Defying the Covid-19 adversity and the great odds in a very hostile environment, 54-seater Italian restaurant, Aria, in Lan Kwai Fong boldly opened its doors for business in July, and is now well on its way to carving a prominent niche in Hong Kong’s highly-competitive dining landscape. Led by bubbly 35-year-old Michelin-starred Italian executive chef, Andrea Zamboni, Aria treats diners to a refreshing culinary adventure like no other. Drawing from over 20 years of highly-rated restaurant experience across Italy and Asia, his expertise is very much a product of inspiration and mentoring from the legendary Gualtiero Marchesi, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Italian cuisine and the first chef in the country to receive three Michelin stars, as well as from other virtuoso chefs in different parts of the world.
Conveniently nestled on the 24th floor of Lan Kwai Fong’s California Tower, Aria provides a cozy and elegant ambience, conducive to fine dining with close associates or loved ones.
“We take great pride in both our signature dishes, as well as our own creations that we offer week after week, which truly delight our customers as they keep on coming back, looking for more new dishes that they have not seen or tasted before,” says Chef Andrea. Though it is a daunting challenge to constantly come up with fresh culinary treats that will suit the taste of the highly-discriminating palate of Aria’s patrons, he isn’t the least perturbed. After all, he draws from 10 solid years of mentorship from Michelin chefs across Italy plus 11 years of culinary experience in Asia, eight in Shanghai and other cities in China and three in Hong Kong.
“One of our greatest strengths is the depth and breadth of the top-notch fresh ingredients that we procure no more than 24 hours from the source in Italy, other Europe countries and elsewhere in the world,” he says. A case in point are premium winter-time white truffles from Italy which he adroitly employs to enhance and adorn his various culinary wonders.
“We procure fresh, top-notch ingredients from the source in less than 24 hours ”
Keen to sample his culinary creativity, we kicked off our tasting.
The Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto with Hairy Crab and White Truffle marks an auspicious start as it immediately whets your appetite for more exotic culinary offerings. Fusing the iconic and seasonal hairy crab with prominent Western culinary delights, particularly white truffle and Risotto, is most innovative and creative.
“There are no hairy crabs in Western cuisine and I thought this element plus white truffle will be welcomed by diners in the city,” says Chef Andrea of the dish.
Next, the Uovo all’Uovo… Tribute to Chicco Cerea, which features prime-quality caviar and white truffle topping, isn’t just exotic as it serves more as a rare treat that any food connoisseur will certainly savour. It comprises scrambled Livornese hen’s egg from Tuscany at the bottom, poached quail egg, Ikura, Baeri caviar from the Royal Caviar Club and Alba white truffle shavings. A tuille dentelle adds texture to the dish.
Then arrived the Scampi with Foie Gras. Chef Andrea says he owes a lot to his signature dish as it first got him noticed by Michelin in 2010. Using duck foie gras from France that is cooked medium rare, he pairs it with scampi, caramelised pumpkin puree and white truffle shavings.
Stripe Sandwich with Caviar and White Truffle is a curious but sumptuous and harmonious mix of the East and West. Placing a high premium on interacting and gaining fresh culinary insights from his small crew, as well as Aria’s diners, he embraced a Japanese-inspired rendition of a sandwich dish which prominently features succulent prime Australian beef wedged between two slices of fine Italian bread.
When in Shanghai, the most iconic and ubiquitous dish that automatically comes to mind is definitely the must-have Xiao Long Bao. Chef Andrea’s intimate rendition of this archetypal dish comes in the form of Andrea’s Ode to Xiao Long Bao that again marks a harmonious meeting of the East and West.
The next time you fancy Italian food, it’s always best to go for an adventurous, gratifying and fun-filled gastronomic experience, and Aria happens to deftly tick all those boxes in spades.
Aria, 24/F, California Tower, 30-36 D’Aguilar St, Central. (852) 2804 1116. info@ariaitalian.com