COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – The popular Italian restaurant Giando, run by chef Gianni Caprioli, has now vacated Fenwick Pier. In its place, there is a new Italian restaurant. This one is called Gia Trattoria and it is operated by the same chef.
I know what you’re thinking: what’s up with that?
The Fenwick Pier’s first floor has always been a wonderful space but its out-of-the-way location – awkwardly situated in between Wan Chai and Admiralty – is also a drawback. It’s difficult to see how a slight change in the name will affect its fortune.
The original Giando concept has been relocated to a more accessible Star Street location, while the new resident Gia – with essentially the same décor – is marketed as focusing on regional Italian cuisine.
I wouldn’t say Gia is more casual. If Giando’s cuisine is business attire, Gia is smart-casual. The setting is still quite formal but the dishes resonate with common comfort ingredients, much of it imported from the old country. Caprioli’s food has always focused on classic flavours and traditional technique, so expect a menu loaded with the familiar and the rustic.
Straciatella Alla Romana
Standard fare dominates. A soup like Straciatella Alla Romana (HKD98) is typical mamma-style cooking, combining pecorino cheese with scrambled eggs and served in a chicken broth. The ingredients are super basic so it’s all about the care and attention a chef brings to make this simple egg-drop consommé sing like a Verdi aria. Gia’s is pretty good; the egg dumpling’s texture is like a puffy cloud with notes of savoury cheese. The comforting broth isn’t too salty. Plus, I appreciate Caprioli resisting the clichéd temptation of glamming up the bowl with black truffle.
Zucchini flowers are often shown in travel and cooking programmes but rarely seen on Hong Kong menus. Caprioli offers a dish of four blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese mixed with anchovies, all drizzled with some mint pesto (Fiori di Zucca Ripieni di Ricotta e Acciughe, HKD 158). To be honest, the flower’s flavour is too light to stand up to the too-thick batter, but the fritters are crispy and the creamy cheese mix is appetising and filling.
Gia has a large selection of pizzas which goes to suggest this is a kitchen that really wants to keep it simple. But since we are sitting at a white-tablecloth table with a panoramic view of the harbour and Central, we want a bit of indulgence to reflect the environment. So no simple Margherita or Caprese. I am more interested in trying one of the bianche pies (white pizzas).
Broccoli Nduja e Burrata Pizza
The Broccoli Nduja e Burrata (HKD198) pizza arrives much larger than expected. It’s a pie at least 12 inches in diameter, shiny with splotches of the dried sweet pepper, broccoli, possibly some grano padano, and dollops of rich burrata cheese. The nduja salami gives it a spicy kick and I can’t stop eating the thin-crust sauceless wonder.
Costata di Vitello alla Milanese
To finish up, we try another classic, the Milanese veal chop (Costata di Vitello alla Milanese, HKD398). There’s nothing fancy or chef-y with this traditional favourite. The bone-on piece of breaded meat is also huge but tender and slightly sweet. It comes with some arugula, tomatoes and cubes of potatoes on the side.
Lemon Parfait
From the mostly conservative desserts, we choose the Lemon Parfait (HKD98) with a strawberry coulis, a classic flavour combination. What I couldn’t get enough of was the accompanying crunchy caramelised crushed almonds, which delivered wonderful texture and depth to the cold and tart solidified cream.
As dinner service wrapped up, Caprioli came out to greet friends and guests alike. When he came over, we couldn’t help ask about his sudden shuffle of restaurants.
It turns out the reason Giando, his signature eatery, was moved to Star Street is that Fenwick Pier might undergo renovations sometime in the near future. With tenancy on grounds as unstable as the reclamation around the pier, the chef felt the need to protect his premier brand which had been there since September 2012.
But after moving Giando, he didn’t want to give up the space, so Gia Trattoria Italiana was created. Who knows how long it will last. It could be a brief time or – given how delays and plan changes often occur – Gia could be around as long as its timeless dishes.
(The Fenwick Pier Servicemen’s Guides Association, which runs the space, later explained that the Hong Kong Town Planning Board approved a request for the refurbishment of Fenwick Pier in January, and works will begin once plans are finalised and approved. But the plan is to keep the whole building and its businesses open during the refurbishment, and only close portions if technicalities arise. They also clarified the government has not made any efforts to take back Fenwick Pier. So, it’s safe to make reservations for Gia for now.)
Gia Trattoria Italiana: 1/F, Fleet Arcade, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King St., Wan Chai (Google Maps). Tel: 2511 8081.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include a clarification on why Giando moved after the Servicemen’s Guides Association got in touch with Coconuts Hong Kong.
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