40-46 Avenue Sir Anders Ljungstedt, Macau
Visited 5th December 2009 
The first weekend in December and yet again it's time for the Macau Marathon. The night before the big race a group of us got together for a feed at Antica Trattoria. A few friends have recommended this Italian joint and we thought we'd give it a go in the name of carb-loading. It's on the second floor in a bit of an odd location; halfway between Fisherman's Wharf and the city centre. Climbing the stars you certainly get the impression of an Italian restaurant; red bricks, timber and a walls covered with the usual black and white photos of old Italy; I'm even sure I saw a few old style Chianti bottles stuffed with candles.
The menu was packed with all the usual suspects; pasta, pizza and a selection of grilled stuff. There actually looked like a really good selection of antipasti on offer, but instead we shared a gorgonzola pizza to start. The pizza itself was OK - thin base, rich tomato sauce and too much cheese - but what blew me away was when the waiter came over and told me I couldn't take photos of the food. WTF? Was he serious? When he asked me to stop snapping he was smiling and I thought he was joking, but no, seriously you couldn't take photos of the food. Is this legal? Anyway, as you'd imagine we all went for pasta and the serves of bolognese, pomodoro and lasagna spun past, but my selection was tortellini with mushrooms. The cheese filled pasta dumplings were good and added to the rich creamy sauce made a filling dish with plenty of flavour from tasty mushrooms. I also helped a friend finish her disappointing cannelloni; it was too dry, heavy on the ricotta and lacked the flavour and texture of sufficient spinach. The couple of desserts that others ordered looked OK, though one friend was pretty frustrated that her lemon gelato was served in a lemon; her reasoning was a lemon is a lot smaller than a bowl and she wanted more than too mouthfuls. Playing at being athletes we all drunk soft drink or water. 
My visit was tarnished by the fact I was shocked and kind of frustrated at been told I couldn't take photos, but I started annoyed when even though I'd rung from Hong Kong to book they had no record of it. My mate, Mr Camera Police, was actually an efficient and friendly bloke, though a couple of the other waitresses were a bit slow on the uptake. The pizza was just OK and the cannelloni average, however I did enjoy my tortellini and most of my friends seemed happy with their meals. Food in Macau is normally pretty good value, but in this case I thought Antica Trattoria to be, if anything, a bit overpriced. Our bill came to over $200 a head which for a bowl of pasta, a slice of average pizza, mouthful of dessert and glass of Coke isn't fantastic. For those looking for an authentic feed of Italian Antica Trattoria meets the criteria, though I have to wonder why visitors would bother when there're a heap of great Portuguese joints in town.
49 Elgin St, Soho
Visited 7th November 2008
Found at the top of the escalator in Elgin Street Fat Angelo's has a reputation for offering massive serves of wholesome Italian food at reasonable prices. The big restaurant is decked out to look like your typical family Italian joint with all the expected black and white photos, empty Chianti bottles and associated paraphernalia/junk.
I'm sure you could all tell me the menu at Fat Angelo's; it's standard Italian fare - pizza, pasta, risotto and grills - though they
offer the choice of 'normal' or 'family' sized portions. My friends ordered pizza, pasta and ribs, while being a good Aussie bloke I couldn't go past the chicken parma. I was however disappointed with what was served to me; it was dry and tough and came with just a couple of fries and two bits of broccoli. My friends had mixed comments about their grub; the pasta with snow crab was enjoyed, while the ribs were apparently average and the sparsely decorated pizza a big disappointment, especially as $12 extra was paid for about four tiny pieces of pineapple. To drunk we started with bottles of Sol and then moved on to a very average and over priced bottle of Vene Merlot.
Fat Angelo's didn't impress me at all. To be fair the bloke who serviced us was efficient and friendly, but seemed to be in a serious rush the whole time. I thought the wine was terrible and over-priced, while the food was average. I'm a bit confused about why Fat Angelo's is famous for 'huge serves' as to get these larger portions you need to pay a larger price. We all ordered 'normal' sized portions and there was nothing monstrous about them at all. Our bill came to $916 for four basic mains, garlic bread, two beers and a terrible bottle of wine; I can't really see how this particularly good value? Cheap and cheerful Italian is a great thing and this is the angle Fat Angelo's is going for, but unfortunately they're not cheap, not cheerful and the food's certainly not worth the effort of climbing the escalator for. There are a lot better options around, even in pricey Soho.
