Lamb "lollipops".Jamie's Italian
2/F, Soundwill Plaza II
1 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Tel: 3958 2222
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Vibe: Artsy-fartsy yet unpretentious, with wood-panelled walls, retro print posters, cool light fixtures, brightly coloured seats and "traditional Italian food" on shelves and hanging from hooks around the room.
Who to take: A large group of friends with huge appetites so you can try all the starters. There are big tables with curved seating - perfect for a squad catch-up.
What's hot: The starters. There seems to be a rotating menu, so items change, but there's always something interesting.
The "planks" of meats, fish or veg are a good introduction to antipasti, or traditional Italian starters. We had deep-fried, cheese-filled ravioli with a delicious, spicy tomato dip. There's also a variety of bruschetta, with everything from traditional tomato toppings to more Asian fusion crab and lemon.
The service is just the right side of familiar: super-attentive, smiley staff know the menu well and are happy to offer recommendations. And the décor and chilled atmosphere really are worth checking out.
What's not: The mains, sadly, are nothing special. Truffle tagliatelle should be a simple, soothing dish, but it was slightly overcooked, and a bit cloying. And the small portion was SMALL. The lamb lollipops were just lamb chops; they were fine - but that's it. The description promised so much more.
If you haven't booked, you have to queue by the "pop-up shop" downstairs, even though the venue is huge, and there always seems to be space.
Cost: Antipasti and sides are from HK$40 for a bread basket, to HK$89 per person for the fish plank. Pastas and mains are HK$75-HK$328, desserts are HK$62-HK$78.