Celebrity Life

Words by Hannah Tan-Gillies It’s not every day that you can learn how to make authentic Italian pasta and risotto with chef Theo Randall himself, but that is exactly what I had ventured out to do at the InterContinental Park Lane on this balmy summer evening. Randall’s food passion began from beloved family holidays around […]

Mattia Agazzi is bringing the breadth of his cooking experience into the new context of California and Los Angeles. For a chef that is ingredient-led and whose Italian background provides a foundation for creativity, LA and Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Beverly Hills are a natural home for Mattia and his approach to food and […]

Daniele Sperindio, who joins iLido group as its executive chef, presents a snapshot of his home country in a series of intriguing plates.

The post Art Restaurant’s new chef offers a taste of the Italian experience appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Daniele Sperindio, who joins iLido group as its executive chef, presents a snapshot of his home country in a series of intriguing plates.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Contemporary Italian standout Buona Terra comes out of the Circuit Breaker strong with delicious new dishes and electrifying wine pairing options.

The post Buona Terra: a new summer menu and compelling wine options appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Contemporary Italian standout Buona Terra comes out of the Circuit Breaker strong with delicious new dishes and electrifying wine pairing options.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Since June, Hong Kong's fine dining scene has been on the rise, especially when it inherited a little Piedmont addition named Castellana. Not only does the restaurant offer an elegant rendition of the regional cuisine, while showcasing the very best of its natural bounty in truffles and wine, but it also presents it in a sumptuous setting in the heart of Causeway Bay.

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The spacious 3,000 sq. ft. restaurant, which opened in collaboration with Chef Marco Sacco of Italy’s two Michelin-starred Piccolo Lago, is located on the tenth floor of the modern Cubus building. Seating a total of fifty guests, the space is wrapped in warm wood fixtures filled with the fine Italian wine that make up the wine list. This is complemented by soft gold, beige tones, leather furnishings and pops of colourful art to accentuate the contemporary surroundings. From dates to business meetings, or celebrations and group meals, Castellana provides a versatile space for all occasions and welcomes guests to step into a corner of Piedmont by way of Hong Kong's retail district.

A main dining room, which seats 20 guests, as well as two 16-seat private rooms, are available for events and can expand to the bar which serves up to six guests at a time. All of which can be tweaked and tailored to your specific needs. From the room configuration to the menu items, cocktails and canapés, Castellana will design accordingly. This extends to offsite too, where Castellana can also bring Piedmontese cuisine to your doorstep.

A Castellana Event

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Upon entry, Castellana can greets guests with a selection of canapés and cocktails; from the classic to more distinctive drinks based on -- you guessed it -- the jewel of Northern Italy: truffles. Whether it's a punchy truffle gin-based martini, or something a little more innovative such as Ms. Truffle, which uses a blend of Frangelico, Bitter Truth Chocolate, lemon and pineapple, Castellana can mix it up for you. However, oenophiles need not despair as the 300+ bottle wine collection is just as impressive with full-bodied wines characteristic of Piedmont on the menu. Specific wine pairings can be also be arranged.

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Dinner is served based on three menu options including Un Assaggio Del Piccolo Lago (Chef Marco Sacco's menu from the Alpine Valley restaurant), Un Assaggio Tradizionale (the traditional menu), and a customisable five-course menu. From Italian Chef Sacco's menu are dishes such as the succulent Piedmont pigeon, rich Smoked lake trout, and the savoury to sweet Jerusalem artichokes. For the more traditional diner, dishes including Oberto Fassona beef served with foie gras or Ravioli stuffed with Castelmagno cheese are crowd-pleasing favourites too. This can all be finished off sweetly with a tiramisu trio featuring the past, present and future interpretations of the traditional Italian dessert.

The post Explore Events Starring the Very Best of Piedmont at Castellana appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

It’s not often that you find a gem like Castellana, at least not in Causeway Bay. Offering a start contrast to the flood of traffic and people, this new fine-dining Italian restaurant sits on the 10th floor of Cubus and feels like a retreat from the chaos on the streets below. The interiors are attractive with dark wood, plush leather seats, white table linens and floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural light to flood in. Elsewhere, the dividers between the semi-private room are cleverly designed to double up as wine racks with glass panels that also let light in, making the main dining area feel airy and spacious. It all takes you away from the city -- while still being in the city.

Marco Sacco, of two Michelin-starred restaurant Piccolo Lago in Italy, is Castellana’s chief menu consultant. He brings international culinary experience paired with love for his native regional cuisine to offer a unique taste of Piedmont in Hong Kong. Often referred to as the most progressive culinary region in Italy, Piedmont not only holds classics that are influenced by neighbouring France and Switzerland, but it's also a prime location -- what with its perfect climate and conditions -- for wine and truffles.