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25 Queens Rd East, Wanchai
Visited 25th June 2008
Wednesday was rather eventful: a typhoon signal 8 meant school was cancelled, I spent an eternity shopping in the never ending maze of frustration that is IKEA and my umbrella split in two and blew away down Leighton Rd in the middle of Causeway Bay. When I staggered into il Bel Paese I was tied, wet, frustrated and craving caffeine. This deli, come café, come produce store is one of my favourite places for lunch on Hong Kong Island. Downstairs there’s a takeaway counter and a fabulous selection of cheeses and 
cured meats, while upstairs there’s a few tables in the middle of tempting shelves of Italian wine and dry goods.
I ordered a coffee and a serve of spaghetti with meatballs and retired upstairs to dry out and refuel. The pasta was just what I needed on such a wet and raucous day; the tasty pork meatballs were smeared in a lush tomato sauce that was enhanced with generous amounts of olive oil and fresh oregano leaves. In Italian tradition everything at il Bel Paese is severed with bread and the slices of airy white loaf I was given worked a treat to soak up the left over sauce.
I go out of my way to eat at il Bel Pacese as the traditional food is honest, tasty and good value. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, service is informal and relaxed, lacking any of the stiff formality and pretentiousness that dominates so many of Hong Kong’s western restaurants. The fantastic selection of Italian groceries are good value, especially compared with the piracy just up the road at the so called ‘Great’. The one problem is not walking with too many bottles of Italian wine.
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1 Minden Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui
Visited 23rd May 2008
I only time I ever seem to go to TST is Friday nights and this week we explored the strip of bars along Minden Ave. We enjoyed happy hour cocktails and bar snacks at the retro and velvety Boozeroo Lounge before rumbling stomachs got the better of us and we chanced upon Giardino Ristorante. It's an Italian place located on the corner of Minden Ave and Minden Row, just behind the Chungking 
Mansions. While the tables are neatly dressed with crisp white tablecloths, the restaurant itself is pretty worn; it’s most striking feature is a huge plastic tree that dominates one wall - very strange indeed.
The menu is typical Italian and I went for lasagne. The square serve of that greeted me was pretty tasty, though I would have liked to have seen a garnish of some sort. Naomi ordered spaghetti carbonara with "spicy sausage", which was a hideous dish; the spaghetti was congealed and lacked flavour, while the "spicy sausage" was a cured meat that was too dry to chew and both stunk and tasted of repulsive off garlic. One of our companions really enjoyed her gnocchi with blue cheese; the sauce was creamy and well balanced and a little potato dumpling tender and tasty. Our other companion wasn't as happy with his 'pizza Giardino' and said it was the worst he'd had in Hong Kong. He complained of a dry base, lack of topping and flavourless cheese. As it was Friday night I was keen 
for another beer, but quickly changed my mind when I saw the prices that were being asked. $64 for a basic spirits and $48 for bottles of beer seemed too much, instead we all stuck to tumblers of water.
Giardino Ristorante is really pretty bizarre. The whole place is outdated and very 'old school'. The menu is tied, the decor is tied and the plastic tree is most certainly tied (and extremely dusty). To be fair the potions were a good size, my friend's gnocchi was excellent and my lasagne was OK, but the others were really disappointed with their meals. The service was friendly if non-personal. The food was fairly priced; $99 for Naomi's and my pasta, $118 for the gnocchi and $128 for the pizza, but booze was too expensive. Perhaps a few years ago Giardino Ristorante would have been a hip little spot, but now it's in need of a revamped menu, a face lift and competitive prices. I wouldn't dream of coming here again when Unit 798 is just a short walk away. 
3 Tat Fai Path, Yuen Long
Visited 14th May
Tucked away on the 'promenade' next to Yuen Long's fragrant storm-water drain is Savour Cafe. It's a small restaurant that tries to bring a bit of extra class to the fringes of Hong Kong's greatest and already extremely classy town. The restaurant isn't huge and probably only has about twelve tables, there's a bar against the back wall, low lighting and a nice, but pointless selection of empty wine bottles.
