Estro is Chef Antimo Maria Merone’s first independent restaurant, opened in Central with JIA Group. The cooking is modern Neapolitan, built around his memories of Naples, Southern Italian ingredients and the technique he developed across Europe, Hong Kong and Macau.
Merone moved to Hong Kong in 2012 to work at L’Altro under Chef Philippe Léveillé. He later became executive chef of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Macau, where he led the restaurant to its first Michelin star. Merone’s experience at Otto e Mezzo clearly informs the cooking. The stocks, sauces and pasta work are serious, while Naples remains the restaurant’s main reference point. Estro currently holds one Michelin star and sits at 32 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Chef Merone’s cooking at Estro is rooted in Naples, but the restaurant carries the discipline of a serious Italian fine-dining kitchen. Handmade pasta, seafood, stock-based sauces and carefully controlled acidity are the most reliable ways to understand the restaurant.
The restaurant describes its cooking as modern techniques applied to traditional Neapolitan cuisine. The dishes use contemporary presentation, but the flavours tend to come from seafood, acidity, handmade pasta, rich sauces and the food culture of Southern Italy. The name, Estro, means inspiration in Italian, and Merone ties the menu to childhood memories and family cooking in Naples.
The restaurant itself is hidden in a building that mainly houses medical offices, so it was easy to miss. I’ve passed by countless times, and never realized that Estro was in the same building.
There was a choice between a six-course or eight-course tasting menu, as well as two supplements. We had been dining out quite a bit recently, so we stayed on the conservative side with the six-course menu. We did swap in the signature red prawn dish, though, as it seemed like something we should try at Estro. We also went with the wine pairing.
The wine pairing started with a dry, creamy Champagne to go with the first few courses.
Spring onion crackers and almond biscuits to keep us company.
The amuse bouche started with a somewhat soggy mini taco filled with julienned radish, potato and pumpkin, topped with aged balsamic vinegar.
A mini tuna tart.
A neat shot of clarified watermelon juice. Light, sweet and refreshing.
A crusty sourdough loaf. Oddly, a bit lukewarm. Could’ve used a bit of a reheat before service.
Nutty, peppery olive oil, with an anchovy and soy emulsion in place of butter. Whenever I see a “butter alternative”, I usually make a mental reminder to avoid. I ended up trying it out of curiosity, but this was no exception.
The signature red prawn tartare, served on coral panna cotta and topped with caviar and potato foam.
A layered dish, with concentrated crustacean flavour from the prawn and panna cotta, briny caviar and a bright citrus note from Amalfi lemon. I could see why this is one of Estro’s signatures. Rich, briny and delicious.
A briny, minerally white wine to pair with the next seafood dish.
Kombu-marinated Jeju abalone with slices of maitake mushroom. Earthy and nutty, with the abalone providing the firmer texture.
Tomato, basil and lemon linguine with mantis shrimp. The lemon brought plenty of citrus, while the tomato kept the dish sharp and fresh.
Ravioli filled with smoked eggplant and ricotta, served with a yellow and green tomato sauce and drops of basil oil. The ravioli had a soft, creamy filling, with the different tomato preparations adding acidity and freshness. The smoked eggplant gave the dish a darker, earthier note.
The main course was pigeon presented in several preparations: liver mousse, leg confit, breast and tiny tenderloin, served with a layered potato accompaniment.
A sparkling red dessert wine. A slightly unusual pairing, but it worked with the richer flavours of the meal.
A lemon dessert with several different flavours and textures, including gels, sorbet and pastry.
The other choice of dessert was chocolate, which was rich, but not excessively heavy.
Some petit four to finish off the meal. A tiny lime and coconut dessert with diced peaches and foam. Light, tropical and refreshing.
A pistachio gelato that was surprisingly rich and heavy.
Finally, some chocolate truffles to see us on our way.
Overall, Estro delivered a polished modern Italian meal. The red prawn tart was the obvious highlight, and well justified the supplement. Both pasta courses were also strong, with well balanced flavours and perfect execution on the texture.
I enjoyed the food, although the meal did not have the same sense of surprise as some of Hong Kong’s more experimental tasting menus. The red prawn dish was excellent, and the best courses showed Merone’s ability to combine Southern Italian directness with fine-dining technique. The weaker moments came from the more decorative small bites and desserts, which felt less distinctive than the savoury courses.
Total Damage: HKD $6,100/2 people