Hong Kong goes crazy for a bunch of food items on a fairly consistent basis and none more than:

1) Uni 

2) Foie Gras

3) Truffles 

The latter is usually available in October and November, originating most famously from the countryside around the cities of Alba and Asti in Italy. Prices fluctuate, but in 2012 white truffles retailed for up to $350 an ounce — about what you would need to garnish two entrees — and Périgords about $180 (figures via NYT). 

We rounded up the best truffle dishes we’ve sampled so you are not spending your money without due cause…. 

1) Aqua TST

Aqua in Tsim Sha Tsui is doing a most delicious tasting menu which includes a butter truffle cocktail; salad, marinated egg-yolk, butter demi-sel truffle caviar and white truffle from Abruzzo; wild herb risotto with Pecorino cheese from Abruzzo topped with over 5 grams of shaved white truffle; pumpkin, porcini mushrooms, scallops, veal sweetbreads a cup of consommé with porcini mushrooms and pumpkin ravioli with white truffle and pear poached in mulled wine, cream of hazelnuts from the Langhe, white chocolate wasabi and white truffles.

All dishes are tasty, and the sweetbreads which are caramelised provide a nice juxtaposition to the earthy flavours of the truffles. The salad is exactly the right portion size and the butter cocktail is most surprising as it comes across very rich and heavy on the nose but ends up tasting wonderfully tart and fresh (kudos to mixologist John Ng on hitting this sweet spot). But the star of the menu is the dessert, which marries sharp fruitiness with a smooth hazelnut creme and savoury truffle. We tried to avoid dessert and the sugar that always accompanies but were powerless to resist it after tasting one bite. 

Price: Four-course tasting menu including cocktail $2,100 (dishes are available a la carte)

Website or Tel: 3427 2288

29+30F, 1 Peking Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui  

Hours: 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM

2) Caprice 

The best dish we tasted on Caprice’s vegetarian menu was the spelt risotto with shaved truffle. The chewy spelt grains were texturally satisfying and soaked up the sauce but still managed to give full attention to the truffles. Many shades of delicious, and though we were entirely full by this stage, we pressed on because of TRUFFLE. 

Price: Seven-course tasting menu $1,650 per person (dishes are available a la carte)

Website or Tel: 3196 8888

8 Finance St, Central

Open: 12pm – 2:30pm and 6pm – 10:30pm Monday to Sunday 

3) Carbone

At Carbone it is all about the Truffle Fettuccine ($398), which features buttery ribbons of pasta topped with truffle shavings and the truffle-topped fluffy Japanese eggs on brioche ($398), which are available throughout the season. Alternatively, Carbone favourites such as the Carpaccio Piemontese ($228) and Fettucine con Funghi (HK$198) can be elevated to an entirely new level with servings of white truffle (market price). 

Price: Ranges between $198 to $398

Website or Tel: 2593 2593

LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street

Open: Lunch Monday – Saturday 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm, Dinner Sunday – Thursday 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm, Friday – Saturday 6:00 pm – 12:00am