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2021-06-16
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Summary: Spectacular prices and quite un-spectacular food had me scratching my head the entire meal. Neither the ingredients nor the execution justify the price, so you’re paying a LOT for the (wonderful) service and (fine?) ambience. Maybe that’s the Black Sheep formula, but I just don’t get it. If you find yourself there, try the Rigatoni Vodka, which is indeed delicious (though it’s pretty easy to make at home too). The portions aren't even big!I’ve heard about Carbone for YEARS. vodka sauce
I’ve heard about Carbone for YEARS. vodka sauce pasta, giant portions, awesome food, worth the price, vodka sauce pasta, etc etc but its selling point as (FANCY) old school Italian American food never did it for me… American Italian is so heavy and saucy and full of meat and cheese; not my thing, especially at this price point. Nevertheless, I thought before I leave HK, and because my mother was in town, that we should try it at least once, so we did for Sunday lunch (which is a la carte btw – lunch menu is only for weekdays and Sat)
Here’s the menu:
Small menu, which can be a good thing, but the appetizers did feel rather limited. Everyone gets a few nibbles to start, including a chunk of grana padano charmingly carved out of a wheel tableside, some salami milano and a piece of garlic bread. Was wondering where the bread was during the meal but there was nothing soaking up with bread anyway (my beloved scarpetta)
Here’s what we ordered:
Octopus Pizzaiolo
Roasted fingerling potatoes and octopus, under a bunch of roasted red peppers and onions - nothing offensive, but more pleasantly edible than interesting or delicious.Sizzling Pancetta
Classic presentation, but the pancetta, while tasty and chewy without a ton of fat, was... just a piece of pork. Didn't get any depth of flavor besides the salt and fat. Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce
The one Italian dish I really miss from America - cream, tomato, vodka, and at Carbone, a bit of spice. A great dish, with the flavor/acidity of the tomatoes and small amount of spice offsetting the creaminess, which helps to coat all the rigatoni. You'd think for the price they'd give you a little more though... this is enough for maybe 1.25 peopleChicken Massimo
For Sunday lunch none of us wanted red meat, so apart from fish (which I never trust at fancy places) and a $658 veal parmesan *facepalm*, this chicken was all we had to choose from. It was... just not good. The balsamic glaze is so mild as to be inconsequential, and the extra balsamic sauce is more sour and watery than rich and umami-filled. The chicken was more or less nicely cooked, but with so little flavor, it was just a roasted chicken with too much white meat. And where were my artichokes? This is a dish I'd frankly expect at a HK-Western restaurant for like 120$, not at a 1-star restaurant for $348. Infuriating!One note on the great service: they asked how the meal was going and I gave them the above feedback on the chicken. After apologizing for what they seemed to know was a kind of blah dish, they gave us an extra lemon cheesecake on the house, which was very nice. Overall, the service is excellent, with Anna in particular knowledgeable, friendly and obliging.
Sides
Potatoes Sergio
Have to say, the sides were tremendous - Potatoes Sergio are boiled fingerling potatoes that are then smashed, fried, then roasted and covered with herbs. Terrific crunch in the skin and delicious with salt and olive oil.Broccoli AOP
Can't say I've ever had more delicious broccoli - tons of tasty herbs, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice (I think) make for a delicious combination. Even my friend who hates broccoli ate a bunchDessert Tray
Lemon Cheesecake
Tiramisu
The desserts were very good but also like 220+ per piece. Bonkers.Overall: it was pretty much American Italian food as I remember it, though much more expensive and with a lot less flavor; so in fact, nothing at all like I remember. They went with heavy doses of nostalgic tableside serving at the expense of real innovation or execution; I'm still not sure what it meant that the sides were the best part of the meal. We didn't have anything at Carbone that I haven't had better in other places for less, apart from the Rigatoni with Vodka. Maybe we missed the red meats (though how special can those be?) and only had one pasta (though they others seemed very standard), but I think we tried enough.
The portions were frankly, small, relative to the price and execution. Say what you want about the elegance or subtlety of the Chicken Parm at Gino's in NY, but you won't be going home hungry, that's a promise. I couldn't even get that out of a dish at Carbone for 3x the price.
For the three of us it was $2100, without alcohol (but with mineral water) and that's a lot. I was just complaining about how expensive Lucale was last month, but at least they had some truly outstanding and unique dishes. I just don't get how Carbone is worth it, or why it has such a fervent following.
Side note; Vodka-Cream-Tomato Pasta a super easy dish to make at home - after this meal, I'm more inspired to try it again, or at least settle for the cheaper one at Posto Pubblico.
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