High ceilings and stately fountains

Just before flying back to Kuala Lumpur, I managed a sumptuous 6-course lunch at Tosca, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong where spectacular views and décor come together. The restaurant itself was a grand statement – high ceilings, stately fountains and majestic chandeliers, topped with excellent service.

Majestic chandelier

Open kitchen

Tosca’s Southern Italian menu features classic favourites in a contemporary and innovative way, each skilfully crafted by two-star Michelin Chef Pino Lavarra. His dishes are reputed to be quite an experience – almost like magic on a plate.

Bread and butter to start

Sea Tiramisu

Chef Pino’s Sea Tiramisu was a symphony of east meets west. This colourful platter comprised red prawn carpaccio, roasted scallop and caviar, bound together with parsley pasta and a light infusion of prawn oil. Full of umami, it looked very much like dessert – the sea foam and cereal crumble look identical to tiramisu – and almost too beautiful to eat.

Spaghetti Alla Chitarra

Work of art

Spaghetti Alla Chitarra was a work of art – basil chlorophyll and baby squid, wrapped in swordfish paper finished with strokes of black olive oil. The pasta was perfectly al dente, while the fish was moist and mildly sweet.

Turbot Coated with Black Bread

I had the turbot coated with black bread as my main course, atop a bed of Mediterranean seafood and silken lemon base. The flesh was firm and took well to the seasoning. This was a luxurious and delicate dish – truly world-class! I was in awe.

Amarene Cherry

Dessert came in the form of a sizeable macaron, filled with amaretto and amarena cherry with poppy seeds and pistachio cream. So much detail and almost a shame to eat as it was very pretty.

Petit four

As this fine-dining restaurant is situated on the 102nd floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, Chef Pino’s petit fours fittingly resembled the clouds in the sky – cotton candy topped with assorted chocolate. The perfect finale to an amazing lunch.

It was one of the few two-star Michelin meals I’ve indulged in and the most artistic, thus far. I’m still in awe. Definitely a gastronomic memory I’ll remember for a long, long time.

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Ambiance: 9/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 9/10
Verdict: A gastronomic memory that will last a lifetime!

Tosca
Level 102, International Commerce Ctr.
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Tel: +852 2263 2263
Website

*note that the restaurant observes a smart casual dresscode