While we thumbed through the Italian themed menu we were treated to a good looking bread basket with rolls, slices of garlic bread and bread sticks. The selection on offer was classic Italian - salads, pasta, risotto and pizzas - but there was also a hint of wank fac
tor with blobs of foie gras, truffle and prawns scattered in some strange places. I chose a baked fillet of cod topped with olive and Parmesan. The serve wasn't huge, but the tender fish was well cooked and served with tasty ratatouille and oven roasted tomatoes. Naomi's chunky fillet of pork was pretty nice though the sauce was a bit of a non-event, especially as it lacked any hint of the promised figs. Our companions enjoyed their smoked salmon fettuccine and orange roughy. I finished with a good coffee and Naomi had a huge rap for the 'authentic' tasting cheese cake. We both started with a bottle of Dutch cider, though perhaps a little sweet, the pear based drink was delicious. The small winelist wasn't cheap, but had some interesting options; unfortunately I didn't get to try any as I was stuck with a bunch of miserabl
e non-drinkers. I ended up with a glass of house white; an OK, but oaky Chilean Chardonnay.
Savour Cafe has a lot to live up as it seems to thrive in its own hype. While I found the food good it was nothing spectacular and the serves weren't huge. It definitely gets points for a pleasant atmosphere and a touch of style; the coffee cups were very cool and Naomi's cheesecake was beautifully presented. The service was super friendly though a touch erratic oscillating between in your face and absent. All up a pretty good rap, but I just find it difficult to pay the prices being asked; why would I pay $140 for a bowl of pasta I can get at Olivia for $58 or $220 for a fish fillet when one just is good is available from the New York Cafe for $95? Savour Cafe is a good option if your boss is paying or it might be worth checking out their more reasonably priced afternoon tea sets.
43 Elgin St, SoHo
Visited 25th January
It was Australia Day weekend and my brother was passing through town, so we thought we'd checkout a few Hong Kong restaurants with Australian connections. Cantina Cecconi's was our first stop; a modern Italian restaurant that is the Hong Kong incarnation of a popular Melbourne eatery. Located on Elgin St, the place was bursting with a jovial Friday night crowd. The tables were packed close together, the décor is slick and modern and the place has an excited, vibrant feel.
Cecconi's is all about Italian food with a menu sprouting many of the classics as well as a few more interesting options. I had a serve of seared scallops to start; presented atop their shells the six pan-fried scallops weren’t huge, but were extremely tasty. My brother indulged in a ball of baked mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and served with radicchio salad; a delightful mix of textures and flavours with delicious saltiness countered by the sharpness of the salad leaves. For a main I went with slow cooked rabbit that was so meltingly tender it was falling off the bone. The generous portion of rabbit had a stew like consistency and was served atop a pile of wet polenta; a filling and satisfying dish. My brother and his partner both enjoyed their lamb shanks, but Naomi found he
r pork 'cotaletta' a little too tough. The drinks were flowing we had a couple of tasty bottles of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a delicious Italian white, and a decent bottle of Valpolicella.
The packed intensity of Cecconi's on Friday night was pretty full on and it seemed the type of place you'd have to be in the mood for; certainly not an option for a romantic meal, but for our purpose of a boozy catch-up it was great. The food was good, but not cheap; the entrees were $108 each and the mains ranged from $168 to $198. Our bill was $2,682 for the four of us, but we did drink three and a half bottles of wine and had entrees, mains and a couple of desserts. I was unfortunately disappointed with the service. The waitress who looked after us was obviously new and she did a terrible job, however the rest of the staff seemed efficient and helpful. Cecconi's impressed me as fun place for a quality feed.
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63-69 Kau Yuk Rd, Yuen Long
Visited 24th October
Oliva is a new Italian restaurant, recently opened in Yuen Long. We went for dinner Wednesday night and had to do some fast talking to get a table amongst the curious throng. It's a large, spacious place; the walls are chocked full of old black and white film photos in an effort to give it a bit of an Italian pizzeria feel.
Oliva has a very impressive looking bar, but - in what is beginning to seem typical of new restaurants in Yuen Long - they haven't got their liqueur license yet. We made a quick trip across to 7/11 and stocked up on beers and even braved a bottle of wine. The complementary focaccia bread and balsamic was a refreshing and welcome start to the meal. For an entree I tucked into a Cesar Salad which, though nice enough, was pretty basic and uninspiring. My main was a surprisingly good fettuccine with pan-fried salmon and a pesto based sauce. The pasta was well cooked, the flaky salmon chunks were moist and tender and the sauce was creamy, but 
well-balanced. In contrast Naomi's rather average lasagne was filled with bread crumbs rather than meat and covered in an overly sweet tomato sauce. Oliva's menu really shines when it comes time to find room for something sweet from their classic selection of desserts. Naomi enjoyed her apple crumble with ice-cream, while the remaining four of us shared a 'chocolate puff tower'; a huge pile of profiteroles that, though tasty, was too big for us to finish.
