The dining experience at Radical Chic starts from the moment you enter, with a beautiful glass-encased wine display lining the wall, leading you to the bar. Here, you will need a moment to catch your breath as you take in the sweeping views of Hong Kong, which can only be overshadowed by the setting sun. Down the lightly-coloured carpeted hallway past the private room, white linen tables blend in with the white walls, accentuating the gallery-display of paintings, each radiating warm hues of pink, orange and yellow suffused with natural light.

Photo: Radical Chic

But at Radical Chic, the attention goes beyond the majestic views and rightfully settles on the food. Chef Andrea Tarini, who just arrived from Italy to Hong Kong, is revisiting authentic Italian cuisine by adding some creative twists and presenting each plate with the utmost finesse. Through his degustation menu, he takes us through various regions of Italy to savour the freshest seafood, meats, and seasonal ingredients while reimagining the method in which the dish is traditionally made.

Mazarra del Vallo red prawn with caponata “ice cream” | Photo: Radical Chic

Take one of the starters for example, the Mazarra del Vallo red prawn with caponata “ice cream”. While the Sicilian caponata is traditionally made with chopped aubergines, capers and other vegetables, chef Andrea turned his version into an ice cream, the soft serve melting against the refreshing red prawn which boasts a beautiful red colour.

Deep-fried frog legs | Photo: Radical Chic

The deep-fried frog legs with green tomato marmalade make a surprising yet most-welcome addition to the menu. While not often seen in restaurants in Hong Kong, it is a delicacy in the Marche region of Italy, where chef Andrea is from.

Carnaroli risotto | Photo: Radical Chic

The acclaimed chef’s risotto lives up to expectation, presented with carnaroli, an Italian medium-grained rice and cooked a la tostatura—the secret method of all good nonnas that involves toasting the rice in hot oil before adding the broth. The bed of rice is topped with a wheel of fortune of seafood: prawn, clam, baby squid, sea fish, sea urchin and caviar. While it is often recommended to try everything together, in this case the chef suggests tasting each type of seafood-rice combination individually, giving guests the feeling that they are savouring a different risotto at every bite.

Another star of the show is the ‘cappello del prete’ homemade pasta in Radical Chic carbonara. Cappello del prete translates to “the priest’s hat”, which the pasta is shaped after, and is accompanied by a delightfully rich carbonara sauce made in-house.

Red cherry sorbet | Photo: Radical Chic

As with all Italian desserts the anticipation of what is to come is palpable, and chef Andrea did not disappoint. A rosemary oil-infused red cherry sorbet makes for the perfect palate cleanser while the deconstructed tiramisu spotlights the buttery mascarpone cream, giving the tasting menu a sweet and satisfying finish.

Both set lunch and degustation dinner menus can be paired with a carefully curated selection of wines courtesy of Restaurant Manager Roberto Cini Mencacci, who highlights everything from Barolos, Barbarescos and Langhe wines from the northern region of Piedmont to Brunellos and Chiantis from Tuscany as well as highly sought-after bottles from France.

Radical Chic, International Commerce Centre (ICC), Level 101, 1 Austin Rd W, Tsim Sha Tsui