With the ever-changing dining scene in Hong Kong, local restaurateurs are often on the lookout for fresh ideas to be injected into their business. That was exactly what the Pirata Group was thinking when they converted the old space that used to be a hole-in-the-wall French restaurant called Le Fleur into their new pasta bar, Pici.
Tucked away on the quaint Saint Francis Yard, Pici Pasta Bar is the newest venture by the Pirata Group who also owns Pirata, The Optimist and the recently opened Tokyolima. The decor of the two-storey space boasts a modern and intimate vibe which is perfect for its casual Italian theme.
The food menu is going to be a very simple one that features an affordable array of pastas all freshly handmade daily by the team.
Vitello tonnato - Help to kick things off for me was this classic Italian starter of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce made with tuna. A very nice and well portioned dish that managed to put a smile on my face.
Tagliatelle, Italian sausage, spicy nduja, cherry tomato - I was all set to take on their papperdelle until I saw the words "lamb ragout" right next to it so I went with their homemade tagliatelle instead. I had very high expectations for this and thankfully they delivered.
I really enjoyed the perfect bite of the al dente tagliatelle which was nicely matched with some spicy Italian sausage, arugula and cherry tomato sauce. With this little portion, I thought I could very easily have two of these on my own.
Traditional tiramisu - Finding a good tiramisu in Hong Kong could be a little challenging at times. Trust me, I have been down that road before.
But I thought Pici has a really nice one here with a good balance of coffee, mascarpone cream and liqueur (masala?). The mix of sweetness, bitterness and creaminess was perfect. Maybe I should add this to my top ten list!
Nothing flashy, just some good old hearty Italian fare using some of the freshest ingredients from the market to go with the freshly handmade pasta. Would I come back to this little pasta bar? You bet I will!
Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: 16 Saint Francis Yard, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2755-5523
Website: www.pici.hk
With Akrame and 22 Ships currently in my doghouse, I was down to just a few preferred dining options in Wanchai and so I decided it's time to go back to The Pawn for a quick visit. Ever since they started their collaboration with chef Tom Aikens, I found myself coming back here a lot more coz there's now more than just the nostalgic vibe.
Butternut squash soup - I love butternut squash and that's how it all started for me today, a bowl of warm butternut squash soup. Before they poured the soup in, I got a glimpse of this busy-looking dish that also featured scoops of poached pumpkin, honey yogurt, flower crumbs and last but not least, some toasted pumpkin seeds.
This tasted pretty darn good, especially on a chilly day like this. It made my stomach a tad warmer.
Slow-cooked cod fish - On most given days, I would have gone with the roasted chicken roll in a heartbeat but not today. Not when the medical report for my regular check-up was still sitting warm at home. Oh yes, I have made a renewed commitment to eat healthy again!
I was in need for something a little more plain and less oily. And that pointed to the direction of their slow-cooked cod fish. This was pretty bland (as one could tell from the color of the fish) but the coconut lemongrass risotto with edamame and lotus root chips made it slightly more interesting (than it really was).
The Pawn's tiramisu - Okay, I was supposed to stay away from dessert but I couldn't. I mean how could one hide from a dessert menu that is highlighted by their signature sticky date pudding and The Pawn's tiramisu.
I knew this was going to be a deconstructed tiramisu all the way and I turned out to be right on the money. On top of the mascarpone cream, chocolate sponge (no ladyfinger) and coffee jelly were a scoop of coffee ice-cream and espresso granita. It was fairly decent but somehow I found the sweetness and bitterness not harmonizing each other as well as I thought they would.
I think I have said it a few times here already - The Pawn is more suited for dinner than lunch (coz the lunch menu offers very limited choice) and looks like I was spot on again.
Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: 62 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2866-3444
Website: www.thepawn.com.hk
I finally got the chance to visit one of the newcomers to the local dining scene this weekend. Located in the Gateway Arcade of the bustling Harbour City, Blue Elephant Thai Brasserie is a modern Thai restaurant that has been very dedicated to promote Thai cuisine internationally. They already have a lot of overseas presence including London, Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen; and obviously they have no plans of slowing down. Apart from this business arm which offers their brand of Thai cuisine with a contemporary twist, they are also pretty strong with their cooking school and catering services.
Their exquisite interior design was a very impressive start and I was hoping that their East-Meets-West food menu could deliver the same pleasant surprise.
While I was waiting for my food to arrive, I took some time to check out the venue which was huge!
There's a dining area hidden at the back with a partial harbour view.
Stir fried baby cabbage with fried shrimps and fish sauce ($78) - The baby cabbage was nice and crisp and I like the fact that they were not oily or over-seasoned like we've seen from some Thai restaurants. Not bad.
Crispy garlic soft shell crab ($88) - Despite the less-than-attractive presentation, this was pretty tasty. The soft shell crab was deep fried with garlic, mixed herbs and served with a mildly spicy tamarind dipping sauce on the side.
Stir fried rice noodle with pork neck and vegetable ($138) - They have a fairly good stir-fried rice noodle too with just enough oil to make it mighty tasty yet not enough to be overly greasy. The "wok air" (鑊氣) was not bad so presumably it was fried under pretty high heat.
Thai Brasserie spare ribs ($138) - This came in a small package (4 pieces) so the three of us had to literally fight for that extra piece.
I thought these were very tender and juicy (Some might think it's a little too sweet but that's okay with me.). Looks like the marinated pork ribs were first slow-cooked before finishing on the grill. That should help to explain why the ribs were slightly crunchy outside but the flesh remained soft and moist inside. Love the sweet and spicy flavors from the Thai-style plum sauce providing the ribs something extra to work with. Very nice.
Blue Elephant has been fairly aggressive in expanding its territories over the past few years. I have seen them in a number of food festivals and also in pop-ups such as Commune A7 in Taipei most recently. And judging from what we tried at lunch today, they've got a nice restaurant here in Hong Kong offering some very good modern Thai dishes.
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 3303, 3/F, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2328-2328
