I Ate More Than A Hundred Dollar Worth Of Italian Pasta, Was It Worth It?

in #hive-1205862 years ago

Oftentimes, I want to spend some pennies to treat myself with fancy food in a fancy restaurant as a reward for my hard work. I can spend more on food than anything else. There are a plethora of restaurants here, Asian and Westerns, with cuisines that are worth spending money on. However, some aren't and disappointing. So trying new restaurants are like trial and error cases to know which one is worth visiting again, and which one should be crossed out from the list.

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I visited a tourist spot one weekend which I discovered while finding the world's longest escalator somewhere in Mid-Level Central Hong Kong. The first thing that caught my attention was the architecture of the place and the plethora of restaurants around, some are al fresco.

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It was already noon and my stomach growled, so I opted to dine in one of those. I was hesitant at first because most of the customers in all restaurants were Chinese and Westerns, and only one or two were Filipinos. Since I was alone and have no company to dine with, I opted to stay on an open terrace of an Italian restaurant.

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Given that it is located in Mid-Level Central inside a popular tourist destination, I was aware of the pricey food and other stuff. I thought it would be worth stashing some cash from my pocket since Italian restaurants are some of the best here. I know one where I could eat several Italian foods by spending only a hundred dollars. So my expectations of this certain restaurant were high since their food is pricey.

I dined in Pazta restaurant which is well-known for serving authentic delightful Italian cuisine, and also some cocktails, wine, and coffee. It's not just their pasta recipes that are popular here, but also their Italian delicacies and snacks.

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Architecture-wise, it was great, especially the interior and its open terrace which gives a Mediterranean vibe. A lot of bottled Italian wines were displayed in different corners of the restaurant. The open terrace has a better ambiance overlooking other restaurants and tourists coming in and out of the place.

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There were more tables inside which were fully occupied during the day I visited the place. The more customers a restaurant has, the higher expectations I put into it. And the fact that prices of their food, based on their menus are expensive, then they should really meet any customer's expectations.

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I almost changed my mind when I opened the menu book and saw the minimum prices of their pasta and other food. I was totally dumbfounded as to why the prices are high, and the lowest price for pasta was $120. Don't freak out, it's not the US dollar though, it's the HK dollar. Yet, it is still an expensive price for just pasta here.

I was like, "What kind of pasta is this? Did they include the shipping fee for pasta from Italy to Hong Kong?" I didn't know how to react, laugh, or be disappointed. Then I chose to stay as I was curious about why it was expensive. I want to taste it for the sake of curiosity. Meanwhile, in my favorite Italian restaurant, I can eat Italian pasta for less than HK$30 and the taste is so good.

After placing my orders, I was served a glass of water and waited for more or less 15 minutes for my orders to arrive. My order consists of spaghetti con pomodoro with bacon vegan and pecorino cheese because it sounds like a vegan recipe, paired with lemon iced tea. It sounds fancy, but it is just spaghetti in tomato sauce, lol.

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How much were the prices of pasta and tea?

  • Spaghetti - HK$130
  • Lemon iced tea - HK$50
    A total of HK$180 or almost US$23.

You can check their menu, here.

The tea was served first and tasted just as ordinary tea I am drinking outside, yet it cost half a hundred dollars. And its price was good enough to buy a complete and delightful meal set outside.

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After more minutes of waiting, my spaghetti was served. Look at it, does it look like it tastes good?

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I was expecting to see bigger bits of bacon and more sauce and cheese on top since it's spaghetti. I was also imagining a Filipino spaghetti loaded with sauce and flavors. But what I saw was a bowl with pale and dry-looking spaghetti, with no bacon, but ground meat, and a few shreds of cheese on top.

The first thing I said in my mind was, "Are you kidding me? Is this $120 worth of spaghetti?" I was asking myself if I ordered the right one, or if they served the wrong one. As I tasted it, I became regretful and wished I didn't see the restaurant. I was slowly masticating each pasta with a lot of questions in my mind. Why is it expensive, why is the taste not Italian, why is it so dry? And whatsoever...

Then as I turned my head to the other table, I saw the staff serving delicious-looking snacks. I should have just ordered one instead of pasta, I thought. The owner was cordially entertaining the customers and he spotted me not looking satisfied with my food. He asked me if I was fine and if the food was good. I was hesitant to answer, "should I tell the truth?" My mind was hesitating as it might insult him. Besides, I don't want to waste the food so I just say, "yes, I am fine" with a dissatisfied-looking face and a lame smile. I didn't want to be too harsh on him. I rather crossed out the name of the restaurant from my list.

I wasn't sure if other foods taste bad as well, or if I just ordered the wrong one. It is quite popular with a lot of visitors, yet, here I am, giving a bad review about its food.

Now comparing my hundred dollars worth of food in another Italian restaurant in our city, I can have these foods for more or less a hundred dollars only. I had this in Saizeria restaurant which is one of the popular too, serving pizza, pasta, salads, and other Italian foods.

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Now, you may ask, why is the set of spaghetti and tea so expensive?

In case you don't know, HK$180 is already enough to buy 4 or more kinds of meal sets in other restaurants in other cities. The main reason I can give why the food in that restaurant is expensive is the location. It is located in Mid-Level Central which is a popular place for food haunting. There are a lot of different high-class restaurants around the place, and the fact that it is located in Central, which is the capital city of Hong Kong, the rent must be the real culprit, the real killer.

Moreover, Hong Kong doesn't really have that many farms and food factories, so most of the products here are imported. The higher the demand, the higher the price. That's a simple and explanatory reason.

So the next time I go food haunting, I rather check their food reviews and prices online first before I dine in. An expensive price must have delightful food, not something you'll regret eating. Anyway, that was charged to experience.

