CIAK

This casual restaurant with live cooking stations opened by the venerable Umberto Bombana (of Otto e Mezzo) evokes the gourmet food halls of Europe—or at least the best it can in a mall setting in Hong Kong. It’s a one-stop shop for all your Italian cravings, whatever the time of day and the casual, lively setting with open kitchens makes it a good choice dining in a group. The food is well executed and for anyone with a craving for Italian, it will hit the spot. Portion sizes are generous and in most cases, good to share, especially the plates of fresh pasta, made in-house, and crisp pizzas, made with dough fermented over 36 hours, making it popular with groups for various occasions—from family dinners, to team lunches, to relaxed dates. Beautifully puffed and crispy, the pizza dough fermented over 36 hours makes a great base for anything, especially the sausage in the piccante, which has just a hint of spice to keep things exciting. For a full dinner however, the prices do add up (and during white truffle season, they can seem positively scandalous) and it can seem a little pricey given the laidback setting. Wine lovers won’t be disappointed, with their extensive and well-selected list of mostly Italian bottles, many of which are reasonably priced.