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2019-10-07
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This Italian restaurant is located in The Ritz-Carlton, at the staggering 102th floor of the stately ICC building in TST. With a fantastic view overlooking the Victoria Harbour and the buildings on the two fronts, the restaurant, which has been managed by Chef Angelo Agliano, has been awarded Michelin 1-star status.Arriving early in the evening the restaurant was not yet open, and the staff showed us to the nearby bar to wait out. After a short wait we were seated at the window seat, at a nice
This Italian restaurant is located in The Ritz-Carlton, at the staggering 102th floor of the stately ICC building in TST. With a fantastic view overlooking the Victoria Harbour and the buildings on the two fronts, the restaurant, which has been managed by Chef Angelo Agliano, has been awarded Michelin 1-star status.
Arriving early in the evening the restaurant was not yet open, and the staff showed us to the nearby bar to wait out. After a short wait we were seated at the window seat, at a nice comfortable table allowing us to enjoy the gorgeous view. There is a high ceiling, a nice fountain and majestic chandelier, with the open kitchen in the background where we could see the team busy preparing the food.
I decided to order the 6-course Signature Menu ($1,988), while my wife had the 4-course Piccola Degustation Menu ($1,580). Before the Amuse Bouche we were served a home-made cracker with herbs, as well as three bite-sizes appetizers. The cracker is certainly crispy.
The other bite-sized appetizers include a zucchini and tomato on shortbread. The zucchini has a creamy and rich flavors, while the tomato is certainly intense on the taste. Alongside there is also a deep-fried crab ball with a nice crumb on the outside and a great taste of the crustacean inside. I have a feeling this would be a great meal from these start.
After serving a nice bread with a choice of five olive oils from Sardinia to choose from, we have the Amuse Bouche, which is a layered dish with a langoustine jelly and meat on the bottom, a foam from cream and cheese, with some caviar on top. Recommended to have all the three components together, the langoustine is rich and have a briny taste, balanced well with the light foam and further reinforced by the flavors of the caviar. A fantastic starter.
The first course is Tartare di Hamachi e Ostriche con Salsa allo Yogurt, Pachino Confit e Caviale, it is a tartare made from Hamachi and Gillardeau Oyster, together with Yogurt Dressing, Tomato Confit and Caviar. An interesting blend of the tender flesh of the fish with the creamy oyster, the tartare tasted wonderfully rich, reminiscent of the ocean. The dressing added a slight acidity to freshen up the dish and the caviar further supplemented the savory note. A great dish.
The second course is Vellutata di Zucca e Arancia con Capasanta al Guanciale. The Pumpkin and Orange Veloute is a rich soup, with the sweetness of the pumpkin permeating through. The Hokkaido Scallop is large in size and intense in flavors, with the Guanciale Lard giving a great taste from the cured meat which is surprisingly matched with the scallop. Another nice dish.
The third course is Spaghetti Mancini al Granchio Reale con la sua Bisque e Olio d'Oliva. The spaghetti is truly amazing, with the perfect texture of chewiness and bite, and the bisque fully coated at the pasta to provide tremendous flavors. The Alaska King Crab is meaty and sweet, and overall this is a feast of taste which is one of the best spaghetti I have experienced in town.
The fourth course is Sogliola di Dover con Broccoletti saltati all'Aglio e Olive Taggiasche. The pan-fried Dover Sole has a great firm texture, seasoned perfectly to highlight the original taste of the fish to the extreme. The sauteed broccoli, garlic and Taggiasche olives on the side not only gave extra touch of colour, the mixture of the different flavors created a harmonious experience to the fish, making it vibrant and satisfying.
The fifth course is Kiwami Wagyu Beef con Gnocchi di Patate Dolci ai Funghi di Stagione. The pan-seared Kiwami Wagyu beef sirloin is cooked to medium rare, juicy and full of intense flavors, and I like the jus on top as well. On the side there are sweet potato gnocchi and seasonal mushrooms. The gnocchi is soft and with the natural sweetness from the sweet potato, while the mushroom giving great aromas and a contrasting bite.
Before serving the sixth course, there is a Raspberry Sorbet served to cleanse our palate. Appropriate in sweetness, the sorbet gives the good balance of acidity to make it refreshing and removing the fat from the previous dishes, getting us ready for the dessert.
The sixth and final course is Millefoglie ai Frutti della Passione e Gelato alla Fragola. The passion fruit millefeuille is delicate and I like the citrus taste of the passion fruit making it appealing and not cloying. The strawberry ice cream is decent and the Zabaglione is something I have never tried before. Made from egg yolk, sugar and Marsala wine, it is a great finish for the meal.
We were also served a Petits Fours with a chocolate, a yuzu tart, a hazelnut pastry, as well as a chocolate puff. All of them are great in taste and with a cup of coffee it was a really comfortable, satisfying finale for the night.
The service was great throughout, with the staff coming to explain to us briefly each course. Also, the staff came repeatedly to remove the bread crumbs on the table. While this is nice to keep everything nice and tidy, it is a bit disturbing nevertheless.
The overall bill on the night was $4,078 which is quite reasonable on the price, considering the quality of the food, the overall ambiance and the services provided. Next time I hope I would be able to also have the wine pairing to see how well their sommelier in that respect.
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