IL MILIONE (已結業)

名气大过真实。我们慕名以为米芝莲餐厅，食品应该好有水准。怎知碟碟都好失望，尤其那主菜，把乳鸽的内藏醸入乳鸽内，乳鸽极少肉，未淡，而那内藏难食到要吐出。最后以为个甜品好D啦，但都系唔好食，连中意食甜品的小孩子都食吾晒，成餐食完个肚一D都唔满足，仲要成$1600位一个lunch, 真激气 继续阅读

香港的意大利餐厅委实不少, 但要得到米芝莲的推介, 就不是那么容易了. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, l'altro之外, 在14年就多了两个生力军, 分别是Tosca以及Il Milione. 是晚跟文迪庆祝生日, 就选定了Il Milione为目的地, 且看这家米芝莲一星的店子水准如何.Il Milione的意思就是马可孛罗游记, 大厨来到香港, 是否就像马可孛罗一样, 把意大利文化引入香港呢? 星期一的晚上来到, 店子人客不算太多, 大约半满. 其实店子的门面有点像外地的星店, 带点低调的感觉, 但内里的装修就相当华丽. 两口子来到这里庆祝, 单计环境一项, 是相当不俗, 几浪漫的. 看看餐牌, 有不少菜式不太适合大肚婆吃, 就在商议下挑选了三道心水菜式, 再加两款甜品, 应该很满足了.面包: 先来的例牌是面包, 份量相当不少, 很喜欢热辣辣的墨汁包, 够松软, 而grissini亦几香脆, 有水准.Amuse Bouche: 餐前小食是芝士条, 芝士味道香浓, 够脆身. 面头还配上一小块鱼肉, 带点咸香, 两者的配合是几特别的.Tortelli di verza $220: 8分, 淀粉质类的食物比较适合文迪, 就在当中拣了其中两款pasta分吃. 首先吃到的是Tortelli, 这款意大利云吞质感对办, 不会太厚身, 入面的馅料只是简简单单的savoy cabbage, 味道清新, 也是比较健康的食材. 或许只有savoy cabbage会是太寡了, 大厨在面头加上了Ragusa芝士碎片, 芝士香浓郁, 底下就是来自Trasimeno的豆, 是几软稔的, 跟Tortelli同吃, 这个配搭也不俗的.Ravioli di ricotta $360: 9分, 吃完Tortelli之后, 另外一道淀粉质菜式就是Ravioli, 单计摆盘及卖相, 实在是相当精致, 更有法菜的风范. 其实从这些细节位中也可以得知为何店子能够得到一星的荣誉. Ravioli的馅料包括有ricotta芝士以及来自Amalfi的柠檬, 香浓的芝士香跟柠檬的清新味道结合在一起, 是几refreshing的. 伴碟的包括有西兰花, 樱桃番茄以及皇帝蟹肉等等, 鲜甜的皇帝蟹肉正好提升了Ravioli的味道, 令人满意.Filetto di manzo $680: 9分, 主菜方面, 只是拣选了一客, 但其实份量也不少, 足够我们两个人分吃. 这客tenderloin又像是艺术品一般的精美, 当然要先切件牛试试, 肉味浓郁, 肉质相当嫩滑, 中间带点浅粉红, 火候控制得很好. 面头加上了来自Norcia的黑松露, 松露香是几突出的, 跟tenderloin同吃, 有很好的锦上添花功效. 底下还配上一块鸭肝, 煎得很香口, 吸收了牛柳的肉味, 这块鸭肝, 大美味! 当然, 伴碟的还有薯蓉以及洋葱, 也是不容错过的项目呢.Pre-dessert: 甜品还未到, 店方首先送上Pre-dessert, 是炸面包粒, 很香脆, 点上的朱古力酱带相当浓烈的朱古力味道, 小巧的份量, 恰如其分.Cioccolato al cocco $160: 9分, 到了甜品的部份, 先来的是Cioccolato al cocco, 店方推介的甜品. 先切开看看, 朱古力蛋糕没有预期中的流心度, 不过朱古力就是几浓烈的. 很喜欢椰子granita的质感, 椰子香亦很突出, 正好平衡了朱古力的味道. 另外还配上香蕉慕丝, cereal grains以及coffee reduction, 香蕉味道几香甜, 再加上点点咖啡香, 让这客甜品的层次感更为丰富.Bignè caramellati $120: 9分, 另外一款甜品就是Bignè, 其实质感有点像泡芙, 带点脆身, 入面的馅料就是吉士忌廉, 味道香甜, 当中带点点酒香, 因为大厨是加入了Vin Santo在内. 底下的酱汁是由香橙, 柠檬以及红萝卜混合而成, 由于三款食材都是比较清新的, 点上Bignè同吃也会是不俗的配搭.Petit Fours: 其实一早在订位的时候跟店方提及这次是为太太庆祝生日, 吩咐在甜品上加上祝贺语句, 但怎知道两款甜品也没有任何异样, 内心正有点担心之际, 原来店方是把这个环节留在Petit Fours的时候才送上. 造型实在相当之美丽, 如果打算来庆祝生日的朋友, 记得要预先安排呢. 说回Petit Fours本身, 很喜欢madeleine, 质感松软, 味道微甜. 曲奇饼亦很香脆, 加上香浓的朱古力, 这客Petit Fours, 交足功课呢!Il Milione这家一星店子, 无论在食物质素, 配搭, 环境以及服务皆是相当高水准的, 特别要推介Filetto di manzo, Cioccolato al cocco以及Bignè caramellati. 埋单每位$847, 计及这里的地段及整体质素, 还是很合理的. 喜欢吃意大利菜的朋友, 这家一星店会是个很好的选择呢! 继续阅读