I just enjoyed roaming around the place after to get rid of my disappointments. One of these days, I'll post about this tourist attraction where the restaurant was located.

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That also looked like a tiny portion! Definetly keep that one crossed off your list!

I was actually expecting a bigger serving when I saw the price 😂..

Did you order the child portion? 😆😅

It was the regular size 😂

well, your case often happens to me. even if we check out the review first, sometimes the reviewers are liars.

but that's okay from disappointment, we can tell people around us not to experience the same things as us. :)

Haha. I guess those making reviews are just the restaurant's staffs 😂 ..

On these days, reviews be paid from restaurants.🤣

Exactly

wow. thats a terrible price for such a plain meal.

I wouldn't know how articulate to the Waiter my real thoughts of this dining experience. Best to find out in advance what the restaurant is all about before patronizing the establishment.
Opening a can of Chef-boyarde for lunch.
💓

Haha. Rather cook at home with best ingredients that won't cost a hundred dollar. !LADY

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I am not a big pasta fan to be honest, but I love the clickbait JaneyJaneJane😄

It's not clickbait. It's worth a hundred dollars.. In Hong Kong.. 😂..

hehe smarty pants, what is a hong kong dollar worth

Charge to experience na lang. Ganyan talaga pag nagttry ng bago. Sugal hehe.

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I just returned from a different side of Italy and I have to say that the prices are really exaggerated and the food is not even that good as you'd expect. They also serve very small quantities for a crazy price, so next time you better buy the ingredients from the market and cook yourself pasta at home, lol

For when it comes to quality food in a fancy place, I try not to compromise my pocket. If it's good and worth it, I pay. Since it's my stomach it will still land in 😊

I only enjoyed the iced tea lol

Oh no 😝
Now I would say the $100 wasn't worth it.

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I was like "Whaaat?" LOL! But yes, the reason probably of the price is the location. Most times, reality doesn't live up to expectations, hehehe!

Haha..kaya nga. Yung yea nla $50 isang meal na yun sa ibang restaurants 😂

Oo nga😹 Mapasarap ka pa sa kain non

They should at least gave you some good Italian red wine with that ;)

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I think you will have love it more better if you have the pasta cooked by you because this pasta is looks ordinary and not special and I think that price is not worth it.

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Grabe te ang mahal nung pasta. Nadisappoint ako don sa pinakita mo na ganon lang pala yung pasta na yon. Mukhang mas masarap pa yung spaghetti nung Jolibee kahit medyo mahal at mas saucy pa hahah. Not nanlalait, but saying the fact haha.

1000+ na yan satin 😂😂. Ilang kilong spaghetti na yun haha

Aww, so heartbreaking. When I looked at the pasta for more than a hundred dollar, I felt disappointed. It’s okay to pay but hopefully it was worth the price. Probably, you are paying for the location, like their monthly rental fees, hehe, I think that what makes it so pricey jane. By the way, best regards to the most gorgeous lady there. Lablab

I'd say it was worth every penny! I absolutely adore authentic Italian cuisine!

I was hesitant to answer, "should I tell the truth?" My mind was hesitating as it might insult him. Besides, I don't want to waste the food so I just say, "yes, I am fine" with a dissatisfied-looking face and a lame smile. I didn't want to be too harsh on him.

Oh dear... I wish I was with you so I could notify him on your behalf. I promise not to be harsh though. 🤞🤭

It will be necessary for preventing other tourists from humiliating the restaurant. As you said, it was close to the central of tourist attractions.

I'm sorry about your experience, but it might teach you something in the future. You could conduct research before going directly to the location.

Next time, I rather eat in a simple restaurant with yummy food haha

I would do the same too. I would rather have cheap street food than an expensive meal that tasted bland.


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That’s was so disappointing for you, you should’ve moaned, you are wayyyyy too kind and sensitive. The only good thing I can say is that you unlikely to suffer again because you’ll check reviews. 😞 Sorry! 😢

Others may hear me so I rather not say anything haha..

Aguyyy, maybe ganyan talaga lasa ng Italian Pasta like other version of it? May ibang version paba? Hahahaha but well, walang ibang pasta na masarao sakin kundi Filipino Stylr lanh haha. Or bala yon nga mahal din talaga rent nila. Pero ang dami din kasing kumakain sa kanila ee hmmmm

The best madam pinoy spag..

I kept staring at the food to be sure I didn't miss anything while reading, that looks like ordinary spaghetti and doesn't worth the price.

I can tell how disappointed you are while the food was served, your experience will definitely make you check reviews before settling to dine at any restaurant.

It indeed looked like ordinary spaghetti. I guess how I cook spaghetti is better than that 😂

I am sure you can do 100% better than this plus it is better that you went alone. What if you hosted friends there? The disappointment must have been bigger.

Hello there!
Sometimes you can tell how good a restaurant is when it's filled with locals. Otherwise, your best attempt might be to check reviews or start with one of the most basic dishes... in your case you would have probably thought that a portion of pasta would have been a good test.
Better luck next time!:)

Because when we think of Italian restaurant, the expectations of their pasta is always great.. 😅. That's what I've thought..

When I saw the food, I was also a bit disappointed.
The place looks fancy and its location looks so posh but it seems like the food isn't at par with how the place looks like.
That area doesn't look like HK though which I'm a bit surprised.

Saizeriya is also here in Japan and it's very famous among youngsters. It's cheap food, more like fast food already here.

Yep. The place is great, but the food isn't haha.
Yes it's more like fast food. But I like the food there.. Better than this Pazta restaurant haha. And way more economical

Oh no! Ang liit lang sis. Mas marami pa ata ang spag sa Jobee hehehe. Ang dami ko na atang maluluto na meatless spaghetti nyan at ang dami na ang makakakain. Charged to experience na lang din yan sis @jane1289.

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