Sometimes a restaurant’s decor can almost ruin the whole dining experience – and it’s a really close call for Aspasia. The Italian restaurant is located on the first floor of a new boutique hotel called The Luxe Manor in Tsim Sha Tsui. When we stepped into the lobby, we were bombarded by fancy furniture and walls in strong hues like red, purple and gold. A little tacky, but we could handle that, but some people won't be able to stomach the purple walls adorned with large paintings and chairs with leopard prints. However, we realized it’s truly worth eating here as soon as the bread arrived - it was unbelievably fresh and aromatic. There were also breadsticks, which came along in a fancy set-up – the dip was served in a test tube. We ordered the tasting menu ($688) and all the five courses were excellent. The one that impressed us the most was the lamb rack with four types of tomatoes, which comes with a tiny cup of tomato water – the tomato aroma lingered in our mouths after the course without any overpowering aftertastes. The pasta with foie gras was in a small portion but we can't complain because it was so rich and flavorful. We were pretty full after the meal so the manager kindly offered us some lemon liquor to soothe our stomachs.

Best bit: The authentic imported Italian flavors.