The foodies among you will already be more than aware that we’re well in the midst of truffle season once again. When this time of year rolls around, we all go crazy for these pungent, lumpy little fungi. Much like the dogs and pigs trained to find these very truffles, we’ve been keeping our noses to the ground to sniff out where best to try next. Here are the eateries in Hong Kong with the best truffle offerings—make sure you go before this fleeting season ends!
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1. Aqua
In Hong Kong, there’s nothing we like better than truffle flavours, burrata, and bubbly, and if you also agree then you need to try Aqua’s weekend Press for Champagne ($1,488) brunch. Against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s stunning skyline and views of Victoria Harbour, you can enjoy an impeccable brunch featuring dishes such as Hokkaido Oysters with Champagne Jelly and Green Apple Sorbet, Seared Tuna Tartare with Oscietra Caviar, and Stone-grilled Wagyu Beef Sirloin served with three sauces. Our focus is on the Black Truffle Burrata with Homemade Pesto & Cherry Tomatoes course, which is rich, creamy, and hand-made right in front of guests by Aqua’s own cheesemaker. Make use of the Press for Champagne button to summon your very own white-suited butler, who will serve free-flow Dom Perignon Vintage 2008 to your table.
The Press for Champagne brunch is available on weekends and public holidays until January 1, 2020. Seats are limited and advanced booking is required.
Aqua, 29–30/F, One Peking, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852 3427 2288)
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2. Zuma
Six white truffle dishes are available à la carte at Zuma, with additional servings of the valuable fungi available for its most hardcore lovers. Worth the mention for its creativity is their Aonori Toast with Sea Urchin ($360); homemade aonori and green tea brioche is toasted with a smoky flavour, then layered with a kombu seaweed cream, which combines with the slight sweetness of the sea urchin and earthiness of the truffles to give a satisfying exotic taste. Also expect highlights such as the Truffle Ponzu ($720) and literal heaven in the Wild Mushrooms Kamameshi Rice with Truffle Butter ($880). Leave room in your bellies to also indulge in the White Truffle and Cheese Pancake Soufflé with Caramelised Pecan Crunch and Lemon Sorbet ($390) before you leave.
Zuma, 5–6/F, Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central | (+852) 3657 6388
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3. Sabatini Ristorante Italiano
White truffles are even more renowned than their black relatives for their deep, earthy aroma and aphrodisiac qualities—some even refer to them as ‘white diamonds’. Available for only a short time each year, seize the chance to hoard these gems for yourself with Chef Claudio Favero’s Tasting Menu ($1,980) at Sabatini Ristorante Italiano. Eight truffle dishes are featured, including delicacies such as the Fassone Beef Carpaccio with Aged Parmesan Cheese, Arugula and White Truffle, Roasted Milk-fed Veal Racks in Herb Butter with Pumpkin Purée and White Truffle, and the perennial favourite Scrambled Organic Eggs on Toast with White Truffle, which is the simplest and best way to taste the fungi. Finish the meal off with the White Truffle Ice Cream to beat the Hong Kong heat!
Chef Claudio’s Tasting Menu will be available until December 31.
Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, 3/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2733 2000
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4. La Petite Maison
We’ve always loved La Petite Maison for their simple Niçoise cuisine made with fresh ingredients, so you best believe we almost wept with joy when they brought out a seasonal menu featuring the best of white and black truffles. Eight truffle dishes are featured, including pasta such as rigatoni, linguini, and gnocchi, tossed in cream sauces with truffle oil and then topped with black or white shavings of truffles. The white truffles will be served from October until November, when the black truffles come into season, which will then be served through December. The Parmesan Risotto ($988) is a creamy golden tear-inducer finished with truffle butter and white truffle shavings—the perfect main for sharing. End the meal on a high note with the warm Marche White Truffle French Soufflé ($488); light, sweet, earthy, and baked to perfection.
