I always have salad as dinner before class in causeway bay. I was delighted to see the new salad bar in city’super. I tried all the feature salad but only one of them is impressive which is Japanese tofu salad. The portion is generous except the avocado cobb salad. What disappointed me most is the combination of ingredients. I was surprised by the pork belly in mushroom mozzarella salad and the rice in hummus salad. The hummus salad is the most awkward one. Although I am a fans of hummus, I will never have this again. I hope they will change their menu soon as I really love the fresh and varied ingredients here.

睇戲前要在PP搵食，時間不多，又是台灣日，便來頓台菜。說真的，平常絕不會食kiki麵或茶米，因為誰都能煮到kiki麵吧～ 由於我已經食左下午茶，兩個人只點了椒麻雞、胡椒豬肚湯麵和芋圓桃香烏龍茶。 椒麻雞比想像中出色，肉質嫩滑，麻香和醋香平衡。胡椒豬肚湯麵則一般，胡椒味不足，豬肚切得太幼又不夠爽。 芋圓更加令人失望，中心太硬又乏味，烏龍茶亦不夠茶香。 另外，瞄到旁邊食客的海南雞飯，份量實在少得可憐。 即管在台灣日試一次，下次要食台菜，飛一轉可能更好。

It’s been a while that I haven’t updated my blog. One chef restarts it: Tom Aikens. When I heard about that he is going to open a restaurant in HK, I was exalted. You
have “celebrity” chefs opening restaurants here and there in HK these days, but
you don't always have them actually cooking in the kitchen. When I knew that he
would be cooking during the soft opening, nothing can stop me from giving it a
go!

The original "old Hong Kong" interior decor of the Pawn is
revitalised by a clever use of potted plants, colourful features, and sleek
furniture. The bar is turned into a stylish yet relaxing space, a venue worthy
of the best afternoon tea.

When I went up to the restaurant, I could not believe what I saw: Chef Tom
Aikens, whom I saw on the BBC last week, stood in front of me inside the open
kitchen! I couldn’t help staring at him during the whole night, at the expense
of becoming a laughing stock of my half-witted husband who failed to understand
my excitement and possibly many others. I managed to go back to the menu and
ordered some traditional dishes and innovative combinations of ingredients, not
without considerable struggle. I was kindly assisted by Karen the waitress, the
manager, and other staff members who helped us to pick the best dishes and
matching wine. They also explained the dishes to us clearly and interacted with
us with a healthy dose of humour - a rare gift these days.

While waiting for the appetisers, I lost no time to get closer to the open
kitchen and observe Chef Aikens. He was busy preparing food like a surgeon
tending a full camp of wounded soldiers. I know it is not the most appetising
parable but his seriousness really made me think of that. Back to the food. The house-made ricotta was silky smooth and bursting with a
distinctive milky favour. The lightness of ricotta and the sweetness of
balsamic was a perfect combination for an appetiser. This can be an awesome
filling for cannoli too. Another appetiser was one of our favourite dishes that
night. Usually I could not resist Duck liver parfait, but I always find it hard
to finish one by myself. This one was exceptional. The creamy parfait was well
seasoned, and was filled with duck meat and crispy skin. You just cannot get
enough of it. My husband usually refuses to eat duck livers but he succumbed
that night and finished half of the dish. The main dishes came from another open kitchen. My truffle mac and cheese was
so aromatic that even the diners next to us couldn’t help staring. Little could
go wrong if you can manage to make a dish that aromatic. The macaroni was chewy
and the cheese sauce was just right. It was a simple dish, but could easily go
wrong. They nailed it. Completely.I always tell my husband not to order seared scallop when eating outside as I
too can manage that at home. However, I suggested him to order the Scallop,
celeriac puree and black pudding crumb at the Pawn. Because the dish was a lot
more than perfectly seared scallops; it was a combination of matching
ingredients that offers a sensational experience. When the dish was served, we
were instantly impressed by the elegant plating. A lot was going on, but you
can see the careful construction and the considerable amount of thought behind
it. I particularly liked the lard and celeriac puree - a rather
"yin-yang" combination that raised the dish to another level. The
scallops were of course perfectly seared, cooked with down-to-seconds
precision. We also picked one traditional and one innovative dessert. The sticky toffee
pudding was expectedly good. British puddings pose a constant dilemma to me. It
is succulent and comforting but is also sinfully sweet. Tom’s version was a
rather classical one. The prune ice-cream did justice of the pudding by
enhancing the fruit flavour. All were good, but I slightly
prefer the lighter version at Bread Street Kitchen (by none other British chef
but the legendary Gordon Ramsay) another night.Chef Aikens' interpretation of panna cotta with lime leaf and basil was mind-blowing to me. I could hardly
resist basil-infused dessert. This one was more than that. The lime and sweet basil ganache inside the panna
cotta was amazing. There was so much going on in my mouth. Milky panna cotta,
aromatic and rustic sweet basil, sweet and acidic berry sorbet and a little
salty black olives were all there - it was a challenging yet satisfying
experience. That was exactly my impression about Chef Aikens when I watched the
Great British Menu. From my observation, Chef Aikens never stopped working except perhaps during a
few moments of lull. His attention to detail was admirable. It's not rocket
science or brain surgery: one can tell the difference between a chef who did
not attend his restaurant’s opening and one who spend the entire night working
on most, if not all, of the dishes passing in front of him. He had all my
respect after that night.

