Gvsto (中環)

(Continued from previous review)

The meal (appetizers and mains) has been amazing throughout. Sitting in the comofrtable dining space enjoying morsels of Italian wonders could make you forget that you're actually just lunching in the middle of the business district. As the staff collected our plates and cutlery for our previous courses, and replace them with new ones for desserts, I must admit of my high hopes for them. We approached the buffet table beaming with joy, anticipated to be greeted by endless desserts. Instead, an impeccably dressed man greeted us instead. Meet Tony Paese, manager of Gusto. I could see behind him were an entire table full of pastries and cakes, and in one brief 'scan' of the entire selection, I know this is not the type of "dessert buffets" we usually get, and Mr. Paese proves to us as he walked us along, introducing them one by one.

You're highly UNLIKELY to see lots of fruit mousses, jelly terrines, a chocolate fountain, or artistic creations of spun sugar clowns with marzipan-made clothes on them, because that's not what Gusto is about. Instead, the dessert bar is filled with honest creations most resembled to rustic tarts and tortas that you'll see often in culinary volumes, and also often overlooked for their simplicity.

Raffaele Grasso, pastry chef at Gusto, has been a devoted fan of coconuts, and he's going to spread his passion into his craft by making fruit coulis for a fabulous yogurt served at the top of the table. The coulis, including a crimson raspberry, saffron-golden mango, and a fanastically exotic coconut coulis -- are just about perfect and light to start the ferocious onslaught of sweets.Notice that Pasticceria Garden, the company that opened Gusto, has been a proud institution that makes pastries in Italy serving hundreds of cafes in the country. Chef Grasso intends to shower us with more pastries, with complete disregard of an already full belly. SAVARINS, the syrup-soaked cake, is topped with a pipette of custard and fresh fruit to resemble a tiny fruit basket. (They also come in full size, and miniature)

"Apple Pie" (not pictured here) is rich and buttery on the crust but perfectly gooey with cubed apples in a potently cinnamon-y filling. The spice may be a strong punch, but you are unlikely to turn your noses away because the apples are sweet and of a nice texture instead of a gooey mess. Zuppa Inglese is also unlike what I have pictured in my mind either. It looks very soupy as the name suggests (shouldn't be). TIRAMISU is very creamy but not strong on the Mascarpone. The little chocolate bits offered a nice crunch to the dessert.

Ricotta Tart has a feathery light cheese filling settled on a dense crust, which was crispy and the light cheese filling is just right with a citrus tone to it. Crostata di Riso (Rice Tart) is like having risotto/ rice pudding as a filling, except sweeter and creamier. The tart though, is rather an acquired taste as rice pudding is not as well appreciated as a dessert on its own, but in a tart you get to try a little bit of it. The filling is slightly grainy but custardy rich at the same time. Banana Cake (pictured skewered) is delicate but very moist throughout. Not very sweet but packed with banana in every bite!

What you also can't miss are the mini croissants. Instead of buttery flakiness you get in regular French croissants, Italian ones are basically made with brioche dough, which will not yield as many layers but just as buttery and rich with the lightness of orange zest blended within. The chocolate mini croissant is petite with chocolate sprinkles on top. The filling is a rich chocolate filling not unlike ganache in chocolate truffles. The custard filled croissants (pictured here) are filled with homemade pastry cream made in the crack of dawn every morning (so are the pastries).

The two specials on Gusto's pastries are the Bomboloncini and the Little Peach. The bomboloncini is a cakey donut type pastry. It's round on the outside, and frankly you wouldn't be able to tell what's special until you bite into it. When you do, you'll taste an eggy custard almost oozing out like lava. The custard is moderately sweet but very creamy to taste. The Little Peach, resembled somewhat like French macarons, but instead the two sides are miniature cakes, sandwiching the same rich custard that filled the Bomboloncini.