Our first visit to Oliva was encouraging. The food is good, a little stock standard perhaps, but certainly better than many other attempts at 'Italian food' in the New Territories; a decent dessert menu is also a huge bonus. The service at Oliva was surprisingly good, with friendly staff who knew the menu. Another plus is the that some thought has been given to the ambiance; with the old photos, checked table cloths and a prominent bar it felt like I'd been transported back to Lygon Street in Melbourne. Oliva is a welcome addition to Yuen Long's restaurant scene and a good bet if you're in the area and after Italian food.
Peccato, 37 Elgin St, Soho, Central
Attempted to visit 7th September 2007
Wondering up to SoHo from the D. Milhade wine tasting Naomi and I decided a serve of Italian was in order. I'd heard good things about Peccato and was keen to try this intimate Italian restaurant on Elgin St. We were seated at a small table on the street and the ambiance was fantastic. Though not extensive the menu looked good and I decided upon fried mixed seafood followed by green pea risotto topped with pan-fried scallops, while Naomi had eyed up lamb filled cannelloni. Wine proved a bit more hazardous as everything I knew on the list seemed ex
cessively over-priced (Peter Lehmann Shiraz for $580 and Browns Brothers Everton Red for $380, which retail for about $180 and $107). I decided upon a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Naomi just wanted a glass of water to freshen up after the wine tasting; this was when the trouble started ...
Oh, but sorry, we were informed by our waitress, they didn't serve tap water because apparently "some costumers have complained". This was one of the worst excuses know to humanity and when questioned she failed to give a satisfactory explanation and responded by telling us not to worry as we could have a bottle of complementary mineral water; for me this missed the whole point. Drinking water is undeniably good for you and is a necessary accompaniment to any meal and, despite what the majority of the expat community thinks, tap water is perfectly safe to drink in Hong Kong (see here). I avoid drinking bottled water not because of the financial cost, but because of the environmental cost. Limited fossil fuels are used and carbon emissions created in producing, bottling and transporting bottled water, not to say the huge amounts of waste created by all those empty bottles (which even if recycled still create more emissions in the process). As much as I was looking forward to my meal we walked out the door in protest and I doubt I will ever get to try Peccato; hundreds, potentially thousands of dollars in business lost just because they wouldn't let us have a glass of water.
We finished up along the road at our old favourite Olive where I enjoyed a fantastic seasoned rack of tender lamb and Naomi had her favourite chicken shish kebabs. The wine was better priced, the service was natural and friendly and whithout us having to ask glasses of iced tap water were placed on our table and constantly refilled throughout our meal!
Shop 105, Level 1, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Kowloon
Visited 9th July
With tears in my eyes and frustration in my heart I was pushing through hoards of shoppers; tied, hungry, desperate for caffeine and mourning the loss of Colorado Cafe. For such a huge and obnoxiously trendy shopping centre, there are very few places that serve coffee at Harbour City. I was lucky and stumbled upon Trattoria Nobilduca. Positioned on the lower level with fantastic views across Lantau Island, Trattoria Nobilduca serves stylish Italian food. I arrived in time for an 'afternoon-tea set', which with an additional glass of wine, was just what I needed.
Choosing four items off I menu I indulged in a roast Italian sausage, mini club sandwich, deep-fried ravioli and a crè
me caramel. The sausage was superb - oozing with fennel seeds, herbs and chunky meat - the sandwich and fried ravioli were both good, but the highlight was defiantly the crème caramel. This tiny sweet titbit got me very excited. It was creamy and smooth, but dense and rich in texture and mouth-wateringly delicious; awesome. The coffee that came with the set was good and the glass of Pinot Grigio I ordered was OK, though way, way over-priced at $85.
Trattoria Nobilduca offers friendly service, but its winning feature is the spectacular view over the harbour and Lantau Island. The food I tried as part of the 'afternoon-tea set" was lovely, but I am a little concerned that prices for a full meal could be a bit over the top. I paid $88 for four small bites and a coffee, plus another $85 for a glass of wine. I'd recommended Trattoria Nobilduca for a crème caramel based afternoon tea (if you're stupid enough to be spending an afternoon shopping at Harbour City) and though I would love to try their lunch menu, I'm sceptical that the whole place is a bit over-priced.
