A firm handshake and a benvenuto meet us when we enter Azzurro. Over the next two hours the restaurant’s fleet-footed wait staff buzz around us as we sit on wall-length pastel blue seating, reminiscent of a 1970s pizzeria.
The Italian restaurant is run by the same parent company as next-door Shark, a glitzy grill and wine bar, but Azzurro is trying to cast a wider net by being more ‘humble,’ we are told. The family eating nearby attests to early success.
The kitchen bell dings and homemade, complimentary bread is set on our simple wooden table. The bread comes with three sauces, including a mix of extra virgin olive oil and the Lamborghini of balsamics, balsamic vinegar moderno.
Next are the garlic prawns (RMB98). Served on soft corn meal mixed with diced spinach, it is a delightful yet precarious mix of flavors that under a lesser chef would taste muddled.
The headliner of our evening is the dumplings stuffed with ham and ricotta cheese (RMB138), served in an onion sauce, with green peas and paper-thin mushroom slices that, again, show off a delicate touch by adding a complimentary base note to the dish. Homemade sausages (RMB168), on the other hand, are a tad over-salted.
Dessert-wise, the chocolate torta Caprese (RMB68) is moist with minced almonds and manages to be filling but not heavy.
Most of the 30 Italian wines are sold by the bottle with a fruity pinot nero costing RMB398. Classic cocktails are available (think RMB68 mojito) and Taps will soon provide craft beer.
Some key ingredients are imported, but many are made in Shenzhen by Italian chef Diego Di Costanzo (tangy mozzarella cheese from Yunnan buffalo milk, for instance). The chef’s name is on the menu beside ‘signature’ dishes exclusive to the Di Costanzo family, though we fear only the most experienced palates will be able to taste any special twists.
As we prepare to leave, the lights dim, the accordion-heavy background music cuts out and ‘Happy Birthday’ begins to play. Eleven kitchen staff enter the restaurant banging pans and a candled desert is set in front of a smiling woman. Clearly Azzurro cares about the dining experience.
Walking the line of being high quality yet unpretentious, Azzurro is authentic enough to justify some premium prices, but affordable enough to catch yourself going back week after week.
Price: RMB600 for two
Who’s going: Fans of Shark, people who want good service
Good for: Family night, second dates
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