Il Milione的意思就是馬可孛羅遊記, 大廚來到香港, 是否就像馬可孛羅一樣, 把意大利文化引入香港呢? 星期一的晚上來到, 店子人客不算太多, 大約半滿. 其實店子的門面有點像外地的星店, 帶點低調的感覺, 但內裡的裝修就相當華麗. 兩口子來到這裡慶祝, 單計環境一項, 是相當不俗, 幾浪漫的. 看看餐牌, 有不少菜式不太適合大肚婆吃, 就在商議下挑選了三道心水菜式, 再加兩款甜品, 應該很滿足了.
Amuse Bouche: 餐前小食是芝士條, 芝士味道香濃, 夠脆身. 面頭還配上一小塊魚肉, 帶點鹹香, 兩者的配合是幾特別的.
Tortelli di verza $220: 8分, 澱粉質類的食物比較適合文迪, 就在當中揀了其中兩款pasta分吃. 首先吃到的是Tortelli, 這款意大利雲吞質感對辦, 不會太厚身, 入面的餡料只是簡簡單單的savoy cabbage, 味道清新, 也是比較健康的食材. 或許只有savoy cabbage會是太寡了, 大廚在面頭加上了Ragusa芝士碎片, 芝士香濃郁, 底下就是來自Trasimeno的豆, 是幾軟稔的, 跟Tortelli同吃, 這個配搭也不俗的.
Ravioli di ricotta $360: 9分, 吃完Tortelli之後, 另外一道澱粉質菜式就是Ravioli, 單計擺盤及賣相, 實在是相當精緻, 更有法菜的風範. 其實從這些細節位中也可以得知為何店子能夠得到一星的榮譽. Ravioli的餡料包括有ricotta芝士以及來自Amalfi的檸檬, 香濃的芝士香跟檸檬的清新味道結合在一起, 是幾refreshing的. 伴碟的包括有西蘭花, 櫻桃番茄以及皇帝蟹肉等等, 鮮甜的皇帝蟹肉正好提升了Ravioli的味道, 令人滿意.
Filetto di manzo $680: 9分, 主菜方面, 只是揀選了一客, 但其實份量也不少, 足夠我們兩個人分吃. 這客tenderloin又像是藝術品一般的精美, 當然要先切件牛試試, 肉味濃郁, 肉質相當嫩滑, 中間帶點淺粉紅, 火候控制得很好. 面頭加上了來自Norcia的黑松露, 松露香是幾突出的, 跟tenderloin同吃, 有很好的錦上添花功效. 底下還配上一塊鴨肝, 煎得很香口, 吸收了牛柳的肉味, 這塊鴨肝, 大美味! 當然, 伴碟的還有薯蓉以及洋蔥, 也是不容錯過的項目呢.
Pre-dessert: 甜品還未到, 店方首先送上Pre-dessert, 是炸麵包粒, 很香脆, 點上的朱古力醬帶相當濃烈的朱古力味道, 小巧的份量, 恰如其分.
Cioccolato al cocco $160: 9分, 到了甜品的部份, 先來的是Cioccolato al cocco, 店方推介的甜品. 先切開看看, 朱古力蛋糕沒有預期中的流心度, 不過朱古力就是幾濃烈的. 很喜歡椰子granita的質感, 椰子香亦很突出, 正好平衡了朱古力的味道. 另外還配上香蕉慕絲, cereal grains以及coffee reduction, 香蕉味道幾香甜, 再加上點點咖啡香, 讓這客甜品的層次感更為豐富.
Bignè caramellati $120: 9分, 另外一款甜品就是Bignè, 其實質感有點像泡芙, 帶點脆身, 入面的餡料就是吉士忌廉, 味道香甜, 當中帶點點酒香, 因為大廚是加入了Vin Santo在內. 底下的醬汁是由香橙, 檸檬以及紅蘿蔔混合而成, 由於三款食材都是比較清新的, 點上Bignè同吃也會是不俗的配搭.
Petit Fours: 其實一早在訂位的時候跟店方提及這次是為太太慶祝生日, 吩咐在甜品上加上祝賀語句, 但怎知道兩款甜品也沒有任何異樣, 內心正有點擔心之際, 原來店方是把這個環節留在Petit Fours的時候才送上. 造型實在相當之美麗, 如果打算來慶祝生日的朋友, 記得要預先安排呢. 說回Petit Fours本身, 很喜歡madeleine, 質感鬆軟, 味道微甜. 曲奇餅亦很香脆, 加上香濃的朱古力, 這客Petit Fours, 交足功課呢!
Il Milione這家一星店子, 無論在食物質素, 配搭, 環境以及服務皆是相當高水準的, 特別要推介Filetto di manzo, Cioccolato al cocco以及Bignè caramellati. 埋單每位$847, 計及這裡的地段及整體質素, 還是很合理的. 喜歡吃意大利菜的朋友, 這家一星店會是個很好的選擇呢!
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.
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.
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.
帶子：那個泡沬加上下面的豆子，吃起來不錯，但說實在，$200一碟的話，我又覺得不太值。帶子煎得只是合格而已。
餐廳名字 iL Milione 取自記錄了馬可孛羅在東方所見所聞的「馬可孛羅遊記」，而餐廳的靈魂人物則是來自意大利中部城市 Umbria 的米芝蓮星級大廚 Marco Gubbiotti。Marco 一向喜愛推廣家鄉的 Umbrian 菜式，烹調方法著重原汁原味，同時亦極力提倡「慢食」主義。慢食其實是對抗現今社會流行速食和工業化生產食物的一種信仰，主義的精神是提醒世人要回歸自然，以心來品嚐和享受美食，從而體驗生活中的細節和點滴。
踏入用餐區之後，感覺又仿似跌進了另一個世界一樣。設計師大膽地採用黃黑兩色作主題，兩者巨大的對比，形做出一個較為陰暗的環境、在神秘當中流露出個性，而且感覺氣派不凡。
在四月十二日前，餐廳還在試業當中，因此無論午市或晚市，都只有套餐供應。午餐有兩道菜 ($290) 和三道菜 ($340) 兩款選擇，頭盤和甜品款式不算多，但當中不乏在香港較為少見的意大利菜式。主菜的選擇則比較豐富，除了傳統的意式千層麵之外，還有海鱸魚、菠菜煮豬仔骨、温泉蛋沙律等等六、七款的選擇。
自家醃製三文魚沙律 (Grade: 4/5)
意式蛋麵、蔬菜蓉、雞油菌 (Grade: 4/5)
委內瑞拉朱古力、橄欖油蛋糕 (Grade: 3.5/5)
總結
影片