There was something more after the glorious desserts - the staff kindly asked
Chef Aikens if he could take a picture with me and he agreed! That was
extraordinary.

It seems to me that the Pawn experienced something a lot more than a mere
renovation. From chic decor to exemplary staff members to impeccable food, we
witnessed a revolution there. One thing still grinds my mind, though: I wrote
about the Pawn long ago and noted the gap between the place and the surrounding
community. That did not change much, except the fact that more ridiculously
priced properties are being built there.

As there is only a handful of places in town that offer hearty French bistro cooking, I was excited to see what this new “modern bistro” can offer. I lowered my expectations, however, after I read the close-to-monotonous description of the several signature dishes and the decor of the restaurant in many of the previous reviews. Anyhow, I found an opportunity to find out if the restaurant is a genuine article.
The decor of the bistro was anything but exciting. Maybe I am not a big fan of modern chic design, but I just have difficulties understanding what the decor is telling me about this restaurant and its food. Maybe it is part of the problem: this place is a “modernised” bistro, but instead of enjoying the interesting tension between tradition and modern, I found myself slightly disoriented.Alas, the menu shared the problem of the decor. Many traditional classics in a bistro such as beef stew and confit duck were absent, or could I find many modern twists. We had a hard time to pick an entrée and two mains; we almost decided to have a second round somewhere else.Foie Gras Crème Brulee sounded very interesting. The dishes that combine sweet and savory usually works for me, but this one was not among them. The foie gras crème was smooth, albeit a bit watery. The taste was too light and so was its texture. Again, I just did not see the tension between the sugar crust and the foie gras.The baguette, on the other hand, was better, as it was crispy outside and soft inside. My only problem was the rather bland butter and table salt.The first main dish was a mushroom tagliatelle with 63 degree egg and parma ham. The tagliatelle was chewy and flavourful – the best part of the dinner. While the creamy cheese sauce worked well with the egg, the parma ham was insignificant.The chicken “demi deuil” was a rare dish in Hong Kong – it was, however, a real disappointment that night. We did see black truffle stuffed between the skin and flesh of the chicken parts – no problem with that. But the truffle failed the dish. We were like eating braised chicken with black fungus in Chinese style – not itself a problem – except that the chicken was bland and not tender.I read about the background of the chef and found that he was the chef of St. George. I recalled what I had and found the two experiences pretty consistent. The food was okay, good perhaps, but lacking in something to make it truly interesting. If I dined in a lovely historical structure like 1881, I would be more willing to pay for this dinner with this price, but not in a “chic” bistro. There are gaps, not intriguing tension, between the decor, the food, price, and the positioning of this restaurant. With time, I hope, these gaps can be filled; after all, the food was by no means bad in local standard.

I always envy those who live in Hollywood Road as not only can they enjoy some fascinating antique shops nearby but also most of my favourite restaurants. Pressroom is just one of them. I was told that a new chef, who had served in Hong Kong Club, has become the head chef of Pressroom. Now that is something!

