PIZZERIA JACOMAX, Shop C, 88 Comericial Building, 38-42 Wing lok Street, Sheung Wan
Out of the four recent venues sampled, one of the best by far was Pizzeria Jacomax. Not only was the pizza authentic, it was served in my favorite thin-crust style, with flavorful but not over bearing tomato sauce. The Italian mom and son duo manning the restaurant gave it extra charm and I would readily return for more "cheap and cheerful" fare.
If you like heavily laden pizzas that eat like meals, then I would not suggest Jacomax. If the pizzas don't fill you up enough, they do have some pasta options (the pasta is homemade). I sampled the amatraciana spaghetti and it was done well but I wasn't particularly impressed when comparing it to the pizza. The menu is, generally speaking, limited and the space is decidedly take-out/fast food style. I wouldn't recommend the salads as their freshness and quality of ingredients is akin to the 711 takeaway options in the open refrigerators. Although the restaurant is tiny, and only seats 14, you can still call ahead and make a reservation.
PEPPERONI'S, Wyndham Street, Central
The next new pizza joint on the block is Pepperoni's. Having heard positive reviews (come on, 96 smiley faces on Openrice.com!), I was eager to try it out as soon as renovations in the old Vivo space completed on Wyndham Street. Sadly, my excitement at the prospects of a gourmet pizza place literally around the corner from my flat was quickly met with disappointment when our food arrived. We ordered a mixed green salad with avocado and prawn salad as a starter, a parma ham and rockette pizza (medium size, adequate for 2), and their ultimate burger.
I have so many complaints, I don't know where to begin. The salad was OK but again, lackluster and flavorless. Their namesake pizza was a poor show with its undercooked dough, straight out of a can tomato sauce and quite possibly the saddest looking rockette ever paired with overly salted prosciutto. And the burger? It looks pretty damn good doesn't it. Sadly, nothing about the burger was 'ultimate'--- the patty tasted of meat tenderizer and reminded me of the Chinese beef balls you get at dimsum. The buns were soaked by the beef jus before we even took a bite. And to add insult to injury, the fries served with the burger were cajun potato wedges, straight out of a bag in the freezer aisle.
Parma, rockette and parmesan pizza. Looks decent but I
would've honestly rather have spent my $$ on Pizza Hut.
All in all, I give it two thumbs down. I know they just opened about a week ago but I question whether or not the food is fundamentally too flawed for improvement. Maybe I'm too demanding but I probably will never return unless quality ingredients and proper cooking techniques are employed.
I'm not giving you the full address because it ain't worth going to!
LINGUINI FINI, the L Building, Queens Road Central, Central
Another disappointment is the latest rustic chic venue in the L Building, Linguini Fini. Again, I liked it's concept with fresh pasta making in one corner, it's hip decor, and fresh faced staff. Here, the pasta did taste fresh but again, I was not particularly impressed by any of the dishes and I can't get over how small the portions were.
The pastas were creative and inventive in description but the execution fell flat.
Sometimes zany and out of the box does not = tasty.
The cod on toast with tomato salsa and pesto was the best dish but that's sad considering that this it's supposed to be a full serviced Italian resto with loads of options. I don't think you should ever leave a restaurant thinking that the highlight of the meal was the bread!
Squid ink linguini with cod roe and parmesan
PIZZA MILANO, 34-73 Cochrane Street, Central
Although Pizza Milano is not a new restaurant in Central, I finally made it there after living in Hong Kong for 2+ years. I still can't believe it took me so long to try their pizza because had I known it was so good, I would've made it there much sooner!
The pizza crust/dough was the perfect balance of crispness and breadiness. They had the perfect air bubbles and the crust stayed intact through out the meal.
It never got soggy which I thought was quite the feat considering Hong Kong's humidity. It's rare to eat such an authentic Italian style pizza in Asia and I definitely treated myself by wolfing down four slices! I have yet to try their pastas and other side dishes but I reckon the pizza is the real highlight here.
The decor looks like a classic pizza parlour albeit a bit run down. The upstairs roof terrace is a nice change of scenery and although also a bit decrepit looking in some spots, it was still a comfortable venue for a lovely pizza night.
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After that last round of Italian outings, notwithstanding the pizza, I wholeheartedly believe that the best pasta is the pasta served at home --- made with quality ingredients and attention to flavor. Not to mention, pasta dinner at home almost always guarantees a full belly bear =)