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1/F, 9 Hau Fook St, TST
Visited 19th June
Hidden above the steamy noodles joints in Hau Fook St, it's pretty easy to walk past 798 Unit & Co Bistro in total ignorance, but to do so would be a mistake. The night we first stumbled up the stairs to this classy joint I was surprised find a large, stylish restaurant, with cool tiled floors and views of the open kitchens. While the rest of Hong Kong was engaged with the dragon boats Naomi and I headed to TST for dinner at 798 Unit & Co Bistro.
The menu is an assortment of user friendly classics: salads, pasta, risotto, pizza, grills and magnificent desserts. First we shared a peperoni pizza. It was simple and tasty, with plenty of bubbly, gooey mozzarella and chunks of peperoni. The ultra thin crust was a little biscuity for me, but I could see how it would be perfect for many. Naomi ordered a duck breast that was severed perched at
op a pile of baby spinach and accompanied by glistening raspberry coulis; good reports were received. After much humming and haring I selected the barramundi fillet which was roasted with lemons and cherry tomatoes. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy outer and tender soft flesh, though the wine in the sauce was a little obvious. Dessert beckoned and we shared a generous serve of hot chocolate brownies topped with banana/toffee ice-cream. The unorthodox brownies were baked in separate chocolate and nut layers; Naomi found this a little off putting, I didn't. What was uncontroversial was how good the ice-cream was.
To drink Naomi made the most of the reasonably priced cocktails - sipping on nicely chilled, pretty concoctions. After starting with an Asahi I tried several of the wines on offer by the glass. The highlight was a glass of superb, aged Bordeaux for only $38, a cracker of a deal. The drinks list was good and reasonably priced, though perhaps a little limited; there was no Riesling or Semillon and a choice of only three beers.
798 Unit & Co Bistro is a slick operation. The staff are friendly, efficient and extremely good at what they do: the wa
ter glasses on are table were filled up on arrival and never empty; the barman was more than happy to adjust one of Naomi's cocktails and the first time I visited we were even offered complementary desserts to apologise for having to wait for a table. 798 Unit & Co Bistro offers excellent value, many of the mains are under $100 and the drinks are very reasonable. Our bill came to about $600, but that included included a pizza, mains, a dessert, service and quite a few drinks. The food is a superb blend of quality and simplicity; nothing was over done or taken to fluffy extremes; instead we were served good food in an upfront and accessible manner. A highly recommend restaurant and I look forward to checking out its sister venue 798 Unit Gastro Pub in Causeway Bay
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16 Staunton St, SoHo, Central
Visited 23rd May
The occasion was a friends birthday, the justification Buddha's birthday the following day and the venue Al Dente in Staunton St. A cosy, and often packed, SoHo restaurant that dishes up big serves of traditional Italian food.The birthday boy happily gulped down a tasty looking serve of Linguine Pesce, while Naomi had fresh tortellini stuffed with spinach and cheese. I ordered the fish of the day; a chunky sea bass fillet, served atop a pile of mash and vegetables. The fat flakes of fish were meltingly tender and accompanied by a good cream based sauce. While I enjoyed the simple mash and big hunks of vegetable that are the standard accompaniment to most mains, I reckon you could grow tied of them pretty quickly. The dessert list comprises of only three items and we shared chocolate pudding, tiramisu and banana flambé; all were OK, thou
gh none brilliant. To drink we started with a bottle of Principato Pinot Grigio, a crisp, clean refreshing white. Me and the birthday boy then gulped our way onto Chianti; being out of the bottle on the winelist we were recommended Chianti Il Grigio. Though it settled down with a bit of air and drunk OK with food, I was pretty disappointed; big obvious alcohol and rough tannins, a pretty ungainly affair at a pretty ungainly price. The meals cost between $93 and $124 which is resonable value, however I feel I got a stung on the wine. I wont mention the prices of what we drunk, but ... Al Dente has Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2005 listed for $580; I like this wine and recently purchased it in Australia for about HK$120 a bottle. The strong Australian dollar, 40% import duty and shipping and transportation costs all add up, but this the mark-up from $120ish retail in Australia to $580 seems a little steep.Al Dente's manager, Sergio, ensures slick service with personality, an element that is sadly missing in most Hong Kong restaurants. For those craving an old-school Italian, just like someone's-mum-in-a-local-joint-thirty-years-ago-use-to-make, Al Dente is the place for you. While not on the cutting edge of modern cuisine what Al Dente does is the classics and it does them well. A restaurant that is worth a try, we certainly had a cracker of a night and a happy birthday to the old bloke!
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