Dinner @ Oolaa Petite

星街近年奇峰異起，不同種類的新餐廳逐一登場，而Oolaa Petite就是其中之一。是日為慶祝C的生日，和一眾友人於這裡吃晚飯。Oolaa Petite 的環境簡單寧靜，輕便而又優雅, 不會太吵鬧，坐在外面猶如身在外國街頭般寫意。但室內稍嫌燈光黑了點，看來比較適合情侶光顧。餐廳菜單以意大利菜為主，選擇蠻多，有薄餅(pizza)，意粉(pasta)，意大利飯(risotto)，還有其他肉類等等。可惜份量真的不大，真是明乎其實的Petite，男仕們可能不飽。菜式水準不俗，但以它的價格來說不夠驚喜, 未見出色, 價錢晚飯每位大概＄200至＄300。值得一讚是它不設有切餅費。

If you pass by Star Street and you haven't noticed the new dining scene there, you're not looking close enough.  It has been a delightful transformation at Star Street recently, turning old garages into hip and modern restaurants one by one.  One of these restaurants is Oolaa Petite run by Castelo Concepts.  

We went there for C's birthday dinner with Homa, Tee, Lesibian, and her boyfriend Martin.  Oolaa Petite is a sister restaurant of Oolaa which is located in Sheung Wan.  The restaurant comprises of a little outdoor area with high tables and an indoor area with large couches.  Though the atmosphere was perfectly quiet and peaceful,  whether it was intentional or not, we found that the uncomfortably dim and dark lighting to be more appropriate for couples to come here on dates.  

Unfortunately, the lack of lighting is just one of the cogs that evening.  We might have been inquisitive with the sporadic menu which featured Italian cuisine, including pizza, pasta, risotto and various kinds of meats.  Be aware of the portion, as the dishes were quite "petite" and they might not be as satisfying as they seemed.  Dinner is priced at around $200 to $300 per head. One bonus point is that Oolaa Petite does not impose a surcharge for outside cakes. 

(1) Martin ordered the Toasted Pita Dips ($90) with beetroot feta, tzatziki, hummus and chili tomato & capsicum as starter.   While the pita was expectantly soft and warm, the dips were quite nice providing a delicate and fresh flavour to the dish.  This was a nice starter to share. 

(2) We didn't adore the look of the Margarita Pizza ($110) at first but we were surprised by the fluffy and airy texture which proved to be both chewy and delicious at the same time. But we were hoping for a more fabulous taste of meatball and tomato sauce and it felt ultimately short of that.

(3) The Chicken & Asparagus Risotto ($125) was heartening and alluringly light but it could have been a tad bigger in size.  

(4) The US Certified Black Angus Sirloin ($390) 10 oz was one dish that C specifically looked forward to the most.  While the steak was gorgeously grilled and tasted fantastic, the serving was so smaller than we were hoping it to be and we had trouble to have more than two "bites" each. 

(5) The Penne Arrabiata ($120) with spicy italian tomato chilli pepper sauce was rather bland and the sauce was too mild to lift the flavours of the penne for us.

(6) Lastly, we ordered the Glazed Soy Salmon ($190). It was an outstanding dish, the salmon was superbly smooth and tender. The soy sauce was light and juicy, adding a sensuous twist to this wonderful dish! 

A special thanks to Homa who kindly bought the most beautiful and lovely birthday cake from Thomas Trillion! It was definitely the highlight of the evening! Thanks to everyone who came to dinner that evening! 

VERDICT

Overall remarks:  We are mixed about Oolaa Petite as its dishes could certainly be fine-tuned and we wondered whether the portions really justify the price.  But to its credit, Oolaa Petite is both unflappably casual and elegant and is definitely a welcomed addition to Star Street.  It's a pity that their dishes can't, or ironically do, live up to its name. 

Food: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

Oolaa Petite  (website)
Ground Floor Shop 12 to 14 Regal Court, Star Street, Wan Chai