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Spacious Italian eatery Da Filippo has made its home at the quieter end of Harbour City. While the mall itself is like a maze and the restaurant isn’t easy to find, Da Filippo is a place you should hit up for a quick bite if you’re shopping or working in the area.
Touted as being authentic Italian, Da Filippo has created some buzz because it uses sourdough for its crispy, thin-crust pizzas. The menu is kept simple, with sections split into your basics of appetisers, pizzas, pastas, mains and desserts. The pizzas and pastas dominate the floor, but the mains would be great options if you’re trying to keep the carbs at bay.
The classic meatballs in tomato sauce ($98) rolled out hot and were super tender. However, I felt they could have used a bit more seasoning or some fresh herbs to liven things up.
We couldn’t leave without trying the meat lovers pizza ($188). This pizza is supposed to be layered with pancetta, spicy salami, Parma ham and finocchiona (fennel salami), but we didn’t see everything on our pie. A honey ham was added on top instead, which didn’t complement the rest of the flavours.
I would skip the carbonara ($158) and opt for the bolognese ($168) instead. Simply comforting, the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. I would have liked just a bit more Parmesan to create a sharp, nutty taste on my palate.
Da Filippo relies heavily on the use of coffee for its signature desserts. The indulgent semifreddo ($68) was subtle in taste and great for sharing, while the tiramisu ($68) was a little too creamy for my liking.
Verdict
If you’re looking for affordable Italian in Tsim Sha Tsui, Da Filippo is a good choice to keep in mind for a quick bite, but I would not recommend it for a long, leisurely lunch. The service was a little spotty, focused on getting customers in and out rather than enjoying the experience.
Shop 3203–3204A, 3/F, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 3–27 Canton Road, TST, 2117 1984
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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