DiVino Patio

I recently had that lovely Burrata at 208 and was eager to try out other places that served this luscious dish. R commented on my fb photo of the 208 burrata and claims that Posto Pubblico served a better version. I have had the homemade mozzarella at Posto but not the burrata. We decided to give DiVino Patio a try since we both have not been. DiVino Patio is the newest venture by the DiVino restaurant group that also owns "Divino", "Goccia", and Spasso. DiVino Patio is designed to look like italian grocery stores from the 50's: red brick walls, chalk on blackboards, and displays of cheeses, meats, and oils. There is a nice outdoor area but I felt that the description on the site made the al fresco area sound more enticing than it actually is. The restaurant is located in an outdoor area of a building of which multiple other restaurants are also located. Therefore the al fresco dining area was actually rather small and not as spacious as I've imagined. Nevertheless it was still a nice warm environment and the food was also quite good!

Cute bread basket!

500 grams Buffalo Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes Salad 
500 gr. burrata D.O.P. con pomodorini basilico e cipolla rossa
The moment we've been waiting for. The huge mass of cheese was placed before us and we could not wait to dig in.The cheese was creamy and delicious, but I felt like perhaps the one at 208 may be slightly more fragrant and rich. The texture could be a bit creamier but nevertheless, this burrata was delicious and we were actually able to finish most of it. I think it would actually be wise to offer this in two sizes as 500 grams of burrata is quite excessive. This large amount may discourage other diners from ordering this dish. R and I greedily gobbled up most of it but as the meal went out we slowly felt the cheese settle into our tummies and we were almost certain we were turning into blobs of cheese ourselves. The tomato salad was lovely, the cherry tomatoes were very sweet and juicy. The thinly sliced onions added the perfect amount of kick to the salad. The presentation was also appealing. I don’t know why restaurants always add such a small amount of the balsamic, perhaps I just love balsamic too much but I always felt that it was not enough. Overall though this was a successful dish!  

Penne "Jerome" Style with Gorgonzola and Black Truffle Sauce
Penne “Jerome” con crema al tartufo nero e Gorgonzola
You’re all probably wonder who Jerome is… apparently he was a loyal customer that always ordered this pasta dish even though it was not on the menu. After a while the restaurant decided to officially put this dish on the menu and name it after this customer. The pasta sounded so rich and decadent… and it did not disappoint. The penne was cooked to the perfect al dente and the thick sauce covered every piece of pasta. The truffle was fragrant and the pungent flavor of the gorgonzola was also very apparent without masking one another. Although this dish was good, a couple bites of is all you need. As the dish became colder I saw the sauce thicken and it all just because much too heavy. Therefore it would be wise to share this with a couple of friends so you don’t feel like a lump of lard afterwards.

Spit-Roasted Italian Piglet Porchetta Style served with Mashed Potatoes and Artichoke "Alla Giudea" 
Porchetta alla romana cotta allo spiedo, 

con purea di rosmarino e carciofo “alla Giudea”

This really does seem like we were purposely trying to gain 40 pounds from this meal huh? The porchetta was a dish that many people mentioned in their reviews of Divino Patio therefore I was keen to try it out. This dish was probably my least favorite out of the meal. The meat was quite tender but I was very put off by the large chunks of fat that were dispersed in the meat. I understand that porchetta is supposed to be fatty but this just was not too enjoyable for me. I would also want the porchetta to be more flavorful and heavily seasoned; I think this would cut into the fattiness as the blandness highlighted the greasiness of the fat. The artichoke was a bit over fried and also a bit too greasy. This dish was not terrible, but overall a bit too greasy and not something I would order again. The presentation was quite well done though. Maybe this dish would be better if we did not have all that caloric spree before. Or this dish could be served with rice (very Asian of me I know).

Overall the meal was an enjoyable experience. I do not think I would be rushing back for dinner but I would recommend this place to friends if they are looking for decent Italian food in a comfortable and relaxed environment. I am, however, eager to come during 5:30 to 7 to check out their "Italian Aperitivo" where guests can savor both hot and cold delicacies free of charge after a busy day at work. This sounds like something to look forward to while you are bustling away at the office!

Divino Patio

Shop 11

1/F

Causeway Centre

No. 28 Harbour Road

Wanchai 

Hong Kong