mussels which were nicely cooked with great flavors; and the stuffed portobello mushrooms with goat cheese? Delicious! The tomato topping added the extra freshness and acidity to balance the richness of the dish. Yummy!

The fettuccine with four cheeses was the birthday's girl's favorite, she even used the fluffy bread to mop the cheesy and creamy sauce clean!

The chicken parmesan and the pizza margherita were wonderfully cheesey too...and the ribs were falling-off-the bone tender, with just the right amount of smoky flavors from the BBQ.

The portion was decent, and at the end of the meal, we were all stuffed. But of course, there's always room for dessert.

We ordered the birthday warm chocolate pudding for our birthday girl, which was decent.

The owner took a special care of us, made a prank call to tease our birthday girl, as well as announcing the celebration in front of the whole restaurant, with singing and everything. If attention isn't your thing, it is probably best not to tell him that it's your birthday

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing

http://mochachocolatarita.blogspot.com

Fresh olive and herb bread in a basket [free],sipped with balsamic vinegar-->excellent!
Drinks: Italian red wine 2007(1 glass, fruity!!!), Australian chardonnay (2 glasses, fine);
Antipasto: salmon & parma ham with asparagus (Unbelievable large asparagus), sauteed clams (much garlic and rich smell of basil, suitable for herb lovers);
Main dish: Bolognese (the sauce is a bit salty but hubby still added much cheese onto it), Margherita (with a large piece of basil leaf on each portion of the pizza, it's good, like the Italian one);
Dessert: Apple tart w/ vanilla ice-cream (good comment from hubby!)
I had a cup of cappucino, good!
The 2 waitresses are cheerful and helpful. The head (Mr Hasan) was nice. He always carries a great smile and talked with us about the resto and the food. Thanks Hasan and your colleagues! I must come again!

Come here with family of 6.

Appetizer:
Lobster Bisque & Brocoli Soup (Both are very good except Lobster Bisque is not hot enough and the soup portion is way toooooooooooooooooooo small). The Lobster Bisque has enough strong liqueur taste - Good !
The free bread does not taste as good as Al Dente.
Stuffed Mushroom - Good.

Main courses:
Blue swimmer crab linguini
Rib Eyes
Chicken Mushroom risotto
Magherita Pizza
All have their special characters (not like the standard production like Al Dente).
Linguini is chewy and hot & can taste that there's fresh crab meat. Rib-Eyes is of medium and is just right & juice and with just right portion @ that price. We ordered Seafood risotto w/ cream sauce but the wrong order comes also good but not enough rice. i hope there's 4 cheese pizza in this shop but the Magherita is also good.

Desserts:
Tiramisu (free)
Blueberry cheese cake
Cream Burlee
Apple tart

All are superb except the Chesse cake is just so so....
Tiramisu particularly tastes the same as we had in Italy especially the strong tastes of wine in it. Though the portion is way smaller than in Fat Angelo.

Since we have a small apetitise & do not want to get fat but eating w/ control so we share the food. It's good that they dont mind.

Read some of the bloggers' comment on the operator but the food is really good and do make a difference.

Sorry to see all the adverse comments on the operator of the shop from other bloggers however, we do not feel the same on our visit this time. Though there's better Lobster bisques can be find in other restaurants.

Prefer to focus on the food quality offered only.

Wonderful & traditional Italian meals.

Will never go back to Al Dente anymore (too standard).
Will come here for lunch again with my children tomorrow afternoon again after shopping in the nearby Computer shopping mall.

Bill:
$1000 for 6

It was a nice and enjoyable dinner with good food and good service.

We ordered 3 dishes only, but they are all good

1) New Zealand Mussel with special tasty sauce with garlic and herbs
2) Creamy Seafood Angel Hair with fresh shrimp and scallop
3) BBQ Baby Ribs which is very juicy and in sizable portion for two

It is worth to try when I stop by Wanchai again.

A friend introduced this restaurant to me and so we went there for dinner. This restaurant uses an openup approach in its decor, it hasnt had any door, so the tables at the side are almost exposed to the outside. It would be nice if the outside is a harbour view or seaview, however, those shops opposite are foot-massage shops or beauty shops, a bit contradicting to the cosy environment of the italian food here. Anyway, back to food. We were given some bread as a starter. The bread was a bit moisted. Havent tried this kind of bread before, a bit different from those bread we used to have. It was kind of like bread and cake mix of both. It was quite nice to go with vinegar and olive oil.

We ordered a greek salad and a green salad. Both salad were crispy fresh and i love its cucumber and the dried tomato used in the green salad. Very fresh and nice. Then we had a baby back rib and a pasta. The baby back-rib was very nice, it was tender and also nicely done. The portion was big too. Nothing to complain. The fettucinni was quite strange, dont know how to describe it.

Then we had two pizzas. The parma ham pizza was not as good as i expected. The ham was rather salty, so it overshone the tomato sauce used in the pizza, so leaving the pizza only having the ham favour. I dont like this kind of crispy pizza base. So overall speaking, i wont order pizza next time as i dont like this combination.

All in all, the restauant was good. Seems that it is a good place for two persons to dine and there were several tables also dining when we dined. In recent tsunami situation, the catering industy is facing terrible downturn of business, really dont know what they could do to survive. Also there are still many ppls love going to dine in China.