In a town where food is paramount and quality choices a plenty, it is difficult to remain in business without a few tricks up your sleeves. E Molto Buono has remained in business through an innovative menu that has been kept affordable for the masses, yet still of very high quality by saving on the location and ingredient choices.

E Molto Buono, which the name means “very good” in Italian, serves mainly Italian and French fare from a “ulu” (out of the way) location in Causeway Bay, even though the building is right in the middle of CWB. Despite the high-end private kitchen restaurant is situated in the heart of Causeway Bay,  it is on the second floor and facing one of the highway  (堅拿道天橋).

The Dinner

The executive chef had top flight culinary experience by working in Italian restaurants of famous hotel outlets including Langham Place Hotel, and The Excelsior. The comprehensive menu is one of only degustation selections – you pick the soup (a hot and a cold soup choice) and the main (4-5 choices every evening), and they serve the rest as part of the degustation. The amount you pay depends on the choice of the main – and range from HKD 700 – 900.

Homemade Bread and Chef Special Bread Paste

There were 3 types of bread on offer: squid ink sesame buns, herb cabiatta and cheese crackers. All were freshly baked and still hot when served. Came with the standard olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and 2 homemade bread sauces: chorizo pumpkin and herb eggplant sauce. Just be conscious not to over stuff one with bread before the meal is served, but we couldn’t resist.

Fresh shucked French Gillardeau No.2 oysters

Offered separately from their degustation menu was Gillardeau oysters at 1-for-1 special for a limited time. We just have to have a dozen of them.

Italian pancetta ham

Seasonal Menu

Starters | Foie gras mousse

Wine Flavour Chicken Roll Stuffed with Black Truffle Foie Gras Mousse

The wine-flavored black truffle foie gras mousse chicken rolls are inspired by the Shanghainese drunken chicken. The slow cooked chicken thigh was flavoured with huadiao wine.  A thin layer of black truffle jam was spread on the inside of the chicken and then topped with smooth foie gras páte mousse, the whole thing was rolled and cut to size. The meat was tender and smooth with sufficient bite, and the wine tasted light and mellow. But it was the foie gras and truffle filling that stole the limelight from the drunken chicken.

Starters | Scallop

Light Pan Fried Hokkaido Scallop, Baby Coconut Egg White Pudding

The Hokkaido scallop was surprising thick, lightly seared, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The blue and yellow caviars on the top were pickled. The blue ones were pickled with orange liquer,  and yellow ones lemon. I got one with the lemon caviar which was very sour to eat alone, but when eaten together with the scallop, they complimented each other well. Coconut egg pudding was refreshing, made with coconut water and egg white, but the only fault was it was not firm enough.

Soup | Mushroom Cream Soup

Sautéed Crab Meat with Mushroom Cream Soup

Crab meat and white mushroom cream soup was full of mushroom flavour and umami from the crab meat. The white button mushrooms were not completely blended into the soup and with a quenelle of crab meat, the resulting texture was very good.

Entrée | Pan Fried Foie Gras

Pan Fried Foie Gras, Braised Shallot with Red Wine and Balsamic

Pan-fried foie gras with red wine and black vinegar reduction topped with scallions was generously large; the surface was fried crispy, and the inside of the foie gras remained tender and smooth. Red shallots pickled with red wine and black vinegar was sweet and sour and balanced the greasy feeling of foie gras.

Entrée | Puffy Pastry

Braised Seafood in Herbs Cream Sauce Stuffed with Puffy Pastry

The puff pastry may seemed small, but it was packed full of chopped scallops, prawns and squids bound together with at the herb cream. The pastry box was crunchy even with the sauce. Came with a spinach cheese cream sauce on the side.

Palate cleanser | Raspberry sorbet

Main | M8 Australian Kobe Beef

Grilled M8 Australian Kobe Beef, with Purple Sweet Potato and Seasonal Vegetables

Half a piece of M8 Australian Wagyu beef chunk roll was cooked medium rare, the marbling was adequate, the beef taste was quite strong because of the cut. It was a bit dry,  and the purple sweet potato mash was sweet but not as smooth as we would like. Little droplets of red wine sauce on the side and Himalayan pink rock salt can be added according to personal preference. Could do with a bit more sauce.

No wonder the wagyu was still HKD700 for the complete meal, the cut of meat was to be desired and it was just half a piece and a thin piece as well. There were other choices, like Chilean seabass, risotto and Iberico lamb and they seemed to be a better choice.

Dessert | Lava cake

I loved the cake, the chocolate was velvety and cake moist and dense. It was about the size of a Chinese teacup and that was sufficient after a big meal.

Afterwards

It was a wonderful dinner, the variety was sufficient, and the pace was fantastic for a slow night out with your love ones. The place was a bit small, and very packed if full. The lighting was dim and the traffic outside the window was distracting for a tete-a-tate with your date. Nevertheless, value for money and great tasting dinner.

E Molto Buono
2/F, Perfect Commercial Building, No.28 Sharp Street West, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel : +852 3421 0063

https://emoltobuonohk.wixsite.com/emoltobuonohk

Date Visited : Jul 2017