The Twins offers double delight to foodies
Celebrity chef Cornelia Poletto has opened a new restaurant in the global flagship store of German kitchen cutlery brand Zwilling J.A. Henckels in HKRI Taikoo Hui. And the German culinary expert is sure to create the same buzz celebrated by her fellow countrymen at their grand opening.
The Twins, located on the mall’s second floor, is the latest venture by the renowned chef, who regularly gives her expert opinion on television cooking shows and in her published cookbooks.
The 41-year-old mother-of-one opened her first restaurant, Poletto, with her former husband Remigio Poletto in 2000 in Hamburg-Eppendorf. And within two years she received a Michelin Star for excellent cuisine. The project closed in 2010 but a year later she reopened under her own name, Cornelia Poletto, next to her previous restaurant. Not content with just being a chef she also opened her own cooking school, Cucina Cornelia Poletto, in 2013.
The Twins in Shanghai is a new chic, modern establishment that serves excellent Mediterranean cuisine.
Creamy pea soup with king crab tartlet and mint
The casual lunch set is a good way to explore the famous Poletto cuisine. You can get two courses (a starter and a main) for 158 yuan (US$24.8) and three courses (starter, soup and main) for 228 yuan.
To start the meal, the Shanghai salad is a perfect dish for the season. It includes large bites of crispy prawn and bonito flakes that add an extra layer of texture and taste of the sea.
For a warm starter, there’s a rich and creamy pea soup with king crab tartlet and mint, or the light and refreshing mushroom consommé with potato pearls, quail egg and herbs.
The veal sliders are a unique main dish, which replaced the bread buns in a traditional slider with thin slices of potato. The veal meatballs are extra juicy, and in between the potato and veal there’s a warm cucumber roll to balance the flavors. It comes with a salad as well. Although desserts are not included in the lunch sets, the fruit salad and mascarpone (98 yuan) is highly recommended. Featuring a Sicilian-style cannoli with seasonal fruits and limoncello granita, it is a very Italian and summery creation.
Veal sliders
The Twins also has a seafood and cold food bar that serves imported oysters, caviar and a luxurious seafood platter with selected oysters, Boston lobster, Alaskan crab legs, langoustines and clams (888 yuan).
The a-la-carte menu has an interesting sea urchin dish, which layers fresh sea urchin and seaweed butter on top of toasted homemade sourdough bread (148 yuan). It can be a great starter or an easy bite to pair with wine. The dry-aged Australian Angus rib eye steak is 588 yuan, which comes with two sides and two sauces of choice.
In addition to the casual lunch and dinner sets, the restaurant’s formal dining space has a separate fine dining menu that starts from 268 yuan for three courses (starter, main and dessert).
Additional wine pairing with three glasses can be added for 158 yuan.
Info
Opening hours: 11am-1:30pm (lunch), 5:30-10pm (dinner). Seafood bar is open all-day.
Tel: 5255-5659
Address: W201, HRKI Taikoo Hui, 286 Shimen Road No. 1
Average price: 400 yuan