中环区已经有不少高级餐厅，当又有一家高级意大利餐厅Il Milione 开张时，我实在很想看看这餐厅有什么不同之处。Il Milione 主要是供应意大利Umbria 一带的菜式，运用新鲜，合时的材料来煮出一些不花巧的美食。Il Milione的主厨是意大利人Marco Gubbiotti，而材料每星期两次由Umbria空运来餐厅。餐厅晚餐价钱每位大概$1,000以上，但最近新推出一个Executive Lunch，$180-$210有一道主菜及一杯酒或其他饮品。主菜份量正常，不算大份，但味道一流，绝对是有水准的一顿午餐!One thing we certainly don't lack in Central is expensive, high-end restaurants that cater to the office crowd. So when the new kid on the block Il Milione opened, it had to distinguish itself from the many other fine dining restaurants in the area.Located on the ground floor of Hutchison House, Il Milione exudes class and elegance as soon as you push open its giant brass door. In tones of black and gold, this luxurious and subtly sombre venue seems destined to become a playground amongst the rich. The bar showcases an unapologetically vast selection of liqueurs - Il Milione currently stocks the largest collection of gins amongst restaurants in Asia, and bartender Giancarlo Mancino (previously of 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo) has designed an impressive cocktails list with a focus on vintage 1930s cocktails. His unique Mancino’s Negroni Ragazzino is worth a mention, as it is made with Giancarlo's own brand of vermouth, Mancino Vermouth.Named after named after Marco Polo’s travelogue, Il Milione's drinks menu is printed on a newspaper-style card, with Marco Polo's image printed on it.Besides the impressive drinks list, the restaurant also serves a fine selection of Umbrian dishes - head chef Marco Gubbiotti, who grew up with Umbrian cuisine, creates simple yet sophisticated offerings using fresh, seasonal ingredients flown in from Umbria twice a week.The service was gracious and polished without being overbearing. The price for dinner is around $1,000 or above per head, which is to be expected for a restaurant of such calibre. However, there is now a new Executive Lunch at Bar, which only costs around $180-$210 and includes one main course and one alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink from a selected list. This is a great bargain for trying out some of Il Milione's refined cuisine and exquisite cocktails!Every dish at Il Milione was prepared with care and attention. Our culinary journey began with some fine Italian breads that were prepared using premium flour and natural yeast. The Umbrian extra virgin olive oil smelled and tasted startlingly fragrant.To me, it is almost a sin to turn down artisanal breads. Seeing how much I enjoyed the bread basket, the manager very kindly brought me some bread that was usually served at dinner - housemade grissini, and bread rolls in four different flavours: pork fat, butter, squid ink and cherry tomato. Each roll was distinctive and delicious in its own way - I felt completely satiated, yet I could not wait to try the other dishes that awaited!