Where an Italian in Hong Kong goes for Italian Sunday brunch, seafood meals by the sea, and cocktails to die for
- For Sunday brunch Mattia Bruna goes to Spasso, with its harbour views, and he loves the fresh seafood on Lamma and at Shoreditch in Kennedy Town
- He and his wife can’t wait to visit Ho Chi Minh City again, where they spent a week trying the street food at one of its markets on a previous trip
Italian Mattia Bruna is the assistant general manager of operations and customer service for South Stream Market, a Hong Kong-based food and produce importer and online grocery store. He talks to Andrew Sun.
Moving from Italy to Hong Kong was the best choice I ever made. Hong Kong is a unique place with mixed cultures where you can find any kind of cuisine, from Asian to Western, casual to fine dining. I’ve been living here for 11 years. With food, I am easy- going. I like to dine in places where I feel comfortable being myself.
One of my favourite restaurants is Spasso (Shop G5-8 & 12-17, Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, tel: 2730 8027). Their Sunday brunch is unbeatable. The location speaks for itself – the terrace overlooks the harbour and their menu, designed by chef and owner Michele Senigaglia, is outstanding for quality, flavours and reasonable pricing.
Another place I often visit is Shoreditch (18 Catchick Street, Kennedy Town, tel: 2242 3777), a modern British restaurant. You can indulge in their oysters, lobster and steak nights. They still offer very attractive promotions despite being very busy. The HK$10 oyster night’s produce is jet-fresh and delivered just a couple of hours before dinner service. The same goes for the lobsters and steaks.
A place I love to bring visitors is Sampan Seafood Restaurant (16 Main Street, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island, tel: 2982 2388). It’s very easy to recognise. It’s the first restaurant on the seaside from the Yung Shue Wan Ferry Pier, with red and white square tablecloths.