Cover Hong Kong’s Best Risotto

Where to find the best renditions of this rustic and comforting Italian dish in Hong Kong

While minimalist plating and molecular gastronomy may look great in photos, sometimes all we crave is a plate of solid, old-fashioned food. This is why this week, we have decided to focus on one of the most comforting dishes possible, Italian risotto. A seemingly simple dish of arborio or carnaroli rice cooked in broth, risotto can demonstrate a surprising variety of flavours. They can also demonstrate a bewildering variety of textures, from the dense and sticky to the runny, especially in the hands of inept chefs, and a subpar risotto is a sobering experience indeed. Which is why we've gone to the trouble of selecting four of Hong Kong's best risottos, so the next time you're in need of some hearty comfort food, you'll know where to go.

The Pawn

We've been seriously impressed with the improvement in the food at The Pawn, ever since chef Anthony Fletcher joined the team in late 2011. Aside from introducing meaty new dishes such as cider-braised Berkshire pig's cheek served with crackling apple potatoes and a pan-fried wild pigeon breast with winter truffle, we also fell in love with a vegetarian watercress risotto. Vibrantly green thanks to the generous amount of the perennial plant, the subtle flavours of mustard and pepper give the dish just the right amount of kick without being overwhelmingly bitter. However, when we went on a recent visit to snap a picture of this gorgeous vegetarian dish, we found that the menu has changed with the changing of the seasons: in its place was a beetroot risotto. Although we were initially disappointed, we did enjoy the beautiful ruby red risotto, which is best enjoyed by breaking open the ball of deep-fried goat's cheese in the middle. The cheese gives the risotto a tartness while the buttery caramelised endive rounds out the earthier beetroot elements.

62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai. Tel: +852 2866-3444.

Otto e Mezzo

We're big fans of chef Umberto Bombana's Italian restaurant at Alexandra House, even if its very popularity means it's nearly impossible to book a table unless you do it months in advance. However, once you're in, it's worth it as Otto e Mezzo boasts not one but two great risotto dishes depending on the season. During the spring, the pea risotto with julienned black truffles is a delicious yet light dish. During white truffle season in the cooler months is chef Bombana's famously decadent white truffle risotto. It is a decadent yet restrained dish from the "king of white truffles". Using four types of cheese (mascarpone, taleggio, parmesan and fontina) as well as a blend of chicken and veal stock, the Alba truffles are undoubtedly given pride of place, but the carnaroli rice is an outstanding supporting act.

2/F Alexandra House, 5-17 Des Voeux Road, Central. Tel: +852 2537-8859.

Olive

While risotto is traditionally an Italian dish, we have to say that this Middle-Eastern restaurant in Soho really nails it on the head with its lemon and mushroom risotto. The vegetarian dish combines the zestiness and sweetness of preserved lemons with the earthiness of fungi, and the finishing touches of a slow-cooked egg plus a hazelnut dukkah (a nut and spice mixture) give the risotto a larger variety of texture than one normally gets with this dish.

32 Elgin Street, Soho. Tel: +852 2521-1608.

Hugo's

Although risotto usually appears on menus as a main course in its own right, we have discovered that one of Hong Kong's best risottos is tucked away in the sides section of Hugo's menu at the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui. Hugo's is one of Hong Kong's oldest European restaurant and although the new Hyatt Regency is modern and beautiful, we love that Hugo's has retained its old-school charm with its silver gueridons from Christofle offering tableside meat carving, salad tossing and crepe flambéing. We assume that the champagne risotto is meant to accompany one of the many meaty choices on the menu, but if you're after a lighter meal, then we would recommend ordering it as your main. It's not large, sure, but the risotto's plump texture and interesting flavour should satisfy most diners.

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Lobby level, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 3721-7733.