208 Duecento Otto

J was visiting from New York and decided to go to 208 for a much needed catch up dinner. 208 has always been on my list of to try restaurants but you all can probably guess that I have quite the extensive list and it takes a while for me to actually get through to a specific restaurant. 208 is opened by Yenn Wong, the founder of Causeway Bay Boutique Hotel JIA and The Drawing Room. The restaurant is housed in a space that used to be a meat storage warehouse and aims to mirror the style and vibe of New York's meatpacking district. The decor of 208 has always appealed to me and I'm glad I finally got to step into this restaurant and try out its food! The downstairs area is a casual bar space while the top is a cozier area for dining. The service was decent, the only complaint was that they were not very good at ensuring our wine glasses were full at all times (very important hehe).

Heirloom Tomatoes - burrata d' Andria (250 gm), rocket , extra vecchio balsamico
I love love loveeee heirloom tomatoes. I also LOVE burrata. The heirloom tomatoes were quite sweet but nothing compared to the goods I used to get at farmers markets in Boston. The burrata was absolutely heavenly. The inside was lusciously creamy and had the most decadent flavor. It was incredibly buttery and had a very strong and lovely milky flavor. One tiny complaint was that it would be better if more of the balsamic glaze was drizzled over the dish. 

Diavola - mozzarella, spicy salami, chilli, fresh basil 
I have heard that the pizza here is quite popular so I was excited to give it a try. The crust was a little bit soggy near the middle so that was slightly disappointing but it had a nice chewy texture and the dough had a nice fragrant taste. The spicy salami was bursting with flavor and since I love spicy food I really enjoyed how it was a bit spicier than expected. It definitely had a good kick to it!The tomato sauce base was also made well and was a great balance of sweet and tangy. 

Cotoletta alla Milanese - milk fed veal chop Milanese style with rocket and tomato
The serving size of the veal chop was very generous. The veal chop was very thick and was quite juicy. It could be a little bit more tender but the quality of the meat was decent and it had a nice crispy outer crust. The one at 8 1/2 was definitely better but the prices are also very different. 

Fusilli with 7 hours Slow-braised Tripe and Bone-marrow - tomato sugo, breadcrumbs and basil
The pasta was a little bit harder than al dente which is ideal for me. The tomato sauce was deliciously tangy and the breadcrumbs was a nice crunchy textural contrast. The dish would be better if there was more bone marrow, apart from one little globule I was not really able to detect the existence of the bone marrow. I didn't really like the addition of tripe at all but other people commented that they thought it was very good. The pasta was cooked well and you can tell that the kitchen knows what they are doing, but its not something I would order again.

The meal at 208 was an enjoyable evening with good food, lovely company, and of course, wine. The food was quite good, but it was not that amazing that I am already anticipating my next visit. 208 is definitely a solid choice and I would be happy to try out other dishes, but not before I continue working down my always growing list of restaurants! If any of you are looking for decent italian cuisine at a hip location, keep 208 in mind! (The burrata really is QUITE dreamy).

208 Duecento Otto

208-214 Hollywood Road

Sheung Wan

Hong Kong