Friday, August 28, 2015

Good food at Babbo Trattoria, hope they maintain the standards

A few years ago there were not many good Italian dos, I used to like Fat Angelos and Amaroni’s but too many new restaurants have been opening that they have faded in my list.
Jamie’s Italian is a really good by HK standards but in the UK it is actually a mid range restaurant.
At first I had doubts on Babbo Trattoria but after I saw the menu, I changed my mind because there was a good variety unlike other restaurants which only have one or two authentic Italian dishes and the rest are localized.
Babbo Trattoria is located at Plaza 2000, which used to be a shabby mall that has recently been rennovated with PRADA on the ground floor.

The decor is how you would expect the place to be.




Started off with green tea.

I was glad I was recommended the Caesar Salad because it really stole the show with envious stares across the room.
If it were not recommended I would definitely not have ordered it because typical Caesar salads are just lettuce in a creamy Caesar dressing but here it is lettuce topped with bacon where they will shave the Grand Piadano cheese right in front of you from the block of cheese.


It was such a show that captivates every diner whenever this dish is brought out.



Thick and big pieces of cheese shavings, which looked like White chocolate, were piled on top of the lettuce and then they help to slice the lettuce into smaller pieces.
After the sinful salad of with lots of cheese, I had this other guilty dish which is Babbo bread served with a pot of Formaggio cheese on top of an egg which is mixed together infront of you for you to dip the bread in!



The bread itself was tasty and slightly salted so after dipping it in the molten mix of cheese and egg, it was just damn good!
I ordered some grilled potatoes because I need carbs in my diet and they were crispy and fluffy in the middle.

They also tasted amazing with the remaining cheese and egg,

Following that we had the pasta, which was buccatini. The waiter recommended me this but it didn’t register with me at first as Buccatini as he said it in Chinese so I thought he meant rigatoni or macaroni.

It smelt absolutely scrumptious when it arrived because the glistening gold mullet roe gives it that salty and aromatic flavouring.


It would have been perfect if it wasn’t too spicy.

For dessert, it was another guilt!
To my surprise, they have a display sample of the desserts.



It was not so much on the sweetness but the lovely CREAM!
We had the mascarpone and cheese icecream
The mascarpone was a thick dollop drizzled with vinegar and it basically tasted like delicious clotted cream so I would been happy with more bread or some scones to go with it.

The cheese icecream looked like delicious Cornish icecream which is also yellow in colour, again another guilty item because it was fragrant and creamy but not too sweet.

It would be great if they had table knives at the table so you don't have to ask for it and a bigger tea selection would be great because they don't have breakfast or Earl grey tea.

Atelier Vivanda is the place for meat and potatoes

Having been to Akrame next door, I knew this place was going to be good.

I was looking forward to dinner because they specialize in meat and potatoes.
During lunch and dinner priced at HK$448, diners can indulge in L’Entrée, La Viande, L’Accompagnement, and Le Dessert.

Started with thinly sliced smoked beef that has matured in 50 days, it was flavourful and appetizing before dinner.
We also had the Pata Negra Bellota Pure Origins Iberian which is waxy.

The cheese was my favourite because it had a light taste which was enhanced by the Caractère olive oil that has a lovely peppery taste.




The starters are accompanied by fresh bread served in a small paper bag.

For the L’Entré we had Duck Leg Terrine with Vinegar and Baby Onions and Risotto with Beetroot and Smoked Haddock.



I liked the risotto because it was rice shaped pasta which gives it a better flavour.
For the mains, we had the beef flank and the Iberian Pork Rib.
The pork was thick and juicy.




Then came the potatoes, my favourite aspect because I love potatoes!!!
There were five different types!!
Gratin Dauphinois, Pommes Darphin, Sauteed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes and Pommes Dauphines which are unlimited.






The pomme Darphin is amazing, crispy and fluffy in the middle!
For dessert, we finished with Custard with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Profitoclaire with Chocolate Tonka.
The Caramel Profitoclaire with Chocolate Tonka was really nice, it was covered in a strong caramel that was not too sweet covered in crunchy hazelnuts.

My secret and cozy cabin

I rarely go to SK because the transport there is so troublesome.
The Cabin is located in the heart of SK yet not many people know this place because when everyone gets off the minibus they head to the town.
Anyway, found out about The cabin on openrice and discovered it was British fare so I had to try it.

Since K's British closed down I haven't had a decent meal.

The Cabin made my day because the decor is like a typical room in the UK matched with the chairs and tables.




At the front of the restaurant, I liked the display.


I went a bit crazy and ate too much like the first time at K's British because the food was just too good.

Here was what I had:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mini Yorkshire Pudding Canapés:

This was such a SMART canape, it was like a Sunday roast summarized in a Yorkshire pudding. It was a mini Yorkshire pudding filled with a slice of juicy roast beef topped with creamy horseradish which had a lovely mustard kick to it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cottage pie with chips:

The cottage pie was divine with lovely chunks of meat and young carrot slices that were sweet in a rich gravy that had a fragrant Thyme flavour.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Children's Bangers and chips:

This was damn good because I love pork sausages and these sausages were too good.
Found out they were Walls Sausages.
The bangers and chips was actually a kids meal but because I ate so much I asked them to leave the beans.
It was the best sausage I have ever tasted because the sausage skin was amazingly crispy like Filo pastry, you could hear the crispiness of the sausage when you put your knife and fork to it yet the middle of the sausage was soft and moist with a yummy pork and herb taste.

Both the sausages and pie were served with chips and they are chippy chips which are peeled, hand-cut and fried so they have a soft texture with a shiny surface and a natrual sweet potatoey taste.
I asked for vinegar to go with these divine chips.

I am so happy, there is another place that has decent chips so I can't wait to see Fish and Chips on the menu.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon Meringue:

Had the lemon meringue to finish and it was sweet with a strong lemon curd at the bottom.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Apple crumble with custard:

I had the apple crumble too because it was served with REAL custard and not FAKE VANILLA sauce.
The apple crumble wasn't too sweet and tasted delicious with real custard which I found comforting.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
vallebelbo fior di vigna moscato:

This was complimentary to celebrate their recent opening.
I don't drink wine but it was sweet and aromatic so I actually liked it because it tasted like a dessert wine.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Can't wait to come back because they said there is going to be afternoon tea and they are updating the menu.

Cost per person HKD:$300
+++++++++++++++++++==
The Cabin:
G/F, 183 Po Tung Road, Sai Kung, N.T. 新界西貢普通道183C地下
Hong Kong

2412 3183
https://www.facebook.com/TheCabinCafeRestaurant
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