Cernia in tomato & Capers Sicilian Sauce
KOWLOON Shangri-La Hong Kong celebrates the cultural heritage of Tsim Sha Tsui with a unique Cultural Heritage Package with a luxurious stay at the waterfront five-star hotel and a guided four-hour walking tour off the beaten path to discover “hidden” gems and fascinating secrets of charming Tsim Sha Tsui.
Patsy Chan, director of communications of Kowloon Shangri-La, flew to Mactan, Cebu, and hosted a lunch at Mactan’s Shangri-La Resort & Spa’s Italian restaurant Aqua to share the exciting programs they have put together. Kowloon Shangri-La, considered one of the best hotels in the world, sits in the famous shopping and entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui in the heart of Kowloon. Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare lined with shops, restaurants and is filled with tourists.
The appetizer of salmon and tuna carpaccio duo with oranges, kalamata olives, Italian pickles and citronette opened our palates as well as our interest as Patsy animatedly “walked” us through the enchanting Kowloon Shangri-La and the vibrant Kowloon, Hong Kong destination highlighting the district of Tsim Sha Tsui. Patsy engaged us in a very lively repartee punctuated with jokes and laughter. The paper-thin carpaccio was refreshingly delightful with the citronette dressing giving a hint of tartness. Carpaccio is a Piedmont specialty of raw fish or meat.
Aqua tiramisu
And there’s new Chef de Cuisine, Andrea Burzio, who hails from Turin, the capital of Piedmont in Northern Italy. The 33-year-old chef started his culinary career when he was 18 years old. A reserved man, he took to cooking as an art instrumental in creating meaningful relationships and communities. As the Italian chef of Aqua, Chef Andrea envisions Aqua to be home for more family-style favorites in the Italian tradition. He gained his invaluable gastronomic experience in Italy, France, Switzerland, Thailand and Myanmar where he discovered the joy of working with Filipinos. He is driven by his desire to make people happy.
Over the light and clean flavors of lemon risotto with pesto seafood salad, Patsy shared the inclusions of the guided walking tour of Tsim Sha Tsui from Unesco’s nominated buildings, the city’s oldest military facility and Kowloon Peninsula’s first Catholic Church to the primary school attended by Kung Fu master Bruce Lee. Meanwhile, Chef Andrea unobtrusively approached our intimate dining table to make sure we were enjoying his prepared creations. The risotto was al dente and creamy with the morsels of shrimps, squid and mussels bursting with freshness. The second entrée was Cernia (Grouper) in Tomato and Capers Sicilian Sauce. Grouper is locally known as lapu-lapu or pugapo. A seafood lover, I relished both dishes and surprisingly cleaned my plate clean. A video presentation sealed a very exciting invitation from Hong Kong.
Salmon & tuna carpaccio with
oranges, kalamata olives, pickles and citronette
Dessert was a classic Italian favorite, tiramisu. Chef Andrea’s presentation was quite unique: in a clap pot resembling a potted plant. This popular coffee-flavored Italian custard consists of ladyfinger or cake dipped in coffee and layered with rich, velvety cream, eggs and mascarpone cheese. Chef topped the dessert with chocolate soil, acquiring the dirt look.