At the beginning, I was lavishly treated with three salad dishes: Seared scallop salad, Nicoise salad, and , which was actually arugula and goat cheese salad. Many people may think that no special skills are required in preparing salads. This is cannot be more wrong. The quality of the cheese was so high and the sear of scallop and tuna so beautiful that they were certainly commendable. What impressed me most were the homemade dressings. The Beurre blanc (buttered white wine vinaigrette) of the seared scallop salad, the artichoke and green vinaigrette of the Salade de Roquette au Chèvre, and the pommery mustard vinaigrette of the Nicoise were all nothing but spectacular. Not many chefs take the extra mile to make a good salad dressing, and the one in Pressroom has nailed it. After trying these salads, I had full confidence in the coming dishes.We also had Black mussel meunière and truffle asparagus when the salads were being served. The perfectly cooked mussels were elevated by a cream sauce that was really a gem. There was yet another example to show the chef's attention to detail and his expert handling of sauce. The aromatic and crunchy truffle asparagus was really brought to a new level by the herb sauce that went with it. You do not want to miss it, I assure you. How could I miss confit duck in May, Le French GourMay? The Pressroom’s version came with sliced duck breast. Covered by the crispy duck skin, the duck meat was lean and quite tender, but it was slightly overcooked and under-seasoned to my taste.The catch of the day was sea bream. It was covered with sea salt and baked, and then with olive oil drizzled on top. It is a common cooking method that keeps the moisture and taste of a good catch, but it is not widely used in Hong Kong. I once had it at 10 Greek Street in London and was happy to see this again here. I liked the use of lemon juice and fennel salad that kept the dish light and inviting. It seems that the chef understood that simple ingredients such as sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice, if competently handled, would be suffice. Only if the fish was tenderer, the dish would be wonderful.I was lucky enough to have several awesome veal dishes (including at Pressroom) before turning to green diet (just for several weeks, though). The veal tenderloin was tender and juicy. A little sea salt would make it a good main course, but the chef offered an even better option - a rich mushroom and pommery sauce. With much expectation, I was excited to see the orange red lobster risotto. The presentation, with a lobster lying in a bed of risotto, made me mouth-watering. The lobster and sauce were so delicious that you would like to have a bowl of lobster bisque as well. Like many other restaurants in HK, the chef deliberately cooked the risotto for a longer time to suit the taste of HK people. I wish he had given me a chewier one, though. If you prefer chewier risotto, remember to make a request upon ordering. Among the five main dishes we had, the Dover Sole Grenobloise was my favourite. The fish was common in Britain, but the chef sautéed it with meunière sauce, a classic cooking method in French Bistros. I find that making fun with the old Anglo-French rivalry is superfluous here as the method worked so well... I loved the great balance of butter and lemon juice and enjoyed the firm and flavourful flesh of the fish. I alone ate one-third of it.While keeping the already-popular dishes, the new head chef also introduced some new ones. The pistachio crème brulee and Tarte Tartin were both renowned desserts in Pressroom; there was nothing to complain about their taste and flavour, but both of them could be softer in texture, especially the pear. As for the new creations, the chocolate trio was a near miss. The white chocolate mousse was too watery; the hot chocolate latte was okay but blend; the salted dark chocolate truffle was overwhelmingly sweet. I missed the rich and smooth Chocolate Marquise very much, though. However, the chef still convinced me that he could make good desserts. Another new creation, with the long-winded title of Verrine Mascarpone au Sorbet de fruit de la Passion, was successful. It was somehow similar to an Eton Mess, but richer in taste. A banana cake and walnut topped with mascarpone, homemade berries compote, and a scoop of ice-cream was definitely a good combination for summer. I put my spoon from the ice-cream deep down to the bottom, so that I could have all the layers in a bite. As expected, all the ingredients worked like a well-organized and expertly-led orchestra. I could not help but finishing it spoon after spoon. Pressroom has been offering decent food with a consistent quality and a reasonable price. It is even better with the new head chef, who has introduced several impressive dishes. Overall, I particularly liked his handling of sauces. I certainly look forward to seeing more stunning dishes designed by him.

My previous dining experience in Fiat was, frankly speaking, good but hardly memorable. Even the famous fig with ricotta cheese failed to persuade me to come back. However, I found that many foodies tried its new menu these days; some of the new dishes look pretty appealing.

