Hong Kong has no shortage of quality Italian restaurants run by Italian chefs who are very serious about making authentic pasta. Those true-to-their-roots kitchens are quite different from the newly opened Twist Pasta Bar, which serves Hong Kong flavours with a down-to-earth vibe.
The restaurant on Bridges Street in Sheung Wan specialises in approachable Hong Kong-inspired dishes and has a creative and diverse menu of small plates, desserts, wines and cocktails.
“Hong Kong is a melting pot of different cultures and cuisines, and I don’t think you have to be confined to following the traditions all the way through,” says co-founder Matthew Richardson.
“There are incredible ingredients and flavours within the city which would never find their way to Italy, but finding a way to amalgamate them in one, I think, is a nice touch that you could probably only do in places such as Hong Kong and maybe Japan.”
Veteran Australian chef Ben Sears, who only relocated to Hong Kong from Australia a few months ago, brings a fresh perspective to Twist and has cooked up some solid tributes to Hong Kong’s culinary heritage.
Twist Pasta Bar co-founder Matt Richardson (right), head chef Ben Sears (centre) and group operations manager and co-founder Bora Billoux stand outside the restaurant in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong
To start with, the “not pasta” section of the menu lists a range of appetisers and small plates, among which some of the more locally influenced are the endive salad with salted egg yolk and pickled Korean pear, and the stracciatella, a cheese appetiser seasoned with Hong Kong’s Pat Chun sweetened vinegar instead of the classic balsamic.
Dining and Cooking