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2011-12-23
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My initial draw to Doppio Zero, a little hidden gem in Shueng Wan, was their pasta dishes which seemed to have some interesting combinations of ingredients, as well as the appearance of "Whipped Lardo" on the menu. Friends of mine probably all know my addiction to lardo. In fact one of my earliest posts on OR was exactly about lardo. http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=1990116So what is whipped lardo It's basically blending, whipping, and straining solid lardo until
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=1990116
So what is whipped lardo It's basically blending, whipping, and straining solid lardo until it reaches a fine creamy consistency resembling whipped butter. Whipped lardo was not a new thing in New York, as it was served free with the amazing bread basket at Del Posto, the only Italian restaurant that received 4 Stars in New York Times. When I lived in Manhattan I went to Del Posto almost every other month, one of the reasons being my craving for the heavenly whipped lardo.
in Hong Kong, I finally found a place, Doppio Zero, that makes whipped lardo in house. During several visits, I was delighted to find that they also served up many other excellent dishes. Here is a summary of dishes in 3 visits:
Truffled Fried Oysters - Creamed Spinach / Black Truffle Aloli
Presented on top of a bed of coarse salt(2 per severing) , these fried oysters were delicious gems with crispy coating, plump oyster flesh, and just the right amount of black truffle note. The mildly citrusy creamed spinach helped to round out the overall flavor.
Fritti Misti – Crispy Mixed Seafood, Malt Vinegar & Parsley Sauce
Crispy polenta crust, delicious parsley sauce. The polenta coating was too crumbly and some fell apart from the seafood, but it retained crispiness even after it turned cold. This dipping sauce would go well with literally any fried food.
.Burrata – Eggplant Jam / Parmigiano Crisp/ Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
I thought the burrata was ok in consistency, as we actually came on a day quite far from their shipment.
Crispy Sweetbreads – Spiced Carrot Sauce / Gorgonzola
The sweetbreads were small and quite firm inside, and I thought they were overshadowed by the thick coating and the sauce. Personally I prefer my sweetbreads to be creamier with less adornment so that its own flavor can stand out more.
.Affettati – Prosciutto / Speck/ Whipped lardo / Grilled Focaccia
While most people probably order this dish because of the prosciutto and speck (which were ok in quality), the WHIPPED LARDO is what I considered as the real star of the whole assagini section of the menu.
The whipped lardo here is created with lardo di Colonnata, the highest quality of lardo you can find. The lardo is purchased in big blocks in vacuum bags, rubbed with dry herbs such as rosemary for preservation and aroma purposes. It is then processed through several food processors and pressed through a fine gauze to get to the "butter-like" stage.
It was served with a little seasoning and olive oil. When spread across hot bread, it is just pure heaven. This whipped lardo is also incredible with pasta or meat! MIx a little into hot food, and you will find that it really brightens up the dishes in a surprising way!Primi:
Most of the pasta here are made freshly in house every day. While it was understandable that fresh pasta tends to be softer and with less “bite” than the dry ones, in our first visit we found our fresh pasta dishes cooked slightly softer than expected. During subsequent visits we requested very specifically to have the pasta cooked more al dente, and the dishes came out great in texture.
Spaghetti Neri – Baby Cuttlefish / Thai Chilies / Scallion / Tomato
Pasta Type: Fresh
During our first visit this pasta was fiery hot. On a subsequent visit it was much toned down with only mild spiciness. The overall flavor was definitely vibrant, with an intricate combination of tangy tomatoes, oceanic savory and sweet cuttlefish, and spicy Thai chili. The crunchy cuttlefish also provided a nice textural contrast compared to the soft fresh homemade spaghetti.
Ravioli – Red Wine Braised Beetroot / Gorgonzola / Italian Butter / Poppy Seeds
Pasta Type: Fresh
A playful and original dish, the burgundy-colored wine braised beetroot puree was wrapped under thin soft ravioli skin. The unique flavor of the beetroot was nicely complemented by the mild sharpness of the gorgonzola and the creaminess of the butter sauce . The poppy seeds provided some nice little crunchy bits.
.Chitarra – Sea Urchin / Crab Roe / Amaranth
Pasta Type: Fresh
With pasta swimming in thick creamy sea urchin sauce, this dish was hearty and filling. The flavor wasn’t one-dimensional (of sea urchin) due to the presence of amaranth, but you could still find amble bits of sea urchin in the sauce.
