7th May 2023 – (Hong Kong) Castellana is a restaurant located in the heart of Central, Hong Kong that celebrates the rich culinary traditions of Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Led by Piedmont native Chef Romeo Morelli, the restaurant has recently unveiled new menus, including a weekend brunch menu, a seasonal “Tour Around Italy” menu, and a summer edition of their “Traditional Piedmontese Recipe” lunch menu.
Castellana’s weekend brunch menu is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 3pm. The menu features a selection of five appetisers, homemade pasta, and larger main dishes that showcase premium and seasonal Italian ingredients. The appetisers include new creations like Lobster Salad with Caviar, a luxurious dish inspired by Chef Morelli’s travels to Sardegna, and Bell Peppers served Asti style, which sees crisp peppers stuffed with a balanced combination of tuna, anchovies, homemade mayonnaise, and balsamic vinegar, finished with a deep-fried caper and tuile. Another standout dish is Chef Morelli’s refined take on a Vitello Tonnato, which trades the traditional tuna filling for foie gras, resulting in an ultra-tender palate of sweet and umami flavours.
One of Castellana’s signature dishes is their homemade pasta, and brunch guests can indulge in a pasta of their choosing. The varied array includes the restaurant’s signature homemade ravioli filled generously with Castelmagno cheese served with a luxurious butter sauce and slices of dry-aged egg yolk. Another favourite is the homemade bottoni ravioli filled with Brittany blue lobster. Here, the lobster is cooked in butter before being finely chopped and combined with mascarpone, creating a rich filling for the red and yellow button-shaped pasta. Larger main dishes also pay homage to classic Italian flavours. Highlights include Fassona veal tenderloin, a lean and tender beef that is native to Piedmont, which is coated in pangrattato, gently cooked in butter to lock in its Wagyu-like tenderness and served alongside shiitake mushrooms and parmesan fondue. The selection also includes a range of much-loved CASTELLANA sweet dishes, including the signature tiramisu with homemade biscuit, moka soil, and mascarpone and the stunning Montebianco, which features an intriguing mix of chestnut purée, whipped cream, and peach gel.
The Castellana weekend brunch is available as a selection of three or four courses (HK$680 and HK$780, respectively). A 1.5-hour sommelier’s selection free-flow (HK$480) is also available, featuring a curated range of Piedmontese bubbles, red, and white wine.
“Tour Around Italy” Menu
Castellana’s “Tour Around Italy” menu is a six-course meal that features Chef Romeo’s interpretation of a specific region of Italy. The menu starts with a visit to “Sicilia”, in which fresh Japanese scallop tartare is marinated with Sichuan oil, clementine purée, almond, and black squid ink – a perfect entanglement of flavours from both the sea and the earth. Also available for customers to experience is “Piemonte”, Romeo’s hometown. A perfect balance of sweet and tart, this dish tastes of growing up. Flavourful Datterino tomato soup is garnished with a hint of Burrata cheese and three Cigliano tomatoes (yellow, black, and red) for an extra burst of flavour. Inspired by his childhood, his mother would have these tomatoes growing in his garden and would serve this to him on a hot summer’s day. To end the menu on a sweet note, Chef Romeo introduces “Basilicata”, fresh raspberry sorbet gently placed upon an assortment of sweet berries, finished with a homemade biscuit for a textural crunch. The Basilicata region is known for their berry farms and is where his Father is from – therefore this dish is very close to Romeo’s heart.
“Traditional Piedmontese Recipe” Menu – Summer Edition
For Chef Romeo’s summer rendition of the “Traditional Piedmontese Recipe” menu, he introduces seasonal dishes such as seared sardines served with homemade crispy bread, onions cooked in a carpione sauce and Kristal caviar – a typical dish that Romeo and his family would enjoy in the middle of the day for “Merenda”, a meal that is enjoyed between lunch and dinner as a “pick me up”. The sour and salty notes are perfectly balanced with the homemade bread and butter. Also introduced is tender and juicy slow-cooked Japanese black cod, coated with crispy garlic to add a punch of flavour to contrast the umami taste and to also add a textural crunch. The cod’s skin is made to be crispy and is placed gently on top. The sauce that Romeo serves with this dish is made of Mediterranean algae and a hint of cream, pairing perfectly with the final touch of Kristal caviar to compliment the flavours of the ocean.
Address: UG/F & 1/F, Club Lusitano Building, 16 Ice House Street, Central
Tel: +852 3188 5028
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday
Lunch – 12pm – 3pm
Dinner – 6pm – 10pm
Brunch – 12pm – 3pm
Reservations: www.castellanahongkong.com/
Facebook/Instagram: @castellanahk