Carna by Dario Cecchini (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

With my birthday just around the corner, I got a ping from my buddy V a couple of weeks discussing our usual gathering. We threw a number of dining options around before finally deciding on Carna by Dario Cecchini.

Perched on the 39th floor of Mondrian Hotel, Carna brought back some nice moments from the past, with images of its former life as Panorama flashing through my mind.

I did my homework on the man behind Carna. Dario Cecchini widely considered one of the world’s best butchers, is an eighth generation Italian butcher from Panzano in the Chianti Region of Italy. He is also a respected restaurateur with restaurants all around the world. I think we should be glad that he's bringing his world-class butcher cuts to Hong Kong.

Available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only, Carna's "Butcher's menu" offers a limited-time four course feast for HK$688 only.

Chianti tartare – We got to choose two starters from the list and this was an easy choice for both of us.

Crafted from succulent beef rump cuts, the beef tartare features a classic interpretation from the Tuscan cuisine elevating the beef's natural flavor with a touch of Carna's secret salt, dusting of smoked paprika, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and finally got finished off with zesty yuzu jam and rich egg yolk curd. Not bad.

Trippa alla Maremmana – This was my call cuz I love Italian beef tripe so much. The braised Italian beef tripe was paired with a rich tomato sauce, alongside some chili, chickpea purée and mint.

Risotto di Manzo alla Milanese – The creamy saffron risotto was made with carnaroli rice which was touted for its firmer bite. It was topped nicely by braised beef cheek ragout, parmesan, dill oil and Gremolata. Yum~!

Costata di Manzo – Our main event was Italian Pezzata Rossa (800g), dry-aged for 35 days and served with Dario’s stewed white beans when and sautéed spinach.

This was incredibly meaty. I found the meat to be really flavorful and lean yet very juicy.

Tiramisu di Casa – I better add this to my "10 Best tiramisu in Hong Kong" cuz it was so good! Layers of savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers) topped with mascarpone cream, coffee and rich chocolate. The portion was pretty generous too as it could easily feed four people.

We didn't get a window seat tonight so the only chance to admire this harbour view was when we were waiting for the elevator to arrive.

Many thanks to my buddy for a very special treat. Carna was a place that has been on my radar screen for quite some time. I didn't feel the urge to try it myself mainly because Jelloman and little nugget weren't crazy about steaks. It was nice to check it off my list.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 39/F, Mondrian Hotel, 8A Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 3550-0339

Website: https://mondrianhotels.com/hong-kong/dining/carna/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Sat - Sun), 6:00pm - 12:00am (Mon - Sun)