Tasting Piedmont: Our readers may have known Castellana. The restaurant finds a new home in Central on Duddell Street, and starts welcoming guests this September with a contemporary interpretation of traditional Piedmontese cuisine, curated by the restaurant’s new Chef Romeo Morelli and his team.

Look & Feel: Entering Castellana on the 1/F via Ice House Street, guests will be immediately greeted by a semi-open kitchen, where Chef Romeo prepares your food; for those who are dining on the UG/F, you will first be received by the Castellana team at the reception before they lead you to your table. What brings the dining areas together is the restaurant’s aesthetics, thanks to JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. With tailor-made carpets and curtains that reminisce about the vineyards in Piedmont, contrasted with vintage maps in frames and the visually striking paintings by on the walls, Castellana injects contemporariness into its interior.

On The Menu: With Chef Romeo at the helm, the new Castellana brings its guests on a gastronomic journey that pays tribute to the Piedmontese cuisine rich in both culture and flavor.

Sitting on Duddell Street, Castellana is certainly a quick lunchtime getaway to northwestern region in Italy. Expose yourself to the cuisine with the 2- or 3-course “Lunch Break” menu and return to the restaurant in the evening for a complete culinary experience paired with Castellana’s extensive range of Piedmontese wines from 300 labels, including some quite sought-after vintages.

Start your meal with Girello di vitello invecchiato, where dry-age veal meets mountain herbs and oil, with a topping of Toma Piemontese cream cheese. Followed by Acciuga per intero and Finanziera, the team continues to build up your appetite with whole Cantabrian anchovies with acidic butter and green parsley sauce and a soup recipe first founded in 1450 with calf liver, sweetbreads, kidney and cockscomb. Visitors will also be able to try the Gnocchi handmade with red potatoes and glazed with vegetable broth, a recipe passed down to Chef Romeo by his grandmother. Pescatarian diners will also welcome the restaurant’s star dish, Salmerino di montagna — Piedmont’s finest river fish with a crunchy skin served with carrots and citrus sauce.

The night will come to a sweet ending with Castellana’s take on the Italian national dessert, Tiramisu. Replacing the lady’s fingers with a crunchy biscuit on top, the culinary team elevates their tiramisu with a crunchy texture, revolutionizing the traditional treat.

Great For: Date-night dinner, celebrations.

FYI: Castellana is closed on Mondays!

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This writeup was based on a complimentary media tasting. The Loop HK doesn’t guarantee/sell restaurant review coverage. See our editorial policy here.