It’s been just about a year since Casa Sophia Loren first opened its doors, and this southern Italian restaurant is already undergoing a big shake-up.
Housed within the historic Woo Cheong Pawn Shop building in Wan Chai, Casa Sophia Loren makes up one arm of the multi-storey dining, drinking, and entertainment complex that is Sophia Loren Hong Kong, developed in tribute to the Italian actress.
Sicilian chef Luca Schiavone has recently taken up the executive chef role at Casa Sophia Loren, bringing his wealth of experience gained at acclaimed London-based Italian restaurants Cecconi’s and Zafferano along for the ride.
Chef Luca has given the restaurant’s à-la-carte menu a complete makeover. The brand-new ingredient-driven dishes focus on simplicity and balanced flavours, showcasing seafood in particular.
Merluzzo (HKD188) is one such plate; this is chef Luca’s interpretation of a classic Sicilian potato salad featuring slow-cooked cod fillet paired with crushed potato. Then there’s the seafood homemade purple potato gnocchi (HK$228) bursting with squid, mussels, clams, and Sicilian pink prawns and homemade tagliolini with sea bass (HKD328).
On the meatier end of the spectrum, diners can look forward to the truffle beef carpaccio (HKD288), ravioli capresi (HKD198) filled with buffalo mozzarella and served in a tomato sauce enriched with Sicilian pork sausage, pork rack, and lamb shank, and wood box smoked cockerel chicken with herbs (HKD298) – a showstopper of a dish if there ever was one.
The dessert selection at Casa Sophia Loren has also been given a revamp, with the restaurant now offering a tableside cake trolley laden with sweet treats. Each dessert (HKD98/slice), including lemon tart, apple pie, and carrot cake, is served with a scoop of gelato.
Casa Sophia Loren, 1/F, The Heritage Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, 60–66 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, 3594 6199, book here