You'll be able to see the dainty fruit-tarts, candies, cookies, and several different types of cakes for sale at the front of Gusto. Coffees were "standard protocol" after an Italian meal. Here, small puddles of crema-rich espresso filled the espresso cups, while the Cappuccino serves up in a bigger mug and is above average for me. The food is great and they continue to inspire through authentic and rustic takes on many Italian dishes. The pastries and desserts not only pass the test, but also wins the heart of the diners here (if you can see the faces of those who turn heads for another tiny croissants or another bite of the cakes, you'll know what I'm talking about).

This meal, written in an arc of two reviews, has been a more than a satisfying one -- with the onslaught of desserts and pastries filling my day with the possibilities of coming back to Gusto. It has proven to me the significance to appreciate food, and allow the food to seduce our palates rather than merely filling the belly. That, is how much I value food.

Gvsto (中環)

Trying new places has an adventage -- you get to try the new things in a new location. Everything is so bright and shiny, and everyone is beaming with enthusiasm and anticipation that things will be great. "GUSTO", is one of these places. Located in a brand new upstairs space in a brand new commerical building in Central, this Italian import's first Outside-of-Italy outlet is here to impress with Italian fare. "Gusto", in Italian literally meaning "To taste and savour", spells comfort dining at its best. The rectangular space has kitchen on one side, while windows extending on another side to allow natural lighting gracing the otherwise elegantly decorated dining room. Seating less than 100, the room is not packed with tables, in fact, you'll feel at ease with good seating arrangements spaced out with adequate room to manouever. The decor is modest with a minimalist edge, bejeweled with the unmistakable Kartell's BOURGIE LAMPS.

Pasticceria Garden, the company which opened Gusto, prides itself over production of artisan cakes, pastries, candies and chocolates. Gusto is continuing its legacy and this is why I'm writing this in two parts -- The appetizers and main courses in part one, and the pastries and desserts for part two. Is it good enough to worth the two-review arc? You bet! Read on.

The lunch covers an appetizer and dessert buffet including one main course of pasta ($170 total), or meat ($200). The appetizers change every day and so do the desserts. Dinners are a la carte and the menu in the soft opening is limited but the repertoire will be expanded by the time everything gets up and running. For our mains, we chose a Pizza Posciutto di Parma e Rucola (Pizza with Prosciutto and Rocket), and Spaghettoni al nero con seppionline e zest d'agrumi ( Squid Ink Spaghetti with calamari and lemon zest).

Let's talk appetizers, you'll see a selection of everything you read from a standard Italian cookbook -- crostini, grilled vegetables, cold meats, carpaccio, and cold pasta. The Three Crostini are astoundingly light but impressively good. The Smoked salmon and celery crostini features green crispy celery dices matched perfectly with the rich taste of smoked salmon, while Air-dried beef and basil has a delicate lone spot of frizzled basil leaf leaning against the beef which melts in the mouth. Raspberry and Ham, a rather later discovery, is adventurous to taste the astringent tartness of the raspberry before relaxing the mellowness of the ham atop a round of Italian bread. The House-made Pasta salad and the bean salads are two things that feels satisfactorily homespun but nonetheless inspiring to find itself on the buffet table.

A strangely pale triangle caught my eye, after some extensive investigation, turned out it's creamy ground chicken wrapped in leeks. It tasted way better than it sounded, and trust me, it bears no resemblance of baby food. Grilled vegetables are must-have in antipasti, this plate consists of mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplants, and surprisingly, fennel bulbs. The grill-marks are prominent but I would prefer the fennel to be more cooked, despite the pleasant anise-flavour through crispy bites of it. Smoked Salmon are served in silvers, upon some further marinating in fresh lemon upon the smoking process, yielding a softer texture and better flavours to an otherwise simple appetizer.

The cold meats (salami and hams) are fanned out nicely while Carpaccio of Beef takes on a different appearance at all -- This one is cooked, as brown round slices of beef arranged nicely on a platter and were topped with chopped radicchio and red wine. Don't be alarmed by the appearance, it's not the overcooked sort, in fact it's quite the opposite. I found them pleasing with a decided tang from the wine and fresh crunch from the radicchio, a vegetable very much underrated these days.

