Casa

This stylish private kitchen on picturesque Rednaxela Terrace looks great and the food tastes even better.

Text by Debbie Soo, photos by Samantha Sin and Happy Yuen

Hidden away on the ground floor of the ACTS serviced apartment building, CASA is the newest addition to the Buzz Concepts restaurant circuit. Better known for nightclub hotspots Halo, Volar and FLY, the Buzz team first ventured into F&B with Happy Valley neighbourhood café Gusto, then came Lan Kwai Fong’s hip Lily & Bloom. Now CASA is in the house.

It’s a stylish little spot. In the centre of the room sits a single massive black dining table surrounded by an eclectic mix of vintage and modern chairs. Three ornate silver candelabras line up on the tabletop, while overhead vintage-inspired glass lights cast a seductive glow over black-painted walls and timber bookcases. The ambience is of hushed, contemporary grandeur. Simply put, CASA is cool.

“CASA is for group dining in a home-like setting,” says head chef Jaime Young. “It’s almost like catering an intimate dinner party at your house, minus the mess and the headache.”

Able to seat up to 16 diners, CASA is more elegant than your typical Hong Kong home. It’s also fully loaded with a 50-inch flat-screen television, an overhead projector, Blu-ray player, PS3 and Nintendo Wii. But the star of the show is the food.

With three set menus serving up an accessible yet delicious array of cuisine, eating at CASA is thoroughly satisfying.

“I think about the menu all the time and draw inspiration from the market and what’s coming into season,” Young says. “I’d say the cuisine is eclectic but each menu follows a cohesive theme. There’s very little fusion because I’m mostly a traditionalist, but sometimes I put a slight spin on things.”

A brief tour of CASA reveals a tiny kitchen, which makes Young’s ability to maintain the quality and flavour over an assortment of dishes even more amazing. But then, just like books and their covers, you shouldn’t judge a restaurant by its kitchen.

CASA should be booked at least five days in advance to allow for adequate preparation.

G/F, 8 Rednaxela Terrace, Mid-Levels | Tel: 3559 9800


Dinner for Two
1.	Pot of clams	$
2.	Grilled asparagus	$
3.	Gramigna with homemade sausage ragù	$
4.	Grilled quail	$
5.	Rocky road sundae	$
Total		$$600 + 10% service charge
*Price subject to change without notice

Pot of clams

Influenced by a dish that chef Jaime Young sampled on the coast of Tuscany, market-fresh clams are served with smoked ham, shallots, leeks, garlic and white wine. It’s a heavenly union of flavours that complements the chewy clams and crunchy shallots, with an extra kick from chilli flakes, freshly chopped parsley and clam stock. We were tempted to ask for extra bread to soak up every last drop of delicious broth.

Grilled asparagus

The asparagus stalks are perfectly grilled, retaining a satisfying crunch and somewhat buttery flavour. An abundance of adorable shimeji mushrooms make the perfect partner with their sweetness and tiny hint of soy. And to crank up the decadence factor, a black truffle sauce similar toan aioli is drizzled over the top making for a vegetable course that was almost too easy to gobble up.

Gramigna with homemade sausage ragù

The pasta is imported from Italy and its name translates as “weeds”, a reference to its unusual appearance. The light ragu is made with finely chopped homemade pork and fennel sausage, which has a more defined texture than a traditional meat sauce. It is finished with a red wine reduction, a bit of cooking water and Parmesan cheese, and served with a dollop of smoked pepper marscapone that can be stirred in to make it even richer.

Grilled quail

A tender, juicy bird is grilled to aromatic perfection and served with roasted radicchio and pickled fennel. Fresh herbs are added to the grill, accenting the exquisite flavour of the slightly gamey quail. The radicchio is cooked with balsamic vinegar and stuffed with Parmesan to provide an interesting bitter flavour, while the aniseed flavour of the fennel cleanses the palate.

Rocky road sundae

The delicious aroma of freshly baked chocolate chunk cookie arrives moments before this towering dessert. The chewy cookie sits atop soft, gooey rocky road ice cream with bits of crunchy chocolate and marshmallow. The bottom layer is a light chocolate bread pudding with a slightly crispy exterior that gives it a savoury quality, complementing the decadence of this brillant dessert.

Casa

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