To begin with, we had French Beans, Goat Cheese Walnuts and Balsamic Bianco Salad. These were all usual ingredients of my home-made salad. Fresh French beans, creamy and tangy goat cheese, and walnuts was a classic, if a bit conservative, combination. The French beans were well cooked and crunchy. The portion of Balsamic Bianco dressing was perhaps so generous that some may not like it, however. A little bit of fine-tuning would make it a good appetizer.Another appetizer I picked was fig and ricotta, which came with Parma ham this time. I happily found that a healthy portion of olive oil was added. Apparently, Fiat did take note of the comments. Ham was what you paid for. Ricotta was delicious as usual, but I was not lucky enough to get some really sweet figs. Pecorino cheese spaghetti was one of the dishes on the menu that caught my attention. I certainly appreciate the choice of Pecorino cheese. The spaghetti were covered by the tangy Pecorino cheese and the cheddar nest went well with it. I finished the whole nest on my own, although it was slightly oily. Mussels were cooked to perfect with a welcoming smell of butter. While the white wine sauce was not a “wow”. It was delicious enough for me to finish all the bread with it. Desserts were the best of the night. Although both of them were rich in alcohol flavour, they were complex and moist for my liking. Galliano Syrup was added to the peaches to balance the wine taste and was topped with light vanilla cream. My Affogato was more like tiramisu. I loved it very much. The mascarpone was creamy and the ladyfinger soaked with coffee and wine to the fullest. This dessert might be too strong in flavour to some people, but not me, a coffee and wine lover. If there was something to complain about, it was a bit soggy. I must say Fiat had improved quite a lot, though things could be improved here and there. At least, I did not find the menu boring – this separates Fiat from many other Italian restaurants in the town. If I happen to be in Causeway Bay and want to have something causal, I will pay a visit here.

寫食評本為自娛，記下所食所感，卻因而結識一眾食友，實屬意料之外。Fabulous Jay可謂眾多食友中較投緣的一位，可能是大家都愛健康飲食吧~ 這夜我倆短聚，便選了二人都早想試的Herbivores，來個Girls’ Green Gathering~由於是夜不欲食太多澱粉質，未能一試其fried risotto(看到鄰桌食客的份，賣相不俗)，其推介的miso豆腐又未能勾起我倆興趣，遂主力點頭盤和甜品。Hummus是我最愛的食物之一，平素都會在家自製。這裡的hummus加了紅菜頭，鮮紅色澤甚為吸引，但質地較水，欠creamy，是olive oil和tahini成份不多的緣故，真正食得健康。味道方面，鷹嘴頭乃味淡之物，通常製成hummus要靠garlic和檸檬汁提味，個人偏好重口味一些的 hummus，這裡的hummus較淡，欠缺芝麻味，酸度又不足，不太對我的胃口。
Hummus dip怎能缺少pita bread和蔬菜條~ 蔬菜條夠新鮮，非因久放而水份流失之物。pita bread烘熱過，切成小塊，方便蘸hummus。hummus味道一般，份量又少，不值得試。另一頭盤同樣是輕易可於家中自製的，但至少美味得多。爽甜多汁的青瓜和奶香柔滑的ricotta cheese乃經典配搭，亦是我自製早餐三文治常用的餡料。這頭盤則先將青瓜刨成薄片，再捲著加了松子仁和甜椒粒的ricotta cheese，淋上olive oil，使其更見幼滑。最值得讚的是加了黑醋調味，令味道更豐富，是開胃清新的小食。Organic quinoa salad
沙律菜如預期般新鮮又有菜味，豆腐甚為滑溜，quinoa只作點綴，增加口感，沙律汁充滿柚子香，開胃不過酸，而且拌得均勻，份量其實足夠讓我獨個兒作晚餐。雖然我倆都愛健康食物，但同時亦極愛甜品~!相較之下，其甜品menu似乎更具特色，掙扎好一會才選到兩款較特別的。

