The newly opened Italian restaurant in Central, Oro, has been the talk of the town recently and we finally dropped by for a tasting. For authentic Italian cuisine with an American twist, this is the place to be seen and heard.
Oro, meaning “gold” in Italian, is co-founded by entrepreneur and sommelier Gian Franco Razzani, a native of Abruzzo, Central Italy. Here, the food and setting celebrates the Manhattan-Italian culture, which originates from the time when many Italians emigrated to New York for a better life after World War I, and now forms a part of many Abruzzo descendants.
Available daily, Oro’s à la carte menu offers a plethora of fine Italian delicacies. One of the signature starters is Pallote Cacio & Ovo, inspired by American comfort foods, meatballs with Pecorino, bread, and eggs for a less strong taste. Made with sashimi-grade scallops with Cervia sea salt, top-quality olive infused with basil, St. Jacques & Caviale Osietra is further topped with 10 grams of premium Osietra caviar. Gambero Rosso & Foie Gras is a perfect mix of two deluxe ingredients—raw red prawn of Sicily provenance and seared foie gras, with melon gazpacho to complement the flavours. Another remarkable antipasto is Astice & Burrata, a Boston lobster cooked and presented from a trolley right beside your table.
What’s an Italian eatery without pasta? There is the Fusilli Alla Bava di Taleggio E Tartufo Nero that has two American inspirations—a “mac & cheese square with penne with vodka.” A server will flambé the pasta with vodka in a cheese wheel tableside, the heady aroma of Taleggio cheese and black truffle. You can also opt for the unique homemade guitar pasta, an iconic dish from Abruzzo. Here, Oro’s take is Chitarra Abruzzese Al Granchio Reale: square strands of pasta cut from a rectangular wooden frame strung like a guitar, served with king crab and fresh Datterini tomatoes.
Those who like fish for mains can go for Merluzzo Atlantico & Peperoni Seared Patagonian Toothfish, Chilean Patagonian seabass served with roasted red capsicum purée. The fish has a super succulent, buttery, and flaky texture with a mild sweet flavour. Meat lovers can give Arrosticino Abruzzese a try. It is a traditional street dish of skewed meats cooked over charcoal, which Oro reinterprets with a single piece of Irish lamb loin with deep fried pepper and lamb jus.
For the sweet tooth, a must-try is Oro’s signature Baked Alaska, presented in traditional zuppa inglese style and ice cream with sponge cake, strawberries, and vanilla crème patisserie, mixed with Tuscany Alchermes liqueur, before being lit on fire in front of you.
Oro is also open for lunch and weekend brunch, with its lunch sets being changed every two weeks based on seasonal ingredients from Europe. Its drinks menu features an exclusive wine list that includes Abruzzo’s premier wine Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. Also on the menu are unique cocktails with hints of New York, such as The Influencer, 1930, Marco Polo, Yellow Taxi, and The Big Apple.
A beautiful staircase beside the entrance leads you to their sister bar, at the 31st floor where American seafood bar Top Town is located. The bar comes with both indoor and outdoor seating with a long balcony with a fantastic city panorama. In addition to the daily à la carte menu and an extensive bar menu, Top Town also serves lunch sets, while weekend brunch and afternoon tea will be launched later.
More photos of Oro and Top Town:
Oro
30/F, 28 Stanley Street, Central
Tel.: (+852) 2133 7517 / 3464 0989
Top Town
31/F, 28 Stanley Street, Central
Tel.: (+852) 2133 5769
All images courtesy of Oro and Top Town.
