I have been feeling a little nostalgic these days and I'm having a hard time getting some of these restaurants, old favorites of mine off my mind. So, I figured perhaps it's time to do a tour on some of the forgotten restaurants this month. Carbone is really not on top of that list but it's definitely on my top 20 and the fact that I haven't visited them since 2015 prompted me to start my tour with them.
Carbone is still one of the most popular restaurants in Central despite the pandemic. The Italian-American restaurant remains buzzing in late afternoon and I was just happy to find myself a table near the restaurant entrance (without advance booking).
Salami – Some welcoming bites from the kitchen, first some salami.
Not bad.
Garlic bread – Really crunchy with an extra kick of spiciness.
Fettuccine with porcini, Pecorino, Nepitella – There was a little drama when I was placing my order this afternoon. I was curious why I wasn't offered the "Set lunch menu" so I raised this to my server's attention (trust me, I was very polite when I asked). But the response, at least the tone of it, was really rude. I still recalled my server raising her voice and said it as if it's a teacher scolding her student, "Sir, the set menu is meant for party of two...". Maybe that was the house rule but last time I checked, I wasn't working for Carbone so it should come as no surprise that I didn't know this by heart. I was obviously offended by her attitude but I didn't let that get to me and affect my mood (I'm going to enjoy my afternoon off no matter what). So, I smiled and replied, "Is that so? I wasn't aware of that..." and I went on ordering this, fettuccine with porcini, Pecorino and Nepitella.
Did I mention they have some of the best pasta dishes around town? I was going to order their signature rigatoni with vodka but with my mildly sore throat, I thought that wasn't a very good idea. Instead, I got this, handmade fettuccine tossed with porcini mushroom and a very light sauce made with Nepitella. It was almost perfect. The pasta could've been a little more al dente but this was more than decent.
New York Lemon Cheesecake – This was the reason I came here in the first place, their signature New York style lemon cheesecake.
It was so creamy and silky smooth. The layer of lemon curd on top provided a very nice, zesty finish. I know $228 is not a small price for a slice of cheesecake but it's certainly an itch worth scratching off despite the heavy price tag.
Finally, some almond cookies to finish the meal off. I could taste some chocolate in there but no almond.
When people talk about Carbone, we always hear words like "small portions" and "expensive" but they've never got any bad rep about their poor service. It was really unfortunate today that one single server ruined the entire dining experience.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 9/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2593-2593
Website: www.carbone.com.hk
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm (Mon - Sat), 6:00pm - 12:00am (Mon - Sun)
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