Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, the ancient Wan Chai colonial structure that now houses the new Sophia Loren House Hong Kong Italian restaurant, is celebrating its 136rd birthday this year.
The effervescent Italian actress lends her name to the first Asian outpost of her chain of Italian restaurants, promoting a specific Mediterranean splendour and quality of food that only Italians can confidently deliver.
Beyond Hong Kong’s strengths in selling Asian food to the masses – Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Sichuanese, Japanese, Korean, and more – Italian food comes up as the strongest of the Western cuisines beloved by the local population. With yet another Italian restaurant opening its doors in the city, I arrived at the Wan Chai house of Italy with high expectations.
Such expectations meant that I wanted to be impressed with the tasting menu (HKD688 pp) from start to finish, and the tuna tartare began the race with a head start. Topped with dollops of avocado and a splash of melon-lemon emulsion, I liked the sea flavours from the tuna, complemented by the addition of a fruity sweetness.
As a bona fide Italian restaurant in Hong Kong, you simply cannot forgo an inclusion of pasta on the menu, and we first enjoyed the burrata ravioli to return to our feet in this long-distance run.
Four plump ravioli are placed on the plate and drenched in a well-balanced tomato sauce that trades a good balance of acid with umami from the plump tomato. The burrata cream helps to introduce a creamy texture and sweetness to achieve great bites.
Moving to the homemade tagliatelle with duck ragù, and the dish performs equally well, with a gamy flavour that does not overpower the al-dente texture of the tagliatelle. A salty sauce wraps around the wheat pasta, and crunch is introduced with pine nuts.
The mains arrived next – a small fillet of amberjack cooked in Milanese style and a plate of charcoal-grilled M7 sirloin and braised short rib.
The sirloin and short rib also perform well, with good char and beefy flavours. I am a fan of the M7 cut, which holds a suitably salty exterior and peachy interior. The short rib had a melt-in-the-mouth texture that is always appreciated with this cut.
Our verdict of Sophia Loren House Hong Kong
When Sophia Loren House Hong Kong opened in May, the pressure was on to perform inside a historic Hong Kong address, offering quality with the backing of a famous Italian actress and serving top menus fitting of Hong Kong’s favourite Western cuisine. The restaurant is on its way to deliver these elements with Neapolitan pride. The tasting menu presents strong flavours with its pasta and meat dishes. I expect to return soon to try their pizzeria downstairs.
Sophia Loren House Hong Kong, 1/F, The Heritage Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, 60–66 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, 3594 6192, book here
| Order this: Casa Sophia Loren tasting menu Menu: Casa Sophia Loren à-la-carte menu Price for two: around HKD1,400 | Atmosphere: jovial and elevated to match an age-old 1960s vibe found in classic Italian films Perfect for: group dinners and meals for two sharing dishes and glasses of vino |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