The best appetizer on the table (and not surprisingly the best looking) is the Risotto Balls. They are not Arancini, because they are not fried. Instead, risotto was made, and let cooled, then formed into balls with a mixture of fennel bulb chopped fine, together with yellow courgettes, bits of orange and shrimps to make these dainty globes of wonders. One bite into these starchy delights will get you the burst of tastes not overcome by spices and herbs, but a mixture of clean (and raw) flavours played out with nothing more than freshness itself.

Strolling by the pastry station, I've had my eyes on the 'pepper pie' croissant, which was buttery and rich made with pink peppercorns blended into the dough, and sandwiching cream cheese as a savoury tidbit outside of the fancy bread basket which featured three kinds of house-made bread.

The mains arrived promptly. For the spaghettoni, you'll see on the picture here. Solid black thick strands of pasta handmade the night before (it's standard procedure, to let handmade pasta to let it dry overnight), and were cooked until al dente, served with dainty white rings of calamari. Presented in two separate plates, I fainly remembered we were asked whether we would be sharing the main course earlier, and the chef has considered our answer and split one plate into two separate orders. Now how's this for special attention? Each swivel of spaghettoni reminded of a welcoming tide of ocean freshness bombarding between my palates, with the calamari done just right and the aroma of lemon giving it an earth-element of lightness.

The pizza with prosciutto and rocket is a large round disc of thin crust pizza, smothered with a promising (but not exaggerated) layer of cheese and tomatoes. Thin sahvings of Prosciutto atop each slice, accompanied by fresh frilly pile of rocket leaves. The crust was thin and crispy, but the filling was a decided contrast as soft and flavorful. The good quality prosciutto has a fair taste of fat without a guilt-inducing cloyness lingering behind. One bite into the rocket yields a fresh crispy accompanyment, and for me, it does more, as it cleanses the palate for the next bite into the pizza.

Splitting the two mains between the two of us maybe a little bit too much, but as we languorously nibbled on each cheesy morsel after another, we found ourselves tempted into the downward spiral of decadent culinary heaven, in a meal that the service was prompt but not contrived. And at a time when you have questions to ask regarding the food, the choices, or anything, the staff are knowledgable to inform you on the spot.

So far the food has been fantastic as I found myself enjoying the experience with less than a need of theatrics, only be patted slowly and gently in the cradle of good food and enjoyable ambience. Finishing the last nibble on the pizza, I realized that the pastries are about to stir up some bigger storm of attention as my anticipation grew stronger like a call from nature. That, will be continued on the next review. For the most part it's been fantastic, and when I walked out of the restaurant after desserts, I had a "5" floating up as the idea of a review came to mind.

To be continued...

TIT*F (銅鑼灣)

While another overrated bakery just a few blocks up in Tai Hang is flooded with cake lovers, This small joint is located right next to the Central Library. Awesome location and even better is the range of choices from cakes to bread to cookies and delectable treats you hardly find anywhere else.

Ought to give praise to the unique selections here. Organic soy milk cake is fluffy and lightened with beaten egg whites; German Pudding, aka my no.1 favorite, is a play rendition on custard tarts (egg tart)-- with the filling slightly more wobbly and softly set, The pudding itself lies inside the shortbread crust while at the bottom you'll finish with something of a surprise.

Breads are more on the nutritious-folks with plenty of rye bread and health breads on the shelves. But beware they don't last long on the shelves as the items all ended up flying off the shelves at around 4 pm (school's out and the store is crowded with students and you may see a short queue outside)

Cheesecakes aren't their best, but if you favour something on the milky side, I'd suggest "snow cake", which is a small block of coconut-coated pudding much like tofu, except it took my breath away on the first bite. Surprisingly the coconut does not interfere with the soft milky taste and they compliment each other just so strongly! A must try for dairy lovers!

