A New Cuisine in Hong Kong: Venetian at SEPA

https://widget.quandoo.com.hk/widget/reservation/merchant/dI1Yr?aid=42There are an abundance of fine Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, but SEPA, meaning cuttlefish, is the one casual eatery that is Venetian-inspired. The space is comprised of a mezzanine level, a vintage cocktail bar and a high ceiling dining room. Upon entering the restaurant, the iconic Venetian opera masks will instantly draw ones attention.

In order to properly feature authentic Venetian cuisine, SEPA offers bite-sized dishes with an emphasis mostly on seafood and grains, which are presented beautifully.

The beetroot tartare mixed with tuna is a one-bite delight, encased in beetroot jelly and an artichoke puree that is texturally similar to mashed potatoes. Another bite-sized delight are the croquette-like meatballs, batter-fried with a mixture of beef and pork and served with a tasty honey mustard dip.

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Tartare di Rapa Rossa
Beetroot tartare, tuna, Jerusalem artichoke

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Polpette
Homemade traditional meatballs, honey mustard sauce

Some of our favourites were the raw beef over mini crackers, served atop some black truffles for a fragrant touch as well as the enticingly creamy burrata cheese that was well-balanced by the sweet balsamic vinegar, basil cream and extra virgin olive oil.

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Carpaccio di Manzo
Raw beef, homemade cracker, black truffle

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Burrata caprese
Italian organic burrata, cherry tomatoes, basil cream

The signature bomba is perfection with its gorgeous presentation. It's stuffed focaccia with a creamy and rich truffle ricotta filling, baked to the perfect crispiness and just cooked to a slightly golden brown perfection. It is also topped with black truffle shaves that give a real bursting flavour to the experience.

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Bomba e mortadella
Mortadella, ricotta, black truffle

Next are the pasta dishes. Named accordingly, the spaghetti made with tender cuttlefish carpaccio is authentically cooked al dente and then smothered in a rich squid ink sauce. It is one of their signature dishes and also one of my favourites.

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Peoci Saltai
Organic saute mussel, cherry tomatoes, taggiasca olives, white wine sauce, focaccia

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Sepaghetti
Squid ink, red turnip, Sicilian cuttlefish carpaccio

In comparison, the carbonara is slightly heavier as it is tossed with cheesy parmesan and a poached egg with chunks of flavoursome pork cheeks as well.

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Spaghetti carbonara
63 degree Japanese egg, cured pork cheek, 12 months aged parmesan

Coming to Sepa's daily specials, the sea urchin pasta is delectably al dente and has an intense coconut flavour stemming from the base of the dish. The impressive soft shell crab is paired with an amazing pan-fried risotto cake and sweet caramelised onions.

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Sea urchin spaghetti

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Risotto al Salto with Venetian Soft Shell Crab

Last but not the least, our eyes are fixed on the glorious round of toppings available to mix in with the beef tartare. Brandy, capers, chillies, egg yolk, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, onions, pickles, salt and shallots.

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Tartare di Manzo
Beef tartare, 12 seasonings

We finish up with a classic tiramisu that is worth all the hype. Sepa’s version is a typical blend of coffee-coated ladyfingers, lightly whipped Mascarpone cheese and the full-flavour of Afribon coffee.

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