(1) Finding it a bit too early to drink, I turned down the enticing cocktails and went for a Detox Drink, made with blueberries, strawberries, goji, brown rice, coconut oil and raw chocolate powder. Not only was this drink packed with nutrients and anti-oxidants, it was also insanely delicious! Fruit bits and brown rice gave it a desirable texture, while the cocoa powder completely lifted its flavours.(2) For a light meal, the Organic Spelt Salad is a healthy option that packs a punch. The organic spelt gave the salad a great bite, while the roasted zucchini, eggplant and red prawns offered a terrific range of flavours. The sauce, made from a prawn reduction, was fully flavoured and tasted sea-fresh.(3) The Gragnano short pasta "Puttanesca" style took a bit longer to arrive, but its flavours were faultless. The pasta was perfectly al dente - the chef could not have done it any better - and was cooked with chopped anchovies, capers and olives in an intentionally salty tomato sauce. This impeccable dish satisfied me from the stomach to the soul.(4) A Spaghetti Mancini with clams from the Mediterranean sea also completely won me over. The spaghetti had the perfect texture, but the real gem was the Mediterranean clams, which were just cooked without being in the heat for a second longer than necessary and were utterly tender. This pasta left me speechless with awe, and at the same time I prayed that the portion was a tad bigger.(5) For those wanting a more substantive main course, the Beef Cutlet "Milanese" style with mashed potato and mixed salad would be your choice. The beef cutlet was attractively dry and crisp on the surface, while marvellously tender in the middle - a simple and brilliant dish that would keep you full and satisfied.(6) Desserts can be ordered separately, and we went for some Deep Fried Custard ($50). Presented in a glass jar, these fried ovals looked ordinary but tasted explosively good. Inside a thin, airy layer of crust was warm, light-as-air custard - this dessert was unmissable.(7) We also shared an Italian Tiramisu ($85). Each spoonful was sublimely creamy, and the crushed biscuits on top of the tiramisu did wonders to it, adding not only exotic flavours but also a magnificent element of crunch.(8) Straying from my preferred latte, I decided to try out the bar's Mauro Espresso Long Drink, which was made with double espresso shaken with home made vanilla syrup (we asked for a non-alcoholic version). This chilled drink was invigorating and tasty even without a trace of milk.Some friends who have visited Il Milione within its first few months of opening thought that the kitchen needed to iron out some kinks. Based on my recent lunch visit, it seems that the restaurant has managed to fine-tune its cuisine, as the execution of dishes was spot on, which showed off the chef's strong foundation in classic Umbrian cooking. With an elegant and luxurious decor, an army of attentive staff and an enviable food and drinks menu, Il Milione is going strong amidst the fierce competition in Hong Kong's fine dining scene. 继续阅读

