Warm branch of Assaggio @ Assaggio Trattoria Italiana (Mira Mall)

Italian cuisine is always popular in Hong Kong. Some of the signature dishes are simply everywhere in the town. Tiramisu is one of those dishes. Despite its ubiquity, however, you need some luck to have a good one in Hong Kong. I was really fortunate to have a pretty impressive one in Assaggio.

With warm lighting and cosy wooden furniture, I found the new branch of Assaggio an ideal place for gathering and causal dinning.

I came here twice in two months. The first time I came, I started with the cold cut and antipasti that was followed by a grilled Tomino cheese. I was glad to have Italian artichoke. No cheese lover could resist the rich and creamy grilled goat cheese melting over your palate. This was definitely a good appetizer for me.

With such a good start, I did not expect the Clean Beef Broth with Poached Egg and Parmesan Crouton to be so disappointing. Before following the chef’s recommendation to mix everything up, I tried the broth and it was really tasty. However, the egg yolk and parmesan overwhelmed the beefy taste. It became way too savoury and heavy. Really, I would rather have a simple beef broth.

Parmigiana di Melanzane was my favourite appetizer on the menu. Unlike many chain Italian restaurants, this was cheesy but not oily. The eggplant was freshly baked, with a soft but not paste-like texture. I had no doubt on quality of the tomato paste and cheese used here.

Without proper brick ovens, Italian restaurants in Hong Kong always failed to deliver authenticate pizzas. However, Assaggio’s pizzas were really good.

Assaggio’s Pizza was thin and crispy. A healthy amount of bubbles in the crust would bring it to another level.

The first time I came, I had a Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) pizza which included Scarmoza, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella and Taleggio. It was so satisfying!

I had a Calzone the second time I came. Both the pastry and fillings were rather bland. The biggest problem was the texture of the fillings. It was too crunchy. To provide a soft and cheesy texture and consistent taste, fillings of Calzone are usually cheese with spinach, ham, or mushroom, etc. I was surprised by the crunchy vegetable fillings including broccoli, bell peppers, and string beans. Even the egg could hardly help apart from making it visually more attractive. Perhaps the veggie should be cooked longer before they were filled into the Calzone, or the whole thing could be baked a little longer?

Pasta is another must-try item in any Italian restaurant. Frankly I was not entirely happy with the pasta at Assaggio, though it was certainly better than the average Italian restaurants around. I tried the Handmade Potato Gnocchi with Pork and Porcini Mushrooms Ragu and the Spinosini with tomato and basil. The texture of the Gnocchi was too soft instead of chewy. Spinosinii was far better. There were not many places offering Spinosini, a famous brand of pasta, and we did not hesitate picking this when we saw it on the menu. Spinosini used more eggs than usual and a simple tomato sauce would be a smart matching. Both the tomato base and porcini were awesome.

Although i was not fully satisfied with the pasta, I was really delighted with the meaty main courses. The Stewed Duck with Wild Mushrooms and Saucy Braised Beef Cheek with Polenta were worth trying. The duck leg was so tender that its meat fell off the bone. The sauce was full of duck and mushroom flavour and I could finish off a whole bowl of rice with this sauce. Instead of potato mash, the beef cheek came with polenta. Polenta was actually corn meal mash, a healthier replacement of carbohydrates. Beef cheek was one of my favourite beef dishes. I liked its tender and slightly-sticky texture. A little longer cooking would be even better.

One of the advantages of dinning with a group of friends is that we can try all the desserts on the menu. However, there were only three kinds of desserts available that night. We had apple and Pear Strudel Tarte with cinnamon ice-cream, hazelnut gelato Tartufo served with hot espresso coffee, and tiramisu.

I shall start with the least impressive one. As I have mentioned elsewhere, apple strudel was different from apple pie. The dough should be thin and slightly chewy. Assaggio did it right but it lacked butter flavour. The pear and apple fillings were quite balanced in terms of sweetness and sourness. However, the fruitiness was not apparent. Even the cinnamon flavour of the ice-cream was not strong enough. 

The second one was a modified version of afogato. The hazelnut gelato could probably be sweeter to balance the bitterness of espresso. I still preferred the traditional afogato. Tiramisu was the best. I could not help indulging in the smooth and aromatic mascarpone and the moist ladyfinger. I always like the addition of egg yolk to the mascarpone. Stronger coffee and Liquor flavour would bring it to perfection. I had it twice and the quality was happily consistent. This was worth every penny of it.

Although some fine tunings are needed here and there, it was generally above average. This has been added to my list of gathering venue. I do hope they will offer better pasta and more choices in the menu. 

Assaggio Trattoria Italiana

2/F, Mira Mall, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui



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