If you happen to swing by the Central Library stop by over there for a quick fix. They also sell wonderful grissini bread sticks, squid ink buns and sweet buns with chestnut filling!

渝川菜館 (灣仔)

4 times in 6 months, that's gotta be something, right?

The Pictures shown here may be overwhelming. But I can assure you, it's not as good as it looks. It's better. I specifically waited until now to write about this place, simply because I forgot about it, put the pictures aside, knowing that eventually I'll go again, then I'll have more pictures, and so on. In the past 6 months since its opening, I have been to 渝川菜館 for 4 times. And just as you think I was crazy, I intended to go back like a crazy addict on highs of Sichuan Peppercorns and Red Chilies. Ever since I took the first step to this raging inferno of chilies and peppers, I knew I wouldn't be able to return without getting the hyped craving every now and then. Walking up the steps to 渝川菜館 was easy. The decor was rather simple. Beige walls against linens the shades of peach and coral. There's a television on the wall. I counted, there were only 5 tables altogether, as it couldn't hold many per night. No wonder nowadays you have to reserve ahead.

For $168 per head, the menu (doubled as placemat), there is a system for dinners here. For 2-3 people, you can choose 2 cold dishes and 3 hot ones. For 4 -5 people you can choose 3 cold dishes and 4 or 5 hot ones, and so on. There are dishes in the menu that required extra costs (upon requests) and advanced reservation, since the ingredients are not always available on hand. It's reasonable this way.

The chilies started their onslaught of charm with the first appearance of the Cold Noodles, Sichuan Style (四川涼麵), a generous portion of beige wheat noodle cooked to the bite. A brief wash in icy water allowed the noodles to contract and develop a bite. The noodles were topped with a mixture of fried chilies, spring onions, fried leeks and garlic, dressed with a drizzle of chili and peppercorn oil and the slightest touch of Chinese Black Vinegar. The mild tang of the vinegar cut through the otherwise greasiness of the chili topping, and the chilies did its work -- bringing a rush of heat from inside out. Pork with Mashed Garlic (蒜泥白肉) chose pork shoulder instead of the belly. Thin shavings of pork tossed lightly with chili oil, finely mashed garlic and a handful of dried peppercorns. The garlic offered a tickling to the throat while the chili oil rounded up the rest offering the otherwise bland slices of pork a flavour boost. Tripe with Red Oil (紅油牛肚) was a disappointment. The tripe was simply boiled through and some pieces were rather tough. The chili oil was good enough, but overall the taste of tripe wasn't quite going well with the chili alone. The ingredients were simple but didn't have the chemistry unless some other spices were used. I would prefer the triped cooked in a spiced mixture like five-spice marinade before dressing with chilies. Then the Mouth-Watering Chicken (口水雞) was surprisingly moist and tender. Served in small plates and chunky bone-in pieces, chicken pieces were soft and tasty throughout. The marinade it's served in has chockful of peanuts and chopped chilies blended within, accompanied by garlic, black vinegar and a fair bit of Sichuan Peppercorns to yield the numbing effect.

Then the real stars of the show arrived.

Beef stir-fry with Pickled Green Peppers (泡椒牛肉) was a decent dish with baking-soda laden beef slices (not a good choice, but inevitable) quick fried with pickled green peppers. The tangy green peppers offered less heat than its dried red kins, but offered an alternative source of heat that inspired other possibilities in the entire section of "pickled green peppers" on the menu. Beef Slices in Fiery Broth (水煮牛肉) used the same kind of beef, but instead of quick fried, they're served atop a heaped pile of mung bean sprouts. The bean sprouts absorbed the chili broth and oil from the sichuan peppercorns and take the numbing level to the maximum. Sipping the broth and feeling the tongue gradually numbed first by the heat, then by the peppercorns...there was a sudden surge of equal vulnerability and awareness to the body itself. You felt the numbing, and you felt the sweat beads rolling down your back. Diced Chicken with Pickled Green Peppers (泡椒生炒雞) was the best in the pickled-pepper dish. The chicken was so juicy and the green bell peppers were sweet as ever.