I visited this restaurant with some friends from out of town. As someone else had picked the restaurant, I didn't know what to expect. The decor was very upscale and trendy, and the service was prompt. The night that we were here, we had 3 set menus to choose from differing by price range. Sharing with a friend, I ended up tasting the food from 2 set menus.The scallop was nicely seared surrounded by a pool of foam. It was cooked just right and tasted naturally sweet.The pasta with the lobster was a bit thick. The texture was a bit doughy but not chewy like other pastas. Didn't really like it.The sea bass arrived on top of a variety of vegetables. The skin was crispy while the fish itself was flakey. The lamb was cooked medium rare while the outside was encrusted with herbs and nuts. The taste was just average and not memorable. The pistachio cream inside the cannoli was too thick. It was hard to finish the whole thing as I prefer desserts to be lighter in texture. Overall it was a nice dining experience but it sure was pricey and I'm not sure it was worth it.  继续阅读

本来想去尖沙咀的Angelini，但一想到鸭仔将整个尖沙咀瘫痪掉的威力，马上打了几下退堂鼓。D提议到和记大厦的新餐厅试试，而我从不知道在那个角落，竟开了一间意大利餐厅。餐厅的门口像有钱人架步，有一扇巨型的门，金碧辉煌。有个像典型意大利黑帮的健硕男人，站在门前凶神恶煞很COOL的模样，但见到我们想推门进去，马上露出亮白的牙齿与我们招呼。推开重型的门，先是酒吧的位置。当时才六点多，侍应说餐厅六点半才开，建议我们先喝一杯。充满冒险精神的我，叫同行的人帮我了杯COCKTAIL。而那里的鸡尾酒，多以意大利酒做主调，附以其它果汁或什么来调和的。喝了第一口后，即时的感觉是：叶问来了！因为那杯东西，只有一个味，就是药酒。同行的人见我喝到皱眉，就咕哝我少见多怪，说意大利酒就是那种味道啦（这间食肆的某些意大利酒，是。自。家。酿。制。的。）！ummm.......好经辛苦才喝完全杯。未足七点，我们已坐进了餐厅。餐前的面包我给他们十个赞！热热的，味道鲜明的，色泽丰富的两盘包放在我们面前，我觉得墨鱼汁那款与蕃茄包都是人间美味。接著经理前来招呼，介绍我们有什么酒好喝；配什么食物可达更佳效果之类。期间我们点了Sparkling Wine，也点了红酒。食物方面，每人要了一个头盘，鸡肉意式云吞就SHARE食，然后每人也要了一个主菜：带子：那个泡沬加上下面的豆子，吃起来不错，但说实在，$200一碟的话，我又觉得不太值。带子煎得只是合格而已。牛肉他他：经理前来说，他们的牛都是很有嚼头的，而且为了要顾客品尝最正宗的味道，他们选择什么调味也不下，希望我们能专注地吃到牛肉的原味。嗯，吃惯重口味TARTAR的我，这刻反而有点不习惯。都OK，不过牛肉的确不是淋滑那种，相反，带点粗犷。鸡肉意式云吞（共四颗，由于我们表明是SHARE来吃，所以上桌时已分好一人两颗）：我不喜欢吃！那个汁，分明就是港式的照烧汁味道！！！而口味与我走两极的D，则觉得这个云吞好味道，又说鸡有鸡味（我吃不出，抱歉）。Suckling Pig：嗯，没什么特别。Beef Cheek + Sirloin：依然是那只牛，很有嚼头！牛仔面不好吃，太干，一点胶质也吃不出，失败！甜品要了berry sorbet + 开心果蓉混合不知什么甜到黐线的东西。嗯，其实是好味和精致的，但我现在不太受得了甜。一看装修，再看地段，就知道是大财团支撑著的餐厅。新净，有格调，每位侍应都西装毕挺。有餐厅的侍酒师，西人与本地侍应是4:6的比例。唯一我的疑问是，既然每位侍应上餐或拿刀叉来时都戴了手套，显得悉心呵护杯碟餐具，但刀叉为何都是花痕斑斑呢？其二，酒杯不是不干净，但明显杯面上有好些细碎的尘埃（或者是抺巾遗留下来的痕迹）。我自问不算苛刻，但作为一间走高档路线的食肆，这个是有必要修正一下的。忘了说，这间的酒水收费，平均是颇贵的。整体而言，感觉都OK，但未必是我想短期再光惠的食肆。 继续阅读