Italian restaurateur Antonio Carluccio calls truffles "the food of kings, gods and pigs." And it is now time to pig out on the food of gods.
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Michelin-trained chef Keith Yam of southern Italian restaurant Giacomo has created a menu of five specialties for customers to enjoy. "In gastronomy, white truffle is one of the truly great wonders of the world," he said. "It elevates even the simplest of dishes to mysterious, magical heights - so I do not interfere. It speaks for itself."
Eggs and truffles are a classic combination. Yam's take on it is the confit Taiyouran organic egg (HK$850), made with poached egg from Kyushu. Yam also offers Bresse poularde (HK$980), combining white truffle with Bresse chicken - the Queen of Chickens in France.
More adventurous diners should try the white truffle gelato (HK$480) - homemade vanilla gelato with white truffle and panna cotta, topped with truffle shavings and served with sabayon foam.
Another restaurant highlighting this white diamond is Paper Moon. Executive chef Fabio Mariella uses seasonal ingredients to bring out the distinct taste of the truffle. Among the a la carte dishes are homemade tagliolini with butter and parmigiana reggiano (HK$438), hamachi carpaccio with pumpkin, asparagus puree and truffle coulis (HK$438) and morel mushroom risotto with mascarpone cheese (HK$468).
For mains, guests can choose either the Rossini-style vintage dry-aged beef tenderloin with pan-seared foie gras (HK$598) or slow-cooked wagyu beef cheeks (HK$528) with Sicilian marsala reduction. All dishes come with three grams of white truffle, freshly shaved at the table, with more from HK$108 per gram.
At Castellana, executive chef Fablano Palombini has picked a list of Italian wines to go with a four-course Alba white truffle degustation menu (market price with an extra HK$780 for wine pairing). Each dish will be served with five grams of Alba white truffles.
Highlights from the menu include homemade tagliolini with the signature Au Kogue sauce and white truffle, Brittany blue lobster with potato foam and white truffle and white truffle tart, made with Piedmont hazelnut cream ganache and topped with golden leaves and white truffle.
LPM Restaurant & Bar is also using Alba white truffles in its seasonal menu. At HK$1,198 per dish, the menu includes burrata a la truffle blanche and rigatoni maison a la truffle blanche.
For the true connoisseur, DiVino Group restaurants will tailor its white truffle dishes to individual tastes. Guests of Spasso, DiVino Patio and DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant can choose how they want to have their white truffles thanks to a "No menu, No limitations, No rules" approach.
"It's a joy to cook with these delicious white diamonds and introduce their intoxicating scents and flavors to our customers," said chef Michele Senigaglia. "As we pursue a 'No Menu, No Limitations, No Rules' approach to our craft, we are free to tailor our use of the truffles to the exact taste and preferences of our patrons. I am looking forward to coming up with recommendations and combinations that will really surprise and challenge people's palates."
Of course, customers can try the chef's recommendations at the different restaurants.
At Spasso, Senigaglia suggests the burratina from Andria, which is topped with white truffle petals, mache salad and crushed Piedmont hazelnut. DiVino Patio chef Omar Agostini has created a homemade egg tagliolini with brown butter and white truffle while DiVino chef Ignazio Guercio offers a carpaccio of beef tenderloin, slow-cooked organic egg cream, mache salad, Grana Padano shavings and white truffle. Prices depend on the cost of the truffle.