Gluten free chocoavocado cake
Gluten free 蛋糕通常都比較結實，不夠軟熟。我就不太喜歡gluten free蛋糕的質感了，尤幸其朱古力味尚算濃郁，加上creamy 的牛油果開心果醬，增加整體的軟滑口感。甜度亦不高，貫徹健康飲食理念。Strawberry Mumba
士多啤梨頗香甜，和lime curd的微酸很合襯，加入香脆可口但又健康的oat crumble，增加層次。整體是清新輕怡的酸甜，唯獨是雪糕味道較人工，有點美中不足。較吸引的頭盤都嚐過了，對健康飲食不陌生的我倆而言，未見驚喜。這區的健康食店不少，其吸引力有待提高。或者，將來有新menu的話，可以結伴再訪吧~

我們的紀念日不多，因為拍拖紀念日正是我生日，我又非事無大小都紀念一番的人。然而，這天我真的想好好紀念，因為身邊人真正感動了我。雖然心裡知道終會走到這一步，但真的來臨時，仍不免感動落淚，或者人生並不需要很多的驚喜，真誠才真正動人。

慶祝紀念日的地點，一定要食物水準穩定。Uno Duo Trio是我早想到訪的店，就趁此機會和CM來，又適逢Restaurant Week，可以信用卡優先訂座，就最好不過。

侍應先送來自家製麵包，軟熟且帶麵粉香。我的頭盤是Insalata di Caprese (Burrata, Rainbow Tomatoes & Pesto)。Burrata水準不俗，富奶香亦夠creamy，內裡尚算軟滑，配搭不同種類的蕃茄，饒有趣味。然而，個人還是偏好甜中帶酸的蕃茄，不會搶去burrata的風頭。Olive oil未免太多，我只好小心避開油陣，以免食得滿咀油膩。CM的Uovo e Tartufo Nero (Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffle)更為吸引。甫上桌，已傳來陣陣松露香，遠較我之前於Grissini吃到的香。炒蛋亦毫不遜色，不僅夠滑溜，更蛋香濃郁，可見用料上乘。附近有位食客聲浪較大，彷彿只有她在談話，店主Lana細心地將音樂聲較大一些，剛蓋過其說話聲，讓其他食客繼續enjoy the dinner~

我掙扎良久才決定點我最愛的risotto，幸好沒有令我失望。要在香港找到好食的risotto絕不容易，中伏機會甚高。是夜的risotto米粒飽滿分明，正是剛熟而保持煙韌的口感。如果燈光夠的話，應該會看到米粒中間保留一點白，周圍呈透明狀的吧~ 每粒米都吸收了湯汁，入口菇香四溢，再加上香氣迷人的黑松露，各項感觀都甚是滿足。(Risotto con Tartufo Nero e Funghi - Black Truffle & Wild Mushroom Risotto)

CM的Lasagnette con Gamberi Rossi di Sicilia (Sicilian Red Prawns Pasta Sheets)同樣出色。Pasta sheet乃自家製，比不少意菜館更出色，煮得帶煙韌，厚薄適中。吸收了紅蝦汁，濃郁極了，不知用上多少紅蝦才能熬出如此醬汁。Secondi 相對較容易選擇，CM毫不猶豫就點了Porchetta - Roast Rolled up Boneless Suckling Pig with Chestnuts & Borlotti，而我猶豫一會後，還是要了海鮮。
Suckling pig外脆內嫩，油潤且帶咸香，水準不俗。兩小塊看似份量不多，卻剛好不會令人膩滯。只是伴碟的醬汁和栗子味道與suckling pig不太夾，而且有些栗子味帶苦澀，乃這道菜的敗筆。我的Cacciucco alla Livornese (Tuscan Seafood Stew)雖然較普通，但總算煮得四平八穩。湯汁乃整道菜的亮點，鮮甜味美，微酸的蕃茄突出海鮮的甜味，濃度亦適中，當然要用伴隨的麵包蘸湯汁來食。海鮮有魚、蝦、青口、魷魚和蜆，肉質仍保持嫩滑不過火，頗為難得。Restaurant week的三道菜至此，雖已飽足，但總要以甜作結，才感完滿，遂另外單點了件Bonet。
Bonet是Piedmont常見的甜品，香港卻不常見，想不到是夜又能一嚐。這裡的bonet是更普及—加了朱古力—的版本，面層的焦糖富有焦香。用叉輕輕切開，已為其濕潤但結實的質感暗喜，結實卻不過硬，夾雜著意大利杏仁餅碎。放進口中，濃郁的朱古力味衝撃我的味蕾，正是我喜愛的甜中帶甘，咖啡味亦毫不遜色，味道細緻。如果你的口味和我一樣，愛咖啡又愛黑朱古力，絕對不能錯過這甜品。整夜無論食物，還是服務，都教我倆滿意，更是我倆會回頭再訪之選。雖然上菜稍慢(相比起法國的上菜速度，其實這裡不算慢，這只是以香港標準而言)，卻反而適合是夜我倆慶祝紀念日，正好讓我們放下平日急促的生活節奏，享受拍拖的時間。對的人，對的事，再花時間也值得。

The philosophy of Enomod is “social dinning”. I must admit that I first found the idea of “social dinning” similar to “the sun rises in the east”. Food connects people; it is not rocket science. However, Enomod’s interpretation of this idea through painstaking attention to detail certainly justified its claim as a place where people can eat to socialize. It also won my respect. Surely even the pickiest foodies in the town will be satisfied in Enomod.The interior design of Enomod was, according to its owner, inspired by the 1930s America. The main themes of the age include migration, the Depression, the ban on alcohol, hedonism, Hollywood, and so on... While personally I think some of the decorations Enomod slightly too “modern”, together they give a fairly good job of shaping the ambiance of that rather interesting (though not necessarily good) times.
I always enjoy watching someone cooking. This is the second best way of learning to cook a dish other than trying it yourself, which may not be always feasible. The owner, Ermanno, kindly demonstrated his skill by cooking us a plate of penne, which is a happy combination of zestfulness of oranges, fresh acidity of tomatoes and the saltiness of chorizos.Ermanno also showcased his collection of vintage slider, espresso machine and the Barrel, and all of the furniture have the logo of Enomod engraved!

The menu was divided into four categories, Stone, Copper, Wood and Ceramics. No, this is not the Gold, Wood, Water, Fire cliche (the utterly tasteless Elements Mall...), these are the materials of the plates for the dishes.Wood: Groccery platter
The eggplant, bell pepper and olive were well-marinated. I always love to have house-marinated items in restaurants because their quality are usually good. I was not disappointed by this dish.Stone: Six hours lamb rump, pistachio crust
Stone was always used to keep the temperature of the food, but this one worked differently. The lamb was a bit too chewy to my liking, but the seasoning was quite stimulating. This might be the less appealing dish of the whole night, at least to me.In the midst of dinner, we were served with the same penne, but this time, cooked by the chef. It was evenly covered with a chilli tomato sauce. Again, we all liked it, though it was difficult to tell whether the chef's penne or the owner's pasta was better.Copper: Chicken Saltimbocca with Buffalo Mozzarella and Lemon Sauce
Despite the well-cooked chicken, the lemon sauce was the star of the dish. The sauce was infused with lemon and meat flavour. I wish I had the palate of Christine Ha, the winner of 3th US Master Chef, so that I could figure out every ingredient and replicate one at home myself.Ceramic: Crispy prawns, citrus scented
The freshly fried prawn was good enough, but this one surprised me more by adding the orange zest. While the prawn was crispy, the orange zest worked like the sweet and sour sauce of Thai-style fried prawn cakes. The Ricotta cheesecake was served in a jar. The cake was topped with pistachio and candied orange peel. It seems that orange zest was a major theme of Enomod that ran through various dishes.The air-tight jar helped to keep the aroma of orange peels. This not only smelled inviting but also tasted good. I would suggest putting the spoon deep down to the bottom to get all the layers, biscuit base, ricotta cheese, pistachio and orange peel together. I literally cleaned the jar.Overall, the dishes were awesomely seasoned and decently executed. Both the chef and the owner were attentive to details. Enomod was definitely able to satisfy the picky dinners who want both quality food and ambience. I am looking forward to trying its wet-aged beef and more Mediterranean dishes.

Italian cuisine is always popular in Hong Kong. Some of the signature dishes are simply everywhere in the town. Tiramisu is one of those dishes. Despite its ubiquity, however, you need some luck to have a good one in Hong Kong. I was really fortunate to have a pretty impressive one in Assaggio.

