Eat & Drink

Hot Tables

Sabatini presents Seasonal White Asparagus Delicacies

Italian food has long been a Hong Kong favourite and, as such, the city offers a number of excellent Italian fine dining restaurants. Among them, Sabatini – located in the Royal Garden Hotel, a venerable name in Italian dining – ranks right up on the top echelon.

The distinctive coat-of-arms engraved on its plates after we were seated informed us that we would indeed be treated to a special meal for our lunch. The restaurant offers a great appetiser buffet lunch with choices of the main course plus a good selection of appetisers and desserts. We were there, however, to sample its special promotion of white asparagus which is in season in May and June this year (till 18 June) and these are special indeed. Flown in from the Black Forest region of Germany, the succulent white asparagus spears are much larger than normal and especially sweet. We jumped right into the lunch and three courses of white asparagus are served: White Asparagus, 24 months-aged Parma Ham and Egg Yolk Sauce (HK$308), White Asparagus with Ratte Potatoes, Sautéed Onion and Hollandaise sauce (HK$288), and White Asparagus with Pan-seared Hokkaido Scallops, Poached Eggs and Black Truffle Sauce (HK$428).

Each of the three dishes expertly blends the asparagus’s lightly sweet and cleanly bland taste with more seasoned pairings, which in this case are the Parma Ham, sautéed potatoes, and the scallops. Conversely the pairings themselves bring out different though subtle tastes of the asparagus, so it is a real treat to experience the different sensations from bite to bite. We especially liked the pairing with the scallops in Black Truffle Sauce, which is visually stunning and aromatically stimulating, not to mention the delicious taste – talk about satisfying all the senses!

We sampled three main courses, again all concurrently. The Linguini with Scampi, Clams and Mussels, A Sabatini Original (HK$428) is a favourite here, and we really like the understated tomato flavour which in turn accentuates the freshness of the seafood.

The Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Smoked Duck Liver (HK$428) is also excellent as the quality ingredients speaks for themselves. The risotto soaks up the broth, which in turn is subtly flavoured and not too creamy. The duck liver bites nicely and melts easily in the mouth.

The third main course dish was the beautifully presented Charcoal-grilled Lamb Chops with Thyme, Lemon and Oven-Baked Polenta (HK$528)which we devoured eagerly. The tender lamb chops were grilled just enough to retain the meat’s juiciness, and the polenta texture and the seasoning provide the perfect complement.

We were almost too full to sample the Italian desserts, but we couldn’t resist the gorgeouslooking Tiramisu, which tastes as good as it looks, along with the Mille-Feuille and Fruit Salad which both give the Tiramisu a good run for its money.

For a great Italian dinner in an elegant and comfortable setting, you can’t go wrong with Sabatini – we would certainly go back there, any time.

Sabatini Ristorante Italiano

3/F, The Royal Garden Hotel Hong Kong, 69 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon

2733 2000