I made a special trip to Hong Kong and saved my most anticipated meal for Tosca di Angelo, on the 102nd floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. Perched high above the city, the restaurant completely defies the stereotypical image of sky-high dining as flashy and superficial. Its design, inspired by Roman opera and the wine estates of southern Italy, is both warm and textured.
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Victoria Harbour as a living painting. Velvet banquettes echo the seating of a theatre, complemented by delicate metal detailing and marble mosaic floors. Flowing water features evoke the Mediterranean coast, while the open kitchen at the centre acts like a stage, where guests can watch the chefs craft fresh pasta by hand.
The menu follows a pure, refreshing southern Italian philosophy – forgoing heavy sauces to let the ingredients speak for themselves. Hokkaido scallops arrive on a bed of creamy broad bean purée, with seaweed and Kaluga caviar – the gentle purée balancing the salty pop of caviar, while the scallops remain tender and bouncy, offering a layered taste of the sea. Mediterranean octopus is slow-braised until meltingly tender, served over smooth pea purée with braised pork cheek – the freshness of the seafood mingling with the rich, savoury fat of the pork for a beautifully balanced, comforting bite.
House-made pasta is the soul of the kitchen, rolled and cut fresh daily. The organic thick spaghetti is served with three types of bottarga and Mediterranean tuna – the cured mullet roe delivering a deep, oceanic saltiness, the tuna firm and meaty, each strand of pasta soaking up the intense savoury essence of the sea.
Handmade short tube pasta comes with Sicilian red prawns and freshly pounded basil pesto. The pesto is vibrant and aromatic, never harsh; the prawns naturally sweet; the tube-shaped pasta perfectly trapping every drop of sauce. Sardinian pearl pasta is paired with artichoke, squid ink, and a creamy Pecorino broth – the pearl-like grains offering a unique, chewy texture, the squid ink rich and velvety with a faint herbal bitterness that lingers on the palate.
Locally sourced sustainable red grouper is poached in a traditional Mattalotta seafood broth, with olives, tomatoes, and capers lending a bright acidity – the broth deeply savoury yet never heavy. Hokkaido pork chop arrives with tender chicory and a mustard sauce – the pork’s fat beautifully mellow, the chicory braised in balsamic vinegar with a gentle bitterness that cuts through the richness.
Desserts are restrained in sweetness. A rum baba is paired with wild berries and vanilla cream – the spirit light and airy, the berries’ tartness balancing the cake’s richness. A vegan coconut cake comes with strawberry sorbet and crisp chocolate – the coconut light and never cloying, the texture refreshingly airy. The classic tiramisu is served with coffee granita and Amedei chocolate – the mascarpone silky and smooth, the coffee aroma deep and lingering.
Still craving more, we added a chef’s selection cheese platter, a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the desserts. Taleggio, a soft washed-rind cheese, oozes a creamy, milky richness with a gentle fermented tang. 36-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano delivers an intense nutty saltiness that lingers with a sweet finish. French Mimolette, distinctive in its making, brings a caramelised nuttiness with a firm, chewy texture. 28-month-aged Comte, a mountain cheese, offers pronounced toasted grain notes, its saltiness warm and never sharp. Finally, Muffanto rounds things out with a creamy, milky richness and a long, savoury finish – the perfect full stop to this cloud-level Italian lunch.
