Al Molo

Those who look for the greatest pasta in the world would definitely know the big name of Michael White. Coming from New York, he is not a native Italian at all, but his interpretation of Italian cuisine has inspired and captivated different people around the globe. Now, you don't need to visit Osteria Morini or Alto in New York, because he has opened his shop in Harbour City, Hong Kong!

Al Molo took the place previously occupied by Habitu Ristorante, and brought a New York touch into the busy shopping mall. If you don't mind, you can also choose an outdoor table so that you can enjoy the spectacular signature skyline of Hong Kong.

If you are looking for just spaghetti, I suggest you having another look at the menu. They serve more than typical pasta (though they also come with extraordinary quality, making them not really that typical), and you can find some rare types like fusilli. Even the ingredients are carefully chosen: while most of the restaurants only use two kinds of flour to make the pasta, Al Molo uses four, and by varying the proportion of each during the mix, you can have different kinds of soft and hard pasta.

The starter was a Fior di Zucca - squash flower fritters, buffalo mozzarella, anchovy, fresh tomato passata. Interesting combo, and it worked well.

Maccheroni - cured pancetta, carbonara sauce, black pepper. This is a must-eat item. The short pasta was very chewy, and the carbonara wasn't too thick or heavy. It looked ordinary but you will definitely love the texture and fall in love with this.

Osso Buco - braised veal shank, bone marrow, saffron risotto, sautéed spinach. You didn't expect much from a risotto in a pasta place, but surprisingly it was very well done. The rice was great, and while the creamy sauce was thick, the portion was small and just right, making the whole thing not too filling. The meat was tender too, and the bone marrow inside was actually the real exciting centerpiece.

Fusilli - spiral eggless pasta, zucchini, tomatoes, basil pesto. It is not easy to find this kind of pasta. I missed it much after trying it in Italy! I didn't expect at all that this veggie fusilli was this great, light and chewy.

Pinosini - squid ink angel hair, seppia ragu, leeks, spicy n’duja. Some people may not like this thinner relative of spaghetti, but will find this pasta pretty interesting. Angel hair is of course nothing new to me, but I haven't seen this curly kind. The texture was a little harder than the typical angel hair, and the ragu sauce was a good mix with the spicy flavour.

Of course we didn't have enough, and added my favourite Quattro Formaggio to the table. It was not bad but obviously not as good as the pasta.

There was no question about the quality of pasta and food here. On top of the excellent quality, you can also find good amount of creativity in the dishes. While you are amazed about how the flours are mixed to form different pasta of unique textures, you will also be excited about how the ingredients and sauces are prepared, which truly bring out the best of the noodles. Together with the marvalous view of Victoria Harbour, Al Molo is certainly the best place to enjoy top-notch Italian in the busy Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong.