[Review] Possibly the best pasta at Padella London Bridge

Pastas restaurants are trending especially when they specialize in freshly made pasta of all shapes and sizes cooked in different ways.

There are many notable pastas restaurants out there like Bancone but Padella is different as it is affordable.

It is located next to Borough Market in the heart of a food market!

Padella is so successful that they will open another branch at the end of Feb in Shoreditch.
In the meantime, get there early as there are always queues of people!

The menu is simple and concise.

My choices were easy, Gnocchi and the tagliarini with anchovy butter.
Gnocchi is one of my favourite pastas and tagliarini is a must because I like anything thin like capellini as it hangs the sauce well.
Had Malfade been a choice, then it would have been difficult as the frilly edges hang sauce to it as well.

There was salt and pepper available but the pasta was tasty so it was not needed.
Water was also provided.

Tagliarini with anchovy butter & pangrattato:
Started with the Tagliarini with anchovy butter & pangrattato first as I was really hungry.
The salty notes really hit me but then it was addictive as each strand of pasta was so moreish.

Gnocchi with nutmeg butter:

I didn't know what to expect from this but when I put the first piece in my mouth I was shocked how soft and pillowly it was.
They were dreamily delicious with fluffy potatoes in it unlike other gnocchi which are just firm and lack potato taste.

The bill came to about 10 pounds which was an absolute deal.

Although I only tried the two cheapest pastas I was really satisfied with taste so I was happy.
In terms of portion, it is not big which means you can try more pastas in one visit to satisfy your pasta cravings!

[Review] Berto Pasta

Went here with a friend who wanted to try Berto Pasta which is a new restaurant that opened in the third quarter of 2019.
It was a nice restaurant with an open kitchen, table seating and bar seats around the kitchen so you can watch the chefs cook.

We got a nice table on the side as we got there pretty early before it got busy.

Interestingly, as a fairly new restaurant, the cup was cracked.

As for the glass, there was a small piece of dried red pepper or chili stuck to it.

Looking at the menu, it was impressive as there was a good range, everything was very different so there was a good variety yet difficult to choose in a good way.

On the corner of the menu, I liked the way they illustrated the different types of pastas.

Although the dishes were different, I thought that dishes had to be chosen with thought as some of the ingredients were repeated in the appetizer and mains like the sardines and buffalo ricotta so if you had ordered the appetizer then you might not want to order the mains that contain that.

The sequence of the pasta dishes were important if you are sharing.
It was good that we had the stronger tasting pasta dish last as it really stole the show.

For appetizers, we ordered Fritti Sardines, Buffalo Ricotta with chestnut honey and mint and for the mains it was the Tagliatelle with rabbit white ragu, capers & black paesane olives.
Now this is where the appetizers affected the choice of our other mains, having ordered the sardines meant that if I ordered the strozzapreti as a main then the sardines would be repeated.
My friend really wanted the ravioli but it had buffalo ricotta which we ordered for appetizers.
In the end we settled for the gnocchi which worked out well for both of us as we love gnocchi.

Starters were fab, the sardines were fried to perfection with a light coating and the ricotta was creamy and velvety.

Next was the rabbit ragu tagliatelle which was delicious because each strand was al-dente and you can taste that it is freshly made pasta as they claim.

Finished with the gnocchi with nduja and melted stracciatella.
This totally stole the show and it was fortunate that we ordered this last as it had the strongest flavour in the sense that it was spicy with a salty kick from my favourite Italian nduja salami.
The creamy stracciatella helped to mellow the saltiness and spiciness of the nduja.
As well as the flavour, the texture of the gnocchi was so damn good, it was soft and pillowly with a slight starchiness from the potatoes.

Overall, we had a great dinner and if I am in the area again, I would probably try the Strozzapreti or Ravioli as they are freshly made!
On another topic, if you are in Hong Kong I would recommend PICI which is also freshly made pasta.

Berto Pasta:
155 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX

Best Pastas in Lai Chi Kok by [PICI]

Business is booming in Lai Chi Kok and so is the demand for good food!
Pici started off in Wanchai, Feb 2017 and now has five branches with the fifth branch in Lai Chi Kok. Last week, they were doing a pasta giveaway but unfortunately I had other plans that day.

I like the way, all the branches have the same style an alfresco bar, dining area and a bar table where you can watch the pasta chefs make the pasta.

The menu at Lai Chi Kok is slightly different.

Green Ravioli and Tuna Tartare are exclusive at this branch while the popular favourites like truffle pasta, meatballs and tiramisu are all on the menu.

Started with the Sicilian Sunrise which was a vibrant sweet start with citrus flavours.

Green Ravioli [LCK exclusive at the moment]:
The green ravioli was new and I love ravioli so tried it.
It has broccolini, peas and asparagus which were all my favourites.
The ravioli was fresh with the crunch of the vegetables topped with ricotta which gave it the saltiness.

My friend had the lunch because you get salad and a dessert.
The truffle pasta was on the lunch menu so how could you not order it for HKD148!!!

Radicchio Salad [Part of the Lunch Set]:
There were so many options to choose from ranging from Hams to Burrata cheese but we chose the Radicchio salad which was healthy and light topped with delicious hazelnuts and tangy vinegar.

Taglioni with shaved fresh truffle [Part of the Lunch Set]:
Less is more and this was simply delicious because it was just freshly made pasta with freshly shaved truffle and truffle sauce. The pasta was silky yet al dente.