La Petite Maison, Shop 1, 1/F, H Queen’s, 23–29 Stanley Street, Central | (+852) 2887 1113
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5. Nicholini’s
Piedmontese white truffle has made its glorious return to Hong Kong. Nicholini’s Chef Riccardo Catarsi has created an array of dishes centred around showcasing the flavour and aroma of this ‘white diamond’. The Italian Veal Tenderloin ($650) paints the perfect picture of autumn, with Brussels sprouts, morel, and Finferli mushroom accentuating the intense scent of truffle. With other dishes, such as the Pan-fried Foie Gras ($620) and Pan-fried Toothfish with Pumpkin Puree and Sundried Tomatoes ($650), the taste is nothing short of an umami explosion. The menu is interestingly triple-paired, with a wine pairing to complement the food, as well as the name of the musical pieces that the live pianist performs as the dish is served. Enjoy a fantastic meal that really stimulates all the senses!
Nicholini’s, 8/F, Conrad Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty | (+852) 2521 3838
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6. Castellana
Recently opened in collaboration with two Michelin-starred chef Marco Sacco, Castellana is introducing two menus of four or seven reimagined courses, all crowned with white truffle shavings. Expect to find fan favourites in the new Piccolo Lago menu ($1,280 for four courses, $1,580 for seven courses) such as the Au Koque Carbonara, and new additions like the delicate Bettelmatt Cheese Flan, and Savoury and Sweet Jerusalem Artichokes. The classics in the Traditional Piedmont menu will always be amazing, such as the Oberto Fassona Beef and Foie Gras, the Salmerino Trout with Carmagnola Bell Pepper Sauce, as well as the highlight, the Il Tartufo: the whole skin of a black truffle stuffed with bone marrow, pureed truffle, and served atop a hazelnut sauce. Perfection.
Castellana, 10/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 3188 5028
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7. Pirata
One of our favourite casual eateries Pirata has a White Truffle Tasting Menu ($850) available until October 31. Start your meal off with the delicious Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and work your way through the courses, such as Homemade Tagliatelle with a truffle-y butter sauce and grilled Black Angus Tagliata. They’re even serving their Raspberry Panna Cotta with truffles. You might just never want to leave the restaurant.
Pirata, 29–30/F, 239 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 2887 0270
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8. DiVino
Everyone gets to enjoy a tailor-made truffle experience at DiVino, with their “no menu, no limitations, no rules” approach to savouring these special exports from Alba. What feels luxurious to you might not resonant with another, so heck it all and just put truffles all over whatever you think it might taste good with! For the slightly less adventurous (or the more prudent who simply don’t want to waste these precious nuggets), help comes in the form of three dishes proposed by chef Michele to showcase the truffles’ complexity. Whichever way you end up having them, we’re sure you’re in for a night of gastronomic delight.
DiVino, 73 Wyndham Street, Central | (+852) 2167 8883
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9. Grissini
On the 30th anniversary of Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the hotel’s classic Italian restaurant Grissini has reopened after three months of refurbishment, repositioning themselves as a more approachable destination for lovers of Italian food. The Grissini kitchen is now helmed by Chef de Cuisine Marcello Scognamiglio, who has brought in new flavours inspired by his home region in southern Campania. There is also a White Truffle Set Lunch as part of this new menu ($870 for two courses, $1,200 for three courses), comprising of Poached Egg Topped with Pecorino Cheese and White Truffle, and a Saffron Pappardelle in Wild Boar Ragout. Enjoy your feast while taking in the harbour views from their five-metre floor-to-ceiling windows.
Grissini, 2/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 2584 7722
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10. Kakure
In a bit of a deviation from your standard truffle dishes, Kakure pays homage to the fifth sense of taste—umami—with an exclusive cocktail. From now until November 30, you can try the Umami-Tini, mixologist Sharad Chhetri’s vodka-based martini made with truffle zest, umami bitters, and mentaiko-stuffed olives. The savoury bursts of flavour will no doubt give you a brand new drinking experience.
Kakure, M 20–24, M/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central | (+852) 2522 9990
11. Octavium
Michelin-starred Italiano ristorante Octavium has curated a selection of white truffle dishes. Look out for the Chef's Specialty ($980) with Alba white truffle from executive chef Silvio, which changes regularly depending on the fresh ingredients received daily. Work your way up to this surprise by indulging first in the classic
Italian Organic Fried Egg ($980) with savoy cabbage and white truffle, and the
Tagliolini with Alba White Truffle, Parmesan Cheese & Butter Emulsion ($980). At the end of the meal, you can even top the
Nougat Semifreddo ($160) with truffles for an additional $280.
Octavium, 8/F, 22 Des Voeux Road, Central | (+852) 2111 9395
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