Dry-frying dishes were something new for me. Standard in Sichuan style cooking, ingredients were first quick fried in high heat and slowly tossed over medium heat to yield a cooked, but dry texture. Dry-fried Pork-intestines (干煸肥腸) and Dry-Fried Eel Slices (干煸鱔魚片) were prime examples here, Angular cut pork intestines were first fried, then adding the mixture of fresh green peppers, red peppers and leeks. Don't miss out the fried leeks. Even though they're not frizzled in hot oil, their freshness and sweetness were clearly as dominating as the intestines themselves. The Eel dish was slightly different, with similar techniques on the eel, but supporting ingredients also included bean sprouts, which were juicy with a crisp. It's similar in texture but definitely a contrast with "dryness". The heat was slightly milder than the previous beef dishes, but this one lingered for a longer period of time, with that faint vinegar taste to it.

"Fish slices in Fiery Broth" (水煮魚) was the true show-stopper. Butterflied slices of fish cut and blanched quickly and cooked in a fragrant blend of oil which included chilies, Sichuan peppercorns and part of a star anise. It arrived with a whiff of potent heat, possibly an aura of heat surrounding it. I gazed, captivated, as we fished out slices of fish so white against the fiery redness... The fish had an amazing texture, and the heat level skyrocketed within seconds. It looked wasteful to see the sea of chilies spread out across the soup tureen, burying the hot contents underneath. Picking here and there, we managed to pick up thin strands of bean vermicelli -- light and thin with some bean sprouts to absorb the hot broth. The thin vermicelli (you can also choose the thicker noodle, which I think were more filling and tasted better) was clearly filling enough, but the broth was so flavorful I couldn't stop myself from taking a sip -- It really tasted great, as the fish may not be able to take on so many depths of flavours, even the chili's heat could be detected in the broth. You first got the sharpness, then the numbness from the peppercorns, and eventually swallowing it yielded the final welcome of smoky heat erupting from the throat upwards back to the palate. Now this will quench the craving!

Seafood lovers can try their Sichuan Chili Shrimps (辣子蝦) and Pepper-Salt Shrimps (川式椒鹽蝦). They were both shrimps deep fried briefly, and the chili shrimps were finally tossed in a massive pile of red chilies. The Pepper-salt ones were simpler -- tossed in the hot wok with a special Sichuan Peppersalt, with reminiscent to the five-spice salt we normally use for chicken. The shrimps had such a crunch you could eat the shell as well...the entire shrimp being. Both dishes were executed with such precision not to overcook the shrimps at all, without compromising whether the supporting ingredients of chilies and pepper would overpower the main star.

Our visits were rounded out by a complimentary desserts of little dumplings with Osmanthus and Sweet Rice Wine. (桂花酒釀丸子) Tiny glutinous rice dumplings were simmered in a rice wine syrup flavoured with Osmanthus. The golden blossom offered a whiff or floral aroma as the evening came to a satisfying finish. 4 visits weren't all that much, we afterall, had the cravings every now and then. To say that I'm officially a fan of Sichuan cuisine is not wrong, but I'd rather claim myself a junkie who occasionally have the cravings for red hot chilies and the numbeness of Sichuan Peppercorns. 渝川菜館 is a venue to quench these cravings, and certainly under the hospitable services and the wide array of dishes to choose from, it's undoubtedly true to be one of my favorites to frequent every now and then. I certainly hope it'll be for those who's adventurous enough to take the ride to the raging inferno of chilies and spices!

Vero Chocolates (灣仔)

Chocoholics Alert! Find out where Fenwick Pier is. Then, start your pilgrimage to a very first LOCAL brand of chocolates -- VERO.

