Pici — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

I came across a poster for Pici and was craving Italian food, that wasn’t some abomination like Spaghetti House (no offense, Hong Konger 😂). So, I decided to give it a shot. While I know some people criticize Pici for being a chain, and I understand the concern that quality can sometimes drop with more locations opening, my experience at the Causeway Bay location was excellent. The flavors and techniques were spot on, reminiscent of the meals my Italian nanny used to make and how I was taught to cook real Italian food. The Truffle Tagliolini was nice and creamy without the used of actual cream (the way pasta should be) the Ceci Otello 1813 Edition Lambrusco was the perfect wine with the meal especially during a hot day and Lambrusco simply goes with everything.

The service was warm and attentive, with staff able to easily communicate in both Cantonese and English. My only real critique would be around the presentation and portion management. It's not that the portions are small, rather, sometimes the ratio of pasta to toppings feels a bit off, with the toppings occasionally overwhelming the noodles. Also, I was surprised to find that Cacio e Pepe wasn’t available on the lunch menu. It’s perhaps the cheapest and easiest dish to make, it is also the base to every Roman Pasta dish there is. Overall, I had a great time and will definitely return.

(Update: I went back again for dinner and the Causeway Bay location always has solid service. Like the Bartender Stephen, who remembered me from last time said, “they’re more tight knit at this location”, they definitely feel more like a family and they treat you like if you were at their house. There wasn’t a moment where I’m waiting for someone to clear my plates or refill my water. It’s just a better vibe at...

I really don’t get why people rate Pici so highly.

This is the second time I’ve eaten at this restaurant (first time in Shatin), and both times I’ve been disappointed.

The Tagliolini Truffle was mediocre at best. I could see but not taste the truffle - all I could taste was the melted butter - there was so much butter that it dripped from each bite of pasta, I had to give up in the end and left the last few bites.

The tuna tartare was mediocre at best. Again, the flavours were meh. Just like the pasta, the elements were there but just not done well. I’ve had better at a small local Japanese eatery.

The panda cotta dessert was surprisingly disappointing. It was basically a layer of jam spread on top of panda cotta. I have no interest in eating spoonfuls of jam.

The lack of respect for the diner’s ability to discern quality food is incredible. Do they really think we as consumers wouldn’t know any better?

The one thing I can say was good, was the quality of the pasta itself. But this was ruined by my having to almost drink butter / no truffle taste for the truffle pasta.

In the economy many restaurants are struggling so I don’t want to give a bad review. But this really was a complete waste do $350 on a night when all I wanted was to enjoy a reasonably decent meal.

The lack of actual quality and taste made this a disappointing meal to say the least.

And given I’ve gone to 2 of their restaurants, they are quite consistent in their ability to disappoint - in the same way.

Two strikes is enough, I’m never...

PLEASE RECONSIDER, as you will only be disappointed. I used to be a big fan of this restaurant brand, frequently bringing colleagues and friends to Pici in Kennedy Town and Sheung Wan. I really thought they had the best pasta in town, but I am saddened to witness that it is not true anymore.

The biggest problem this joint is now facing is that it now fails to deliver the basics of doing an F&B business - serving warm food on time. I had to wait 70 minutes for the pasta-of-the-day dish, despite that I was one of the first few customers arriving before 6PM. I had to ask 3 different servers for the whenabouts without getting any response ("I'll check for you" - not). When I raised the issue to the assistant manager in charge, she refused to address it, stating that "the kitchen is busy, so... [don't fuss over your dish]."

At first I tried to understand, thinking it was maybe short-staffed or some orders were jammed up, which happens sometimes. But I realized that it wasn't a one-off issue, when my long-waited dish turned out to be cold and ingredients difficult to chew.

This place really used to be the best pasta place in Hong Kong (or even in the entire region of Asia, in my old opinion). So if you visit the place now feeling nostalgic of the past, you may end up feeling sorry for yourself and your friends. Best avoid that if possible, wouldn't you agree?

I personally will no longer recommend this place to my friends, and sincerely advise anyone I care about to avoid...