Italian for the Masses: For Chef Massimo Santovito, organic Italian fare doesn’t have to come with the pretentiousness or the hefty price tag. And that’s the whole idea behind Si Simply Italian.

Look & Feel: A brick facade clashes with white and timber interiors, and the space is filled with intimate two seaters, long communal dining tables, as well as a bar for drop-ins.

On the Menu: With “Authentic Italian Taste” as its mantra, the restaurant brings the country’s best side minus the superfluousness. Must-tries include the vitello tonnato (a cold-sliced veal fillet), Italian octopus tentacles, oven-baked sea bass, risotto with veal bone marrow and saffron; and for dessert, the hazelnut semifreddo.

Meet the Chef: Raised in Puglia in south-east Italy, Massimo Santovito earned his stars while working in Michelin-ranked Osteria Tre Bicchieri, led by chef Anthony Genovese. He moved to Hong Kong in 2010 to work variously for the Cafe Deco Group, Peccato, iL Bel Paese, and AVA Restaurant Slash Bar and Hotel Panorama.

Great for: Big groups, health junkies.

FYI: “Si” means “yes” in Italian — and SI is also an abbreviation for “Simply Italian.”

Check out Hong Kong’s newest restaurants here.

This writeup is a news piece and was not based on a restaurant visit. The Loop HK will update this post once we’ve visited in person.