HKG: Milano Fresh @ HKUST [Main Menu] {CLOSED}

Bacardi pork!? Alcoholic stuff?

UPDATE (08/06/2020): The vendor no longer operates at the canteen.

We've finally reached the stage where we're going to introduce you to the canteen food in HKUST. Let's start with Milano Fresh, a caterer specialising in Western, especially Italian, cuisine. While I didn't eat there very often, I did manage to try a few varieties of food offered. In each and every canteen, some of the dishes are rotated on a daily basis.

Duck Breast in Orange Gravy Set HK$28.00 (~S$4.65)

The very first meal that I tried was the duck breast in orange sauce which came with mashed potatoes, as well as a bowl of soup of the day.

Cream of Corn Soup (Set Menu)

 Taste: 7.5/10

The cream of corn soup was of adequate thickness, and it had a few corn kernels inside. Topped with a bit of croutons, it was sweet enough to perk up my appetite.

Duck Breast in Orange Gravy (Set Menu)

 Taste: 8/10

The duck breast was pretty tender and juicy, drenched in the glossy orange sauce was fresh and sweet enough. I wouldn't mind if the sauce was slightly sourer either. The mashed potatoes were pretty smooth and milky, accompanied by a few cubes of carrots and turnips which weren't overcooked.

Bacardi Pork Set HK$28.00 (~S$4.65)

Hey, wait, isn't Bacardi the name of a company producing spirits? You mean they actually add a bit of spirit into the sauce or something? Let's see.

Minestrone Soup (Set Menu)

 Taste: 7/10

Before that, let's look at the minestrone soup, or the tomato-based borsch (Ukrainian soup which is usually made of beetroots) I've been talking about a few times in the previous entries. The sweet and slightly sour soup which had cabbage, carrots and tomatoes in it wasn't extraordinary.

Bacardi Pork (Set Menu)

 Taste: 7.5/10

I doubt they actually added a bit of spirit or rum into the sauce, which was slightly sweet and sour in taste. I have no idea why it's named so, but anyway, lean pork was dipped in egg batter and then lightly fried. It was of adequate juiciness, topped with ham slices and brown sauce which was slightly sweet. It came with herb rice which was a bit buttery, as well as blanched carrots and turnips.

Herb Roasted Chicken Set HK$28.00 (~S$4.65)

 Taste: 8/10

The roasted chicken was tender and had a nice smoky aroma which permeated into the savoury brown gravy. The penne that came with it was pretty much al dente. Besides the by-now-predictable cubes of carrots and turnips, it was a surprise to have chicken and beef sausages on the plate. The set came with a cup of soft drink.

Specialised Countryside Pizza (12") HK$59 (~S$9.80)

 Taste: 7.5/10

Out of the three flavours available for the day, I chose the pizza which I thought would have an interesting combination of ingredients. Apparently, there were only ham slices which were bound together with tomato sauce and at least two different types of cheese. It was pretty good nonetheless with a balanced sweet and salty flavour, and the crust was pretty crispy without being either too thick or too thin.

Tomato and Meat Sauce Lasagna HK$25.00 (~S$4.15)

 Taste: 7.5/10

Although the dish appared to be visually attractive in terms of colours, the lasagna didn't come in neat layers, but jumbled up in a mess which looked like mashed potatoes. Nevertheless, it was pretty creamy, made more savoury with the addition of a little bit of parmesan cheese on top. Actually there was hardly any meat in the sauce; I could only see a little bit of minced beef. Also, I wish I could have a bit more of the béchamel (French sauce made of white roux and milk).

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 7.5/10

Overall: 7.5/10

I believe the menu given in the link below hasn't been updated for quite some time. Oh, the canteen is fully air-conditioned, and the ambience is much, much better than NUS canteens (in particular, NUS Frontier, goodness!). Pika's advice: Always look out for the weekly promotions which will help you cut a few dollars off your bill! :)

Milano Fresh @ HKUST

Clear Water Bay Road

LG7/F HKUST
Kowloon

Hong Kong

(Daily: 11.00am - 9.00pm)

https://www.ab.ust.hk/cso/res_pizza.htm

*Prices quoted are nett prices.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)