Spaghettini - Bottarga / Razor Clams / Orange Zests / Toasted Bread Crumbs
Pasta Type: Dry
The flavor of bottarga didn’t quite stand out but it was interesting to pair the umami flavor with a little citrusy note from the orange zest. I enjoyed the texture of the bread crumbs being mixed into the spaghetti.
.Duck Egg Raviolo (Special)
Pasta Type: Fresh
This was simply an amazing dish. Besides filled with the decadent duck egg yolk, the raviolo (yes, singular, with one giant raviolo per serving) also had shredded pear (marinated with white wine, lemon skin, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorn, etc.), ricotta, and 5 spices, contributing to a sweet and savory filling at the same time. When cut open the thin ravioli skin, the bright shiny runny duck egg yolk oozed out and swirled with the Italian butter and pecorino sauce, creating a the savory luscious emulsion.
Complemented by the sweetness and creaminess of the pear and ricotta filling, this was certainly rich, comforting, and satisfying. We found that adding a little whipped lardo to the dish simply made it from great to heavenly!Duck Egg Tagiolini with White Truffle (Limited Time offer)
Pasta Type: Fresh
During December, Doppio Zero was offering white truffle from Alba with their pasta.
The pasta was fresh made with 00 flour and duck egg yolk, dressed in a light Italian butter and parmesan cream sauce. They were offering it at $250 for the dish, shaving 4 grams+ of white truffle from Alba. Certainly a bargain price!
While the white truffle was not the most aromatic I had this year (that was at Pierre), for that price and quantity you couldn’t really ask for more.The duck egg yolk gave the fresh pasta a nice bouncy and chewier texture and an excellent mouthfeel.
.Secondi:
Grilled USDA Prime Ribeye - Anchovy & Roasted Garlic Butter / Bone Marrow / Gremolata
This was arguably one of the best dishes here. The ribeye was perfectly grilled to medium rare as requested each time, tender and juicy with relatively good beef flavor and marbling. The bone marrow was sinfully decadent; paired with the succulent steak it became the best steak lubricant (yes, butter was not really needed). Call us crazy but when we applied a little whipped lardo to the steak the overall flavor really elevated to the next level. If you don’t trust it try it yourself!
This ribeye definitely beats out many mediocre steaks at expensive steakhouses out there! Milk Braised Boneless Suckling Pig - Roasted Mushrooms / Truffled sauce / Toasted Hazelnuts
Instead of the common Spanish-styled suckling pig with crispy thin skin, Doppio Zero offered a completely different version, with a whole suckling pig deboned and stuffed with chopped off / edible meat. It was then tied up, grilled, and baked with milk (w. veal stock) in the oven at a very low heat until very tender!
Served as medallions with mushroom sauce, the result was a soft gelatinous exterior (think pig’s trotters!) with really tender and moist meat inside!
The sauce with mushroom was very very rich and creamy. (seems heavier in my 2nd visit) It was made with remaining stock from baking, blended till smooth with the addition of black truffle sauce and nutmeg to form the final sauce. To finish off the dish it was combined with some mixed seasonal shrooms (buttoncap / shitake / oyster) and hazelnuts. This is hearty and delicious but I recommend sharing it among 4 people (or more if you were to have a lot of pasta) due to its super richness.
Desserts:
Coconut Panna Cotta -Kaffir Lime Gelee / Chocolate Chili Wafer
While the flavor was refreshing and light, this was not my favorite as it was heavy on gelatin, almost resembling a firm jello.
Chocolate Semi-Freddo Sundae - Salted Caramel / Brittle / Amarena Cherries
The salt and caramel flavors were not very profound, but the chocolate semifreddo was delicious and intense in chocolate flavor, definitely good for choco-lovers
.Affogatto - Milk Tea Gelato / Espresso Shot / Peanut Butter Cookie
This is a brilliant creation as the milk tea and espresso flavor combination is a direct Italian translation of Ying-Yang beverage in HK. Well balance of bitterness and sweetness here, and the peanut butter cookies were addictive! I have to buy a bag home!
.Overall I found Doppio Zero to be original in many recipes, and very reasonable priced. Dishes are rustic, homey, and hearty, particularly comforting in this current weather. I am surprised that it wasn't getting more attention, and that's why I am here, to give it a big shout!
Other Info. :
* There are specials every week so please ask the restaurant for recommendations
** Depending on what you order, dinner cost may from $300-600.
The [b]website of the restaurant[/b], with full menu, bios of chef, map, etc., is here:
http://www.doppiozero.com.hk/
Their [b]Facebook URL [/b]is:
https://www.facebook.com/DoppioZeroHK
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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