Restaurant Review

You Can’t Find Any Other Restaurant “Cossi”-er Than This

After a week-long stay at home, my family lit up as soon as I mentioned that we go out for lunch and jumped at the chance to get out of the house for a while. My mom suggested we go to Cossi, the place I would assume to be her favorite restaurant down in Tsuen Wan.

As the restaurant was located just on the sidewalk of a busy, car-filled street, we were quickly ushered in by one of the waiters and brought up the stairs of the restaurant to a second floor when we arrived. Stepping into the restaurant, I was immediately transported into a completely different environment. It was a warm, dimly lit place with faint chatter and music in the air. When we were seated, the friendly waiter gave us some alcohol wipes and extra tissues to wrap up our masks, which genuinely surprised me and immediately gave me a great impression of their service.

We had been to Cossi quite a few times prior, but never during the weekend, so I was able to try out some new dishes, which I was quite excited about. After being handed the menus, we decided on three dishes to share between the four of us, each of which came with a slightly tart but refreshing orange juice.

The first dish that came was an eel and seaweed penne ($70). The penne, cooked to just the right amount (it wasn’t too hard or too soft, but as Goldilocks would say, “just right”), was coated with a delicious, creamy sauce and topped with seaweed and a cut of eel. The seaweed’s saltiness complemented the cream sauce and each bite of the pasta was one that I savored. However, the eel was somewhat disappointing. It lacked flavor and was tougher to chew than the eel you would find in most Japanese-style cuisine.

Thankfully, the other dishes were less disappointing. The second dish that came was an Angus beef burger with a side of salad and potato wedges ($70). The burger was definitely the star of the show! The bread was crispy on the exterior and soft on the inside, and the juicy patty that was sandwiched in between the two buns was well-seasoned. The foie gras mousse spread inside the burger further enhanced the overall flavor of the burger. Our entire family reached a consensus that the ratio of bun-to-meat was spot on. Along with the fresh salad drizzled with vinegar dressing (just enough to give it a little kick) and potato wedges, the proportions of the dish were planned and perfect.

Last came the crab and shrimp sauce spaghetti ($68). Once the dish was set on the table, a mouthwatering aroma wafted towards me, and I was immediately compelled to try it out. There was a generous serving of spaghetti in the dish with a savory, tomato cream sauce, mixed in with pieces of crab and shrimp. And yes, it did taste as good as it smelled! The spaghetti was cooked al dente, it didn’t have that mushiness that overcooked spaghetti has or the harder texture of an uncooked pasta. The sauce was tangy with the acidity of the tomato, yet well balanced with the fresh crab and shrimp. I thought the dish was well-balanced flavor-wise, and if I were to give any specific recommendation of a dish from this restaurant, it would definitely be this one.

Our bill was around $229HKD (including a service charge of 10%), which set the total to less than $60 per person. I’d say that the overall experience was great – the waiters were welcoming and polite, the ambiance was cosy and the food was exceptional. If you have time (which you should, considering the current circumstances), definitely come over to Tsuen Wan and try out some of the food at this restaurant!

Address: G/F 19-27 Tai Pa Street, Tsuen Wan
Phone Number: +852 2489 8168
Website: http://www.cossi.com.hk/
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri – 12:00 – 15:00, 17:00 – 23:00
Sat – 12:00 – 16:00, 17:00 – 23:00
Sun – 11:00 – 16:00, 17:00 – 22:30
Directions: 9-minute’s walk from Exit A1/ A2/ E2, Tsuen Wan West MTR Station; 14-minute’s walk from Exit B1/B2/B3, Tsuen Wan Station

---

Link to Rough Draft: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19SGKGJ8waoPox5H5ImyKXJYiwKpM1jXR/view?usp=sharing

Link to the Final Review: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-vD3hnLjwCn51StS5m5RUfPJAGjbQMta/view?usp=sharing

Rough Draft:

Final Draft:

Reflection: This was one of the more interesting, fun writings (in my opinion) that we had written over this semester. We were already a few weeks into quarantine by now, which meant that this was really a chance for me to get out of the house and to get some fresh air. It was challenging in the sense where I had absolutely no experience writing this sort of review. Although we had done other reviews in the past (like the play review and the book review), this was different. I had to learn to use more food-related adjectives to describe food and describe not just the food itself, but the experience as well. It took a couple of tries to get it right, but I’m proud of how this review turned out!