Black is back

Yolanda Kei

The Australian black truffle season brings more than just a sweet aroma to the dining table.

LucAle's seasonal menu introduces three dishes with at least eight grams of premium mushrooms for you to try until mid-August.

One of the best ways to enjoy the fungi is on ravioli. The ravioli gigante con ricotta (HK$468) is an extra-large ravioli filled with ricotta, mascarpone and egg yolk, served in green pea cream sauce and black truffle.

For the lighter bellies, the organic scrambled eggs with fresh Australian winter truffle (HK$388) works well.

Or try the broken pasta risotto with lobster (HK$468), which is a lesser-known Italian pantry dish elevated with Boston lobster meat and zucchini flowers, and topped with shavings of black truffle.

For Italian-inspired black truffle dishes, Cucina is offering six seasonal dishes with Western Australian black truffle.

Renowned for its intense aroma and earthy flavors, the black truffle in baked crab meat with creamy leek and black truffle caviar (HK$288) makes up for a satisfying meal.

Chef recommended highlights also include beef tenderloin carpaccio, truffle cheese, button mushrooms, rocket and black truffle (HK$298). The thinly sliced Angus beef with cheese and mushrooms create a contrast of textures.

Indulge in pan-fried Italian veal chop, seared duck liver, black truffle sauce and black truffle (HK$528) if you crave the rich flavors of black truffle and tenderness of veal chop.

Pasta and risotto are a must have if you are sticking to the Italian theme. Try risotto with wild mushroom, Testun barolo cheese, asparagus and black truffle (HK$368) and for the classic flavors, choose fettuccine with butter and parmesan cheese sauce, fresh Tuscan sausage and black truffle, or the homemade ravioli del Plin stuffed with beef and spinach, red prawn tartare and black truffle (HK$348). Dishes are available on the all-day a la carte menu until September 3.

Sabatini Ristorante Italiano invites you to enjoy blue lobster and black truffle on its seasonal menu.

Both branches in Royal Garden and IFC mall are each presenting individual tasting menus featuring blue lobster and black truffle.

Royal Garden's Blue Lobster and Black Truffle Seasonal Tasting Menu (HK$1,688) include blue lobster salad with tomatoes, asparagus, red onion and caviar and slow-cooked egg with spinach, cheese sauce and Australian black truffle.

Soup comes in choice: porcini mushroom cappuccino with parmesan cheese foam and cookies or blue lobster bisque with croutons and sour cream (extra HK$98).

The main dish is a homemade tagliolini with blue lobster, chilli and Datterini cherry tomato sauce and iberico pork served with honey and mustard sauce, Australian black truffle in potatoes millefoglie. a selection of desserts from the trolley ends the meal.

The Blue Lobster and Black Truffle Tasting Menu (HK$1,958) in IFC mall offers a seven-course meal.

Starters include grilled blue lobster with a summer green salad with catalana sauce and caviar and slow-cooked eggs with girolles mushroom, Monstasio cheese sauce and Australian black truffle. Enjoy blue lobster bisque before you dig in the mains, which serves homemade strozzapretti with blue lobster, cherry tomato and parsley and wagyu M5 tenderloin Rossini with Australian black truffle.

An added sweet finishing touch to the tasting menu are melon granita with vanilla panna cotta and salted caramel, as well as homemade petits fours.