Restaurant: Tosca Di Angelo @ The Ritz Carlton
Michelin: *
Cuisine: Italian
Meal: Dinner
đź“Ť: Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui
102/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, International Commerce Centre
1 Austin Road West, Kowloon
Executive Chef: Angelo Agliano
Full Tasting N12 Menu Review: Here
Story
One of my close friends (and now food buddy) DJ, is a self-made millionaire with an extremely stressful profession. Because of the stress, he likes to go to fancy shmancy restaurants to, “relax.”
So after months of persuasion, he tricked me into going to one of his favourite restaurants, Tosca at The Ritz.
Who am I kidding, nobody had to trick me, I willingly went like an obedient puppy as it was free food, let alone, free fancy food!
As my host, I let DJ choose the food we will be having. He went with their signature 4-course Mineutto N12 tasting menu for me to try in hopes it would refine me just a little bit.
It didn’t work.
Sorry DJ. Guess you have to keep taking me to more fine dining establishments 🤪
Review
Set on the 102nd floor of The Ritz-Carlton, you are dining with the stars above Hong Kong’s city lights, although it doesn’t feel so high with it’s cozy decor. The restaurant is white marble and metal set against a dark palette of winter colours of dark wood and burgundy against glitzy chandeliers that shimmer and gleam against the decor. Contrasting bright reds and blues are used throughout the restaurant creating a pop of colour.Â
To put it more efficently, the design is a modern, contemporary gentleman’s club inside Poseidon’s Castle.
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If you asked me last week while coming up with how to write about the decor, I wanted to say inside a luxe Chinese KTV in the 80’s and 90’s with all the flashy lights of red and blue.
Tasting Menu Highlights
Mazara Red Prawn Jelly with Celery Foam and Beluga Caviar
This dish, even though it was a complimentary amuse bouche that isn’t on the tasting menu, keeps me up at night with longing and desire. The red prawn was cooked slightly under for the slightest sashimi texture that was light enough to match the airy celery foam. The celery foam was light with rich flavours of cream coming through followed by bursts of umami from the beluga caviar.
Brittany Blue Lobster with Puntarelle Salad, Capers, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Coral Sauce
My favourite dish on the tasting menu. Every bite was a different eruption of flavours and textures. It’s a dish that keeps you guessing from the crunch of the puntarelle to the bursts of saltiness from the capers, to the clean, sweet flavour of lobster. The only fault was the lobster was about 10-20 seconds overcooked (a mere whoops in the big scheme of things).
Mediterranean Sea Bass with Topinambur, Carrots and Taggiasche Olive
Crispy skin, perfectly cooked fish that was elevated by the sweetness of the topinambur. Absolutely delightful
Final Words
Chef Angelo’s expanse knowledge of local Italian ingredients is humbling. The way he understands the the flavours and textures of the food, putting it together like a game of Tetris.
To most, the tasting menu would be seen as delicious, but possibly not Italian enough. But at a closer glance you can see he is showcasing some of the lesser known ingredients of Italy and putting together a menu that is more adventurous yet subtle.Â
I truly enjoy how ecclectic Chef Angelo is and can not wait to try his other creations!
Uncertified Rating:​​
Out of 10:
Ambiance: 6
Food: 8.5
Service: 9
For the review of the entire tasting menu click the chef emoji: ———> 👨🏻‍🍳
Wonderful review
Please do more