Review | First review: Jamie Oliver opens doors to Hong Kong restaurant Jamie’s Italian
British celebrity chef not in attendance on opening night as Jamie's Italian attempts to capture mid-range market with inexpensive Italian cuisine. So was the food any good?
The highly anticipated Jamie’s Italian officially opened its doors yesterday, with streams of diners coming in from the late afternoon to evening to sample what the British celebrity chef had to offer in Hong Kong.
I arrived just before 6pm and managed to walk in without a reservation, though was seated at a long communal wooden table. Already the restaurant, which seats 200, was just over half full and had natural light coming in through the floor to ceiling windows.
It’s a long rectangular space, with one end featuring numerous cured meats hanging over a counter, while on the other side is an open kitchen where pasta and other hot dishes are prepared.
For the first day of full service, there were still teething issues, such as prices not accurately reflected on the bill, or orders that were wrong, but on the whole it seemed to be a relatively smooth operation with friendly staff.
Prices here are the main selling point, with diners spending an average of HK$300 per person. Starting off with drinks, a bellini is HK$45, martinis range from HK$55-HK$98, while some red and white wines can be either ordered as a glass, 250ml, 500ml or a bottle, with prices starting from HK$58 for a glass of white by Alpha Zeta to HK$1,680 for a bottle of Tignanello Antinori.