[caption id="attachment_148938" align="alignnone" width="6720"] Piedmont black truffles[/caption]

According to the menu, “Because Piedmont is considered the birthplace of truffles, all dishes on the menu can be enhanced with shaved truffles upon request”. That explains the table side truffle accompanied by a grater. Guests are welcomed and encouraged to slice fresh truffles to their heart’s content over the top of the dishes to come.

[caption id="attachment_148933" align="alignnone" width="5661"] Smoked lake trout[/caption]

Starting the meal off is the Lingotto di Mergozzi (smoked lake trout). Restaurant manager and Piedmont native Matteo Morello explains the origin of the fish -- from the shores of tiny Lake Mergozzo -- and how rare it is to find it on this side of the world. The trout is smoked for hours before being set in humidity for its natural flavours to marinate. The cured fish is then decorated with a line of balsamic vinegar dotted along the meat. We’re advised to cut along the dots so each bite holds the right proportion of fish to sauce.

[caption id="attachment_148936" align="alignnone" width="6720"] Veal with tuna[/caption]

Up next is a classic that we’re all too familiar with, the Vitello Tonnato (veal with tuna). This rendition of the Italian favourite is similar to what you’d be served elsewhere, with the exception of its presentation. Instead of thin cuts of cold veal fanned onto a plate and drenched in gloopy tuna sauce, our version was a pretty pink pouch pocketing the tuna sauce with dried and re-humidified red bell pepper sponges and a sprinkling of caper dust. Though the flavours were not particularly surprising, we appreciated the artful delivery of an old favourite.

[caption id="attachment_148848" align="alignnone" width="5751"] Carbonara "Au Koque"[/caption]

The only carb-heavy dish on the menu, and maybe the most important dish of the meal, is Carbonara “Au Koque”. The menu translates in English as homemade tagliolini, “Au Koque” carbonara sauce and Vigezzo Valley cured ham. To be completely honest, we were a bit thrown off by the words “sauce” and "carbonara" in the same sentence. Luckily, our skepticism was quickly reversed and confidence quickly restored. A twirl of noodles sits in the centre of this dish, and resting on it is a crisp of cured ham in place of bacon.

This is the moment to grab your phone if you want to capture that sauce pour for social media: A generous river of liquid gold floods the void between the tagliolini and edge of the bowl, isolating it to allow for a first taste without the decadent sauce of egg yolk and gin. The au koque cooking method is a painstaking one that requires the sauce to be heated at low temperatures until the gin evaporates, so as to maintain the egg’s runny goodness without compromising the flavours of a true carbonara. Each forkful can be slathered in sauce which is velvety but not too creamy, leaving you feeling satisfied but not bloated, guilty but deserving.

[caption id="attachment_148847" align="alignnone" width="6720"] Custard with plums and zabaione[/caption]

Our bellies are filled up and it’s time for dessert. It’s not until our meal comes close to the end that we remember the lonely lump of Piedmont’s finest truffles untouched at our table. So to allow for us the experience, the restaurant kindly accommodated and changed our last course into a truffle-able one. The zabaione di spumante e torta di prugna (custard with plums and zabaione) is a plum cake that takes sweetness to the next level with Champagne and egg yolk zabaione, or Italian custard, topped with biscotti. Finally, the time had come for the shave. We blanketed our entire dessert with a thick covering.

Would I have still enjoyed it being less greedy? Absolutely. Did I get carried away? Guilty again. The interactive experience the restaurant intends for its customers is definitely a profitable one. There isn’t anything quite like the satisfaction of slicing your own, deliciously smelling fresh summer truffles. So go ahead, make it rain!

Perfect for: Special occasions and intimate group gatherings

Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 11:45am to 3pm; 6pm to 10:30pm

The post Castellana Brings Northern Italian Flavours and Piedmont’s Best Truffles to Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Despite holding a degree in clinical psychology, founder Ong Liling opened restaurants instead.

The post Meet the intrepid restaurateur behind Fynn’s, Cicheti, and Bar Cicheti appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Despite holding a degree in clinical psychology, founder Ong Liling opened restaurants instead.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Bar Cicheti's new spring menu offers plenty of fresh flavours, hearty pasta, and more chances for intriguing wine pairings.

The post Bar Cicheti: come for the food, stay for the wines appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Bar Cicheti's new spring menu offers plenty of fresh flavours, hearty pasta, and more chances for intriguing wine pairings.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.