With warm lighting and cosy wooden furniture, I found the new branch of Assaggio an ideal place for gathering and causal dinning.Acutally, I came here for dinner before having the wine dinner in the Wanchai store. I came here twice in two months. The first time I came, I started with the cold cut and antipasti that was followed by a grilled Tomino cheese. I was glad to have Italian artichoke. No cheese lover could resist the rich and creamy grilled goat cheese melting over your palate. This was definitely a good appetizer for me.With such a good start, I did not expect the Clean Beef Broth with Poached Egg and Parmesan Crouton to be so disappointing. Before following the chef’s recommendation to mix everything up, I tried the broth and it was really tasty. However, the egg yolk and parmesan overwhelmed the beefy taste. It became way too savoury and heavy. Really, I would rather have a simple beef broth.Parmigiana di Melanzane was my favourite appetizer on the menu. Unlike many chain Italian restaurants, this was cheesy but not oily. The eggplant was freshly baked, with a soft but not paste-like texture. I had no doubt on quality of the tomato paste and cheese used here.Without proper brick ovens, Italian restaurants in Hong Kong always failed to deliver authenticate pizzas. However, Assaggio’s pizzas were really good.
Assaggio’s Pizza was thin and crispy. A healthy amount of bubbles in the crust would bring it to another level.

The first time I came, I had a Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) pizza which included Scarmoza, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella and Taleggio. It was so satisfying!I had a Calzone the second time I came. Both the pastry and fillings were rather bland. The biggest problem was the texture of the fillings. It was too crunchy. To provide a soft and cheesy texture and consistent taste, fillings of Calzone are usually cheese with spinach, ham, or mushroom, etc. I was surprised by the crunchy vegetable fillings including broccoli, bell peppers, and string beans. Even the egg could hardly help apart from making it visually more attractive. Perhaps the veggie should be cooked longer before they were filled into the Calzone, or the whole thing could be baked a little longer?

Pasta is another must-try item in any Italian restaurant. Frankly I was not entirely happy with the pasta at Assaggio, though it was certainly better than the average Italian restaurants around. I tried the Handmade Potato Gnocchi with Pork and Porcini Mushrooms Ragu and the Spinosini with tomato and basil. The texture of the Gnocchi was too soft instead of chewy. Spinosinii was far better. There were not many places offering Spinosini, a famous brand of pasta, and we did not hesitate picking this when we saw it on the menu. Spinosini used more eggs than usual and a simple tomato sauce would be a smart matching. Both the tomato base and porcini were awesome.Alhough i was not fully satisfied with the pasta, I was really delighted with the meaty main courses. The Stewed Duck with Wild Mushrooms and Saucy Braised Beef Cheek with Polenta were worth trying. The duck leg was so tender that its meat fell off the bone. The sauce was full of duck and mushroom flavour and I could finish off a whole bowl of rice with this sauce. Instead of potato mash, the beef cheek came with polenta. Polenta was actually corn meal mash, a healthier replacement of carbohydrates. Beef cheek was one of my favourite beef dishes. I liked its tender and slightly-sticky texture. A little longer cooking would be even better.One of the advantages of dinning with a group of friends is that we can try all the desserts on the menu. However, there were only three kinds of desserts available that night. We had apple and Pear Strudel Tarte with cinnamon ice-cream, hazelnut gelato Tartufo served with hot espresso coffee, and tiramisu.

I shall start with the least impressive one. As I have mentioned elsewhere, apple strudel was different from apple pie. The dough should be thin and slightly chewy. Assaggio did it right but it lacked butter flavour. The pear and apple fillings were quite balanced in terms of sweetness and sourness. However, the fruitiness was not apparent. Even the cinnamon flavour of the ice-cream was not strong enough.

The second one was a modified version of afogato. The hazelnut gelato could probably be sweeter to balance the bitterness of espresso. I still preferred the traditional afogato. Tiramisu was the best. I could not help indulging in the smooth and aromatic mascarpone and the moist ladyfinger. I always like the addition of egg yolk to the mascarpone. Stronger coffee and Liquor flavour would bring it to perfection. I had it twice and the quality was happily consistent. This was worth every penny of it.Although some fine tunings are needed here and there, it was generally above average. This has been added to my list of gathering venue. I do hope they will offer better pasta and more choices in the menu.