Tiramisu [Part of the Lunch Set]:
For dessert, the Tiramisu is a must as it is thick and creamilious.
PICI's Tiramisu is unique as the mascarpone is visually yellow like custard and it tastes so delicious with the soaked layers of ladyfingers.

With freshly made pasta, PICI never fails to impress.

PICI, Lai Chi Kok
Shop G03,
D2 Place TWO,
15 Cheung Shun Street, ]
Lai Chi Kok.

Pasta to delight your senses at [Van Gogh Senses]

For many people, a meal is just about satisfying hunger as the lifestyle in Hong Kong is all about being fast and on the move.
At Van Gogh Senses, it is appreciating art in everyday life.

Van Gogh Senses was created under Senses Holdings Limited with an exclusive license from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Hence Van Gogh Senses is a place to share and remember Van Gogh's timeless works, while honouring his passionate dedication to art with your five senses.

At the moment, they are now serving a pasta and cocktail pairing menu featuring their freshly egg pastas that are made in house.

As well as the pastas, here are the recommendable dishes.

Salmon & Tuna Carpaccio with Gin Tonic Jelly and Jicama Salad $168:
Presented like a pretty flower, it was refreshing with the crunchy flower shaped Jicama and the slight bitterness of the gin tonic jelly.

++++++

French Summer Black Truffle, Asparagus and Tomino Cow Cheese $168:
I love cheese as it was soft melted tomino cheese inside the crispy golden cocoon paired with nutty asparagus.

++++++

Alaskan King Crab with Curry Coriander Couscous & Compressed Watermelon and Black Garlic Tuile $188
Compressed Watermelon never fails as it has an intensified taste due to being compressed so the juices are all locked in further making it sweeter which went well with the curry couscous and crab.

++++++

Classic Dutch Peas & Smoked Ham Soup, Harvest Bruschetta $128
I love this ham soup which is really similar to the hearty beef soup because it is loaded with more ingredients than soup catered for people in the old days with a tough lifestyle that required physical labour intense work.

Moving on to the pastas, it was exciting as you can pair them with cocktails.

++++++

Hokkaido New Potato Gnocchi with Roma Tomato and House Smoked Burrata Cheese $168
Exclusive Cocktail Pairing - Kiwi Basil Smash $58

Unlike other gnocchi, they use potatoes from Japan which seemed to give it a softer stickier texture.

++++++

Italian Caviar & Bottarga di Muggine - Fresh Egg Spaghetti $228
Exclusive Cocktail Pairing - Pear Fizz $58

As well as gnocchi, this one was my favourite because I love freshly made egg spaghetti and this dish was just simple and delicious.
All that was in it was pasta and prized caviar!!
As well as the pasta, the Pear Fizz was a good pairing because pears are sweet and fragrant.

++++++

French Summer Black Truffle - Fresh Egg Spaghetti $208
Exclusive Cocktail Pairing - Black Diamond $58

The truffle spaghetti is similar to the caviar spaghetti but it depends if you prefer caviar or truffle.

++++++

Brittany Blue Lobster (Fresh) - Fresh Egg Fennel Trenette $398
Exclusive Cocktail Pairing - Starry $58

The secret here lies in the silky lobster foam which enriches the pasta.

++++++

Dutch Seasonal Oyster & White Vermouth Martini - Fresh Egg Squid Ink Trenette $248
Exclusive Cocktail Pairing - Spencer Lake $58

For me I love oysters, the complete package here, oyster to the max with oyster infused pasta, oyster foam and they even put the oyster leaves that just taste like oysters!!
And of course just like bacon and oysters, it's bacon and crispy parma ham.

++++++

24 hours Slow Cook Wagyu Beef Cheek Fettucine – 14 months DOP Asiago $218
Cocktail Pairing - Heritage Sour $58

As well as the delicate pasta combos above, I liked the beef fettucine which is very satisfying for a hungry stomach and definitely needs a strong cocktail to go with the beef.

++++++

Overall, I was extremely satisfied as I love carbs hence for dessert I had something light.

Sweet Corn Cheesecake & Gelato with Caramel Popcorn $98
The sweet corn gelato was very soothing and a great way to end the night.

Vangogh Senses:
https://www.vangoghsenses.com/

Summer fiesta at [Spaghetti House]

I am so glad, Spaghetti house has launched the summer menu because they have my favourite pasta with lemon and other summery dishes.

While I was deciding what to order, I had the strawberry cooler which was refreshing as well as photogenic.

To my surprise, there was fresh melon at the bottom which makes such a different to tinned cocktail fruit.

Started off with the [Spaghetti with lemon, dill and shrimps] pasta and it tasted better than I had expected.
The spaghetti was al-dente infused with lemon yet you could also taste some slight bitterness of the lemon peel.
It would be great if there was a wedge of lemon served beside it because I like my lemon strong and the dill could have been stronger as it was just sprinkled on top so the flavour didn't really come out when it was cooking.

Next was the [Lobster claw salad with pomelo in white wine vinaigrette] which turned out to be such a big portion that it seemed good for three people. It was refreshing with pomelo meat bursting with sweetness and chunks of lobster claws.

Finished with the [Prosciutto, air dried beef and arugula pizza] which was loaded with Prosciutto and air dried beef.
The saltiness of the prosciutto and beef worked very well with the pizza while the arugula and balsamic vinegar balanced the flavour and heaviness.

[Spaghetti House]
http://www.spaghettihouse.com