People who have dined at Madame Sixty Ate in Wan Chai will know that the elegant eatery has a distinctive persona; a personification that underlies almost every aspect of the restaurant. So it is with Sal Curioso, the newest venue by Sixty Ate creators and husband and wife dynamic duo Chris Woodyard and Bronwyn Cheung. Sal is a wandering spirit, with years well lived behind him and Chris hints at love affair with the Madame somewhere in the past. The restaurant’ s rustic persona has more than its fair share of Latino-leanings but is working hard to resist the usual pigeonholing. Read the menu and you’ ll see why: innovative, multi-influenced dishes include Saltbush lamb meatballs with walnut braised chickpeas and‘ melted’ foie gras; Peruvian duck ceviche with a citrus duck confit salad and sweet potato wafers; and scallops and jerk chicken wings with a green pea pipperade and feve emulsion. There are also a few dishes well suited to sharing, including the decadent molasses suckling pig; smoked ribs with a tangy Caolina BBQ sauce; and the“ if I had a pit” Latin lamb leg, dished out with caramalised onion and braised potato. Dishes are served in industrial chic surrounds, complete with a stand alone cocktail bar, polished concrete floors and fascinating one-off mechanical sculptures. Leave time after your meal for a cocktail on the sun-kissed terrace and look out for an outstanding tapas offering at lunch. 2 / F, 32 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong; Tel: + 852 2537 7555; curioso. com. hk.
Dazed & Confused
Located in Central Hong Kong’ s L’ Place, a growing restaurant hub, L’ Altro is a work seemingly in progress. Talented French chef Philippe Leveille, of Italy’ s Michelin-starred Miramonti l’ Altro, is the culinary force behind the venue, so fans of Italian cuisine could be forgiven for expecting the kind of warm, homely ambiance usually associated with the world’ s feel-good food. Sadly, first impressions made us hesitate; the restaurant’ s décor is modern and edgy, punctuated by hand-blown glass sculptures and plenty of gray and silver tones, but the result is cold and impersonal, especially when the dining room is only half full. Fortunately, warm, well-trained staff thaw the experience quickly, setting the scene for a raft of colourful and imaginative dishes that are innovative but also a little hit-and-miss. Two signature menus offer a great cross-section and we opted for Philippe’ s own selection, which smacks of his French origins. Dishes like the Wagyu tartar with Parmesan foam; and foie gras terrine with zesty tomato compote and onion jam are a symphony of flavours and textures. By contrast, the chef’ s passion for single side roasting, which was forewarned by the staff, leaves the pigeon quite bloody inside – not something you look for in poultry – and scallops a little rubbery. The home-made egg“ spaghetti” resembles Chinese noodles more than pasta, but its texture is saved by the salty capers and olives which accompany it. It’ s impossible not to leave with a smile after home-made vanilla custard ice cream, topped with melted 70 percent cocoa chocolate – a sweet finish at a restaurant that’ s full of promise, but one which will take time to bloom. 10 / F, The L Place, 139 Queen’ s Rd, Central, Hong Kong, Tel: + 852 2555 9100; www. laltro. hk www. jetsetter. hk