HONG KONG – The Hari Hong Kong’s authentic Italian restaurant Lucciola has unveiled a new à la carte menu that journeys from the country’s bucolic northern regions to its sun-drenched southern shores, with a focus on beloved classics crafted with premium, meticulously-sourced ingredients.
Provenance takes centre stage, with ingredients from the length and breadth of Italy, ranging from seven-year-aged Acquerello Carnaroli rice from Piedmont and aged Parmigiano Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna to Apulian burrata and Sardinian fregola. The likes of plump Vesuvian Datterino tomatoes, Pantelleria capers, and Amalfi lemons further showcase the bounty of the south.
Helmed by The Hari Hong Kong’s director of food and beverage, Francesco Gava, who hails from Italy’s Piedmont region, Lucciola’s new menu “balances the precision of fine dining with the warmth and comfort of Italian cooking, amid a convivial spirit where passing dishes around the table feels natural and inherently Italian”. The menu can be accessed here.
Among the starters, ‘Il Vitello Tonnato Piemontese’ features delicate slides of veal tenderloin dressed in creamy tonnato sauce, lifted by aged Modena balsamic vinegar and briny Pantelleria capers. ‘La Burrata Pugliese’ comprises indulgent Apulian burrata, its centre rich with stracciatella and cream, fringed by sweet Vesuvian Datterino tomatoes and basil, and finished with extra virgin olive oil.
Mains include ‘Le Pappardelle Scampi, Caviale e Cipollina’, one of Gava’s personal favourites, that sees ribbons of homemade pappardelle peppered with delicate scampi and chives and crowned with Ossetra caviar, and ‘Cavatelli al Granchio, Limone e Zafferano’ combining Alaskan king crab with Amalfi lemon and saffron, with red chilli lending a kick to boot.
Beloved classics such as ‘Gli Spaghetti alla Carbonara’ keep to tradition with guanciale and Pecorino Romano, while ‘La Cotoletta alla Milanese Orecchia di Elefante’ is made up of a breaded and pan-fried milk-fed veal cutlet on the bone with tartar fennel sauce.
‘Acquerello Risotto Astice e Piselli Novelli’ began as an off-the-cuff surprise during a private tasting dinner, when the culinary team prepared a small pot of seven-year-aged Acquerello Carnaroli rice with sweet Boston lobster and fresh green peas. “Guests were so taken with its richness and texture that they asked for full portions to take home that night,” Gava said. “Word spread among our regulars, who began requesting ‘the lobster and aged rice risotto’ before even opening the menu so the dish is now officially theirs to order.”
Another dish that has similarly informal beginnings is ‘La Spadellata di Cozze e Vongole Veraci’, in ‘Da Condividere’, the menu’s new ‘Good for Sharing’ section. When regulars dining late requested something rustic and comforting to share, the kitchen sent out a steaming skillet of clams and mussels with garlic bruschetta. As the bread was used to mop up every last drop of seafood broth, the team realised the dish encapsulated “a relaxed, coastal Italian family vibe”.
“The ethos behind the new menu is authentic regional Italian comfort food reinterpreted through a contemporary lens,” said Gava. “Hong Kong has a sophisticated dining audience that values provenance and the story behind what they eat, so the quality and origins of our ingredients are incredibly important to us.”
Desserts include Lucciola’s Il ‘Tiramisù Tradizionale’ that remains a signature, La Torta Caprese Bianca that marries almond and lemon cake with mascarpone and white chocolate, and, for an espresso-charged finale, ‘Affogato al Bicerin’ bringing together double espresso and vanilla artisanal gelato with Bicerin chocolate liqueur, whipped cream and white chocolate.
Located on the first floor of The Hari Hong Kong at 330 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Lucciola is characterised by a bold palette of amber and green tones, warm leather and dark timber. Geometric floor tiles and sculptural brass lighting add character to the open dining room, with expansive windows drawing in abundant natural light by day.
For more information or reservations, contact Lucciola on +852 2129 0333 or [email protected].
