by Aude Camus
With only little hope to travel back home this summer, I’m looking at every possible ways to enjoy a European summer without leaving Hong Kong. Having just opened its door on the ground floor of heritage Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, where you can also find The Pawn, CRUST might just be the place I needed to cry over my missed holidays with Neapolitan pastries and Amalfi specialties. I mean, nothing a buttery puff pastry and al-dente pasta can’t cure, right? Top it off with beautiful coastal-inspired interiors and three warm Italian founders and you’ve found a perfect spot for this summer, and beyond.
Interior Design
With only little hope to travel back home this summer, I’m looking at every possible ways to enjoy a European summer without leaving Hong Kong. Having just opened its door on the ground floor of heritage Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, where you can also find The Pawn, CRUST might just be the place I needed to cry over my missed holidays with Neapolitan pastries and Amalfi specialties. I mean, nothing a buttery puff pastry and al-dente pasta can’t cure, right? Top it off with beautiful coastal-inspired interiors and three warm Italian founders and you’ve found a perfect spot for this summer, and beyond.
Interior Design
Largely opened on the street, CRUST invites you to relax with interiors transporting you straight to Naples. Cue colonnade, high ceilings, white and blue tones with subtle notes of yellow, comfy bench seating, porcelain tiles from Salerno and many little elements reminiscent of la dolce vita on the Amalfi Coast.
CRUST is divided into three distinct areas: a restaurant, a Pasticerria with an epic counter perfect for dinking caffe and filled with the most attractive looking Neapolitan pastries and a soon to open Italian street food takeaway counter. I’ve also heard from an insider source that the Pasticerria counter is perfectly fitted for DJ plates and that Friday and Saturday nights at CRUST are quite epic. I will make sure to verify that info soon enough. I mean, it wouldn’t be a proper Italian summer without a taste of Positano nightlife, right?
The Pasticerria
The Pasticerria
The day starts as early as 8:00 am at CRUST with the Pasticerria offering authentic Southern Italy treats including some never seen in Hong Kong before. “We are passionate about our home and want to showcase the most authentic experience to Hong Kong” says co-founder Tony Paese and treats such as Cornetto and Neapolitan Rum Baba delivers a true taste of Italian pastry culture. My two treats of choice are the Sfoligatelle, a layered puff pastry filled with lemon cream or custard, and the Pastiera, a tart made with ricotta, orange blossom water, spices and sugar.
The Takaway counter
The Takaway counter
Set to open early July, CRUST Scuscia (aka street food in Neapolitan dialect) will offer serving portable dishes such as calamari fritti wrapped in a paper cone, Pizza fritta, Giri di pasta which are pasta fried until crispy and sold over the counter to enjoy on the go or Frittatine di pasta which are pasta topped with bechamel sauce, ham and peas before being battered, breaded and fried with a double-coated golden casing.
The Restaurant
The Restaurant
Executive Chef Sergio Landi, formerly of COVA, has crafted a menu that celebrates the bounty of produce for which Southern Italia is renowned.
Must-order dishes:
The Seafood scialatielli pasta, a signature fresh pasta dish from the Amalfi region here presented Positano style with the addition of tomatoes.
The Marinated prawn in cherry and tomato juice, a fragrant starter that tastes like summer in a plate.
The Seafood scialatielli pasta, a signature fresh pasta dish from the Amalfi region here presented Positano style with the addition of tomatoes.
The Marinated prawn in cherry and tomato juice, a fragrant starter that tastes like summer in a plate.
This write-up is based on a complimentary media lunch hosted by CRUST. No money has been paid for this article which is entirely based on the genuine opinion of its author.
