(Note: This review was originally published in the autumn edition of Good Eating, the quarterly food magazine by South China Morning Post)
FARE
Italian
AMBIENCE
It’s hard to imagine this place would be packed with suits on a normal weekday night, but on the Sunday when we sampled their famous champagne brunch, LUPA was positively laid-back in a casual, rustic way. Still packing some understated elegance with their dark wooden furniture and an impressive terrace for alfresco dining, they have recently added a 3-piece live jazz band – a classy yet cosy touch brunch time.
COST
$548 per person for brunch buffet with free flow alcoholic beverages from a standard drink list. Top up another $100 if you fancy some champagne into the mix.
WHO TO BRING
That special someone for a long, leisurely brunch, three floors above the bustling streets of Central.
TURN-ONS
The French toast with bufala ricotta arrived at our table looking almost postcard-perfect. The toasts were deliciously warm and moist, generously drenched with lemon compote and honey. Every decadent bite, smeared with that heavenly ricotta, would more than satisfy those with sweet tooth.
For a slightly more savoury treat, we helped ourselves to some prime-cut pork arista. Roasted to a juicy perfection, the pork was bursting with aromatic herbs, which went perfectly well with my choice of salsa verde and a touch of mustard. We had seconds.
Also recommended from the live chef’s station was the winning combination of fungi misti, served with corn polenta and cheese.
TURN-OFFS
The rest of the buffet line-up, unfortunately, was far from being star-quality. Some options were commendable, such as cannellini bean with grilled onion and clams with fregula, but the others were borderline ordinary. Even the raw station, with its fresh oysters, blanched prawns and sizeable mussels, fails to impress.
DRINKS
The buffet drink list includes Flor Proseco, Pinot Grigio, Peroni draught beer, Bloody Mary’s and Bellini’s, as well as champagne if you went for the $648-per-person option. Service was attentive and quite a delight; my glass of Proseco was never empty, and used plates and cutleries were cleared away with great efficiency.
LUPA Hong Kong
3/F, LHT Tower
31 Queen’s Road, Central
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2796 6500