I wrote about Cha.Ke.Li and La Maison in Admiralty, it's inevitable, a matter of time before I paid VERO CHOCOLATE LOUNGE a visit. I decided that time to be today. Opening everyday at 9 am sharp, Vero occupied the entire 1st floor of the Fenwick Pier Arcade. At the entrance you'll already see the brand on one side, and on the other a piece of art on the wall depicting a cocoa pod. Through the glass door is an L-shaped lounge overlooking the Harbour on one side, with the other side of the room an insider's glimpse of an open pastry kitchen of Vero.

Vero was a chocolate brand first founded by local Roger Chan and his wife Veronica. They decided to name it VERO, as a combination of their name (VEronica and ROger). VERO, synonymous to TRUE in Italian, has every reason to celebrate chocolate with essence of creativity and innovation through its creations and line of products. Meet Chef Koo, who started his training in Mandarin Oriental and am now the mastermind behind the designs of all the chocolates and the tested palate of all the indulgent morsels. Koo insisted that Vero chocolate must be kept in an air condition room in store. I could see that room, featuring creative sculptures made entirely of chocolate, including one pictured here -- a Life-sized Terracotta Warrior, made entirely of Chocolate and Cocoa.

The decor was modest with minimalist designs. All white with brown edges and plenty of glass jewel display cases meaning to show off the chocolates as more than a confection, but an art that's meant to be appreciated on the taste and visually as well. In the chocolate room were boxes of chocolates on display. Some in plastic cases, some in simple but neat wrapping. The chocolate sculpture captured my attention as I turned to look at forms of Christmas trees made entirely of chocolate.

My first encounter of VERO was at Cafe O, where their crossover with VERO offered an exceptional Hot Chocolate, which was also available here. Flora, the floor manage, made it clear that I sit and have my camera ready while she made it. She was literally running, with a small cup in hand, and set it in front of me. I snapped a few pictures, one shown here. You'll have to see it to believe the dramatic part of this hot chocolate. It was made with VERO's very own Hot Chocolate blend ($400 for 1kg of it) and whole milk. It's almost as thick as the chocolate mixture used in Chocolate fondue. Then at the very last moment a piece of dark chocolate was placed on top. The heat from the beverage will quickly melt the chocolate as it spread out to enrobe the surface. The key was to witness the transformation of the chocolate melting. Clearly, Vero has a flare for drama even in their signature hot chocolate!

It took me 2 minutes to get through the fudgy top of melted dark chocolate, and still the beverage was warm and thick, with a whiff of steam coming out from below. The sip of sweet dark chocolate was no sugary sweetness at all. Instead it was an intensed blow sweeping me off my feet. Indulgingly rich with a special nuttiness to the chocolate itself, the earthy aftertaste gave me a rounded finish. I took a sip of water, before I indulged the chocolate all over again. If there is a guilt-free hot-chocolate heaven, that'd be it.
Creative packets of sesame grissini, pyramids of lemon drops, etc...All featuring chocolate as ingredient. Not to forget are the current collection of bonbons (9 pieces for $180, 25 pieces for $360). Flavours are essentially of local familiarity: Kalamansi mallow (柑桔棉花糖), Chinese Tangerine (陳皮), Red Hazelnut, Pink Himalayan Caramel, and Apricot & Prune Scotch, each matched well with chocolate surprisingly well. The Kalamansi was tangy but the liquid centre of Pink Himalayan caramel was the best in show!

As a "Chocolate Lounge", VERO has clearly established itself with its success in the hot chocolate part, There's an open bar serving coffees, espresso and liquors as well. On the eating front VERO is still developing future offerings including breakfasts and cakes and more. Patrons and Chocoholic pilgrims can sip hot chocolate and other beverages overlooking the amazing view on a clear day!

Knowing more about VERO I realized that succeeding as a local brand breaking out into the cut-throat chocolate market may be a difficult mission, but understanding the concepts and ideas behind keeping it simple, small-batch and local-based made me appreciate it more, and the same case applies to chocolate, as small servings of it at a time seduce our palates and desire to gastronomic climax, and never to take these little offerings for granted. This 'local ginger' is not just about luxury. It has a sharp competitive edge to it too!