Etna: embark on a Sicilian journey at this neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Tin Hau

This neighbourhood Italian restaurant is hidden away on the third floor of a new building on Electric Road. The interior is spacious, done in earthy tones with industrial fixtures. There is an outdoor alfresco area which will be popular for drinks and snacks. The dishes are Sicilian, and the restaurant’s name comes from Mount Etna, a volcano on Sicily’s east coast.

For us, the dishes were hit and miss. The start was promising with the fried portobello and oyster mushrooms (HK$88), which were marinated then lightly coated in flour and fried. These were served in a volcano sauce made with roasted aubergine with a spicy kick. It was almost like a mushroom tempura: light, no grease from the oil and the marinade hit the right note. Another good dish was the warm jumbo asparagus and lentils with goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette (HK$158). Two other dishes, warm poached prawns with lemon oil, chilli jam and raw zucchini (HK$158) fell flat, as did the 24 carat gold saffron risotto (HK$198).

We liked the softshell crab fettuccine (HK$238), fresh pasta tossed with crabmeat and a puttanesca sauce with tomatoes, olive oil, olives and capers, with a touch of Korean gochujang sauce for a savoury, light smokiness and a spicy kick. The best part of the dish was the deliciously light and crispy deep-fried softshell crab on top of the pasta. A grilled Iberico pork chop with grapes, farro, honey and balsamic (HK$288) was cooked perfectly with the right balance of flavours, as was the Brandt tri-tip steak with oregano, tomato and dates (HK$398). The chef marinates the steak in onion and citrus then prepares it sous vide for two hours, finishing it off with a quick sear.

For dessert, we liked the rhum baba (HK$88) with spiced rum, passion fruit caramel and Chantilly cream, and the deconstructed Etna tiramisu.

Etna

3/F, The New Place, 68-70 Electric Road, Tin Hau, 3462 2700