[Hong Kong Cuisine] Michelin-starred chef Igor Macchia to showcase his skills in Hong Kong for a limited time

Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise and also the ‘Gastronomic Capital of Asia’. Tucked away within the Marco Polo Hotel, right next to the famous Harbour City shopping centre, lies Cucina—an understated yet distinctive Italian restaurant. As well as offering breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour, the star of the show at Cucina is, of course, the food. This week, Cucina has specially invited star chef Igor Macchia from the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant La Credenza to return to Hong Kong to prepare traditional Italian dishes for diners.

Igor Macchia has worked at various Michelin-starred restaurants since the age of 20, including the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Bruneau in Brussels, Belgium, the two-star Restaurant le Gavroche in London, UK, and the one-star Restaurant du lion d’or in Geneva, Switzerland. His own Michelin-starred restaurant, La Credenza, also holds one star, making Mr Igor a truly experienced chef.
Without further ado, let’s get straight to the point and introduce the menu. The menu prepared by Mr Igor consists of six courses: a starter, a soup, a portion of risotto, two main courses, and finally a dessert. I’ve heard that Michelin-starred cuisine is all about quality over quantity, and the portions on this menu are more than generous, so there’s no need to worry.
▼ Let’s start with the startersRaw beef tartare with olive oil foam and black truffle, served with an Italian cheese sauce.This is a dish that Mr Igor himself highly recommends: a rich, glossy, sweet and tender beef tartare, surrounded by a ring of special Italian cheese sauce and topped with a delicate foam made from extra virgin olive oil. A few thin slices of black truffle are then shaved over the top at the last minute, creating a dish where the rich flavours complement one another perfectly.

▼ The second course served was a creamy cauliflower soup garnished with cod and black truffle caviar. What exactly is black truffle caviar? It is actually a black truffle sauce prepared using molecular gastronomy techniques. As it is black in colour and comes in individual beads, it looks exquisite and bears a striking resemblance to caviar, hence the name. When you sip it, the ‘caviar’ bursts in your mouth, and the distinctive flavour of black truffle suddenly hits you, leaving your taste buds both surprised and delighted.

▼ The third course: pumpkin and red prawn tartare risotto. Served with a cheese and cardamom sauce—perhaps it’s just a matter of personal preference, but I felt this came a little too early, as even before I’d tasted it, I was worried that feeling full might dampen my appetite for the rest of the meal. The risotto, made with pumpkin purée, cheese and cardamom, was quite good. The rice grains were plump and had a satisfying bite; unlike typical Italian risotto, the cheese flavour wasn’t overpowering, but instead brought out the delicate, fresh aroma of the pumpkin. As for the red prawn tartare served on three crispy chips, its appeal is evident from the mouth-watering photograph alone; needless to say, it was delightfully crisp and sweet.

▼ Here comes the main course: squid stuffed with wild rice, served with seasonal vegetables and slices of ginger. ‘Wild rice’ has slender, elongated grains, a black husk and white starch; it is a type of wild rice commonly found in Italian cuisine. Millet is arguably the soul of this dish; it adds a rich complexity to the texture, whilst the fragrant ginger juice brings out the squid’s umami flavour to the full. When eating, do try dipping it in a little squid ink – it will double the umami sensation on your palate.

▼ Another main courseCoffee-marinated lamb fillet served with sweetcorn purée and a herb salad.Yes, this was the standout dish of the evening. Mr Igor explained that the lamb fillet had been marinated in coffee for a full 24 hours, allowing it to fully absorb the coffee’s aroma before cooking. The coffee paired surprisingly well with the lamb’s natural gaminess, whilst also reducing the strong lamby flavour—it’s a dish that everyone should be able to enjoy. The cooking technique was spot on: tender on the outside and succulent on the inside, with a lovely pinkish sheen. I absolutely loved it. Paired with the sweet, rich maize purée, it would have been even better if I could have had another portion—it’s just a shame my stomach isn’t big enough.

▼ And of course, no celebration would be complete without the grapefruit jelly with white chocolate mousse, sponge cake and chilled raspberries, specially prepared for our guests from Hong Kong. A thin slice of grapefruit jelly is topped with three small pieces of soft sponge cake, crowned with a half-circle of white chocolate mousse, with an extra slice of red grapefruit placed beside it as a focal point, and finally a generous sprinkling of tangy frozen dried blackberries. It serves as a sweet-and-sour finale to the menu, as if Mr Igor Macchia were reminding diners not to forget his signature flavours – a truly unforgettable experience.

Chef Igor Macchia’s dinner menu is available from 26 to 31 May 2015
Price: Dinner (six-course meal + coffee or tea): $888 per person; Lunch (three-course meal + coffee or tea): HK$318 per person; (plus a 10% service charge)
Address: 6th Floor, Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, Harbour City, 3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2113 0808

I have also attached the à la carte menu and the three-course lunch menu for your reference:
Cucina_Michelin-starred Chef Igor Macchia_à la carte menu
Cucina_Michelin-starred Chef Igor Macchia’s 3-course Set Lunch Menu