Testina

It was a no brainer when our friends M and T suggested we met up for dinner at Testina. I love the restaurant and their style of casual Italian cooking when we first visited a few months back and have been wanting to go back. Given its popularity since then, we were lucky to get a booking confirmed just a couple of weeks back for our party of 6 to eat there one evening. 

We went for the option of sharing menu and had numerous dishes sent by Chef Marco’s team and served family style – 11 courses in total not including bread if my count was right. The execution of Lingua Tonnata was solid like the last time we had the same dish, with the tender slices of veal tongues paired with the traditional tuna sauce spooned generously on top for the typical Piedmontese flavor. Both the beef tartare and smoked sardine were beautifully plated with all the bright colors and great flavor to show forth. The beef tartare was served with the semi-soft marinated egg yolk on top, working well with the hand-chopped Fassona beef with rich flavor – it’s done with slightly less acidity added on, highlighting the original meat flavor more. The smoked sardine was served with dollops of soft burrata cheese and chunks of grilled artichokes, brought together by the orange-colored romesco sauce and herbs for the rustic, refreshing taste.

I didn’t remember the Lardo dish being listed in the a la carte menu but it was another simple but delicious dish, with thin slices of the fatty lardo (from the Tuscan Cinta Senese pig breed) served with chunks of seasonal figs and ricotta cheese underneath with Balsamic vinegar dressed on top. The sweet, fatty and acidic tastes all came together nicely with this classic combination of ingredients. The tagliatelle with duck ragu was something I didn’t mind having any day any time and it was great as I expected with the hearty sauce and a hint of gamey flavor (almost like Cantonese roast duck!) 

We were asked to pick our choice for main course from the menu and then the team sent us a few more to supplement. The signature pig’s head was what we chose, with the chunks of the fatty cut served with Italian salsa verde and radish leaves underneath. The squid dish trumped just about every ordinary Calamari Fritti with thick slices of squids battered, deep-fried and served with aioli and equally thick slices of heirloom tomatoes. They were not of the sweetest, juiciest type but one with firm meaty texture and balanced flavor. Just when we were about to “complain” about having too much food, there it was the couple pieces of bone marrow, roasted and served with salad and toasts on the side. 

And at the end we did manage to try all the dessert choices presented on the menu – did I mention about “too much food” just now? Everything with hazelnut would always be my favorite and this time it’s a double dose with the moist hazelnut cake served with the creamy and rich hazelnut zabaione poured on the side, but I also enjoyed the apple dessert with layers of puff pastry with stewed apples and dried fruits in a bed of Crème Anglaise. Simple but with the right sweetness and apples being right in season. 

I appreciate their BYO-friendly policy (buy one from their menu, open one of your own free of corkage charge) – they definitely got brownie points from me for that. Aldo Adige may be better known for its zesty Pinot Grigio but I like this bottle of Gewurtraminer from their wine selection to start, more balanced with lower acidity, with a nice floral bouquet and stone fruits. Probably jumped the gun a little early with this bottle of Barolo that we had next. A tad lighter in body then their typical production which made it easier to drink, and hint of violet aroma, with plenty of ripe red fruits on the palate and some tannins developed after some breathing time.  

When? July 25 2022 
Where? Testina, 3/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
Menu Highlights? Smoked Sardine, Stracciatelle di Burrata, Grilled Artichoke and Romesco Sauce
Drinks?
2020 Pfitscher “Stoass” Gewurztraminer Alto Adige DOC
2014 Elio Grasso Barolo DOCG
Web: testina.hk