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You’ve got to have a unique concept to stand out in Sheung Wan’s restaurant scene. Hoping to grab the attention of diners is Pasteako, an Italian steakhouse taking over Gustaci’s former venue in PMQ. This restaurant gets its name from mashing up the two dishes it offers: pasta and steak. More specifically, Pasteako specialises in handmade pasta that can be enjoyed free-flow, and 21-day dry-aged steak cuts like American sirloin and ribeye, as well as Australian M5 Wagyu. This restaurant’s dinner set menu includes an appetiser, a steak cut and pasta of choice, and a dessert from $388 and up – which is an absolute steal if you consider Pasteako’s location.
The restaurant’s interior is full of retro Italian flair, with red and white checkerboard floors, leather sofas, and black-and-white framed photos setting the mood. Before being shown to your table, you’ll get to choose a steak knife from a large display cabinet that provides information about eight different knives from countries like Italy, Japan, Germany, Turkey, Persia, and Mongolia. Unless you’re keen on reading about each knife, we think closing your eyes and randomly picking one will suffice.
Deciding what to eat here is a no-brainer, as this restaurant only offers concise set menus. Start by selecting your desired pasta shape and sauce, then choose your steak cut from options like striploin and ribeye, or upgrade to premium M5 Wagyu for an additional $198. We opted for pappardelle in truffle sauce with ribeye steak, and mezzi rigatoni in puttanesca (tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and peperoncino) sauce with striploin – both of which were topped with a generous amount of grated cheese that made it utterly satisfying to enjoy. The rich and creamy truffle sauce paired well with the pappardelle, but we preferred the combination of al dente rigatoni and the light kick of the puttanesca sauce.
As for the steaks, the striploin and ribeye were both grilled over charcoal flames until medium rare. Although both steaks were juicy, the ribeye was sliced too thin to our liking, and the striploin was overcooked and bitter on the outside. The highlight, however, was the free-flow pasta. Every 30 minutes, the restaurant’s servers will ring a bell and go around to offer extra pasta to anyone with room for more food. Once you’ve had enough pasta, the meal will conclude with a portion of tiramisu topped with shaved chocolate for dessert. The tiramisu was luscious but could be improved with a stronger coffee flavour.
Overall, Pasteako checks many boxes for a popular restaurant: retro vibes, an Instagrammable interior, reasonable prices, attentive service, and a friendly casual atmosphere. It’s a great spot for dates or gatherings with close friends. Sitting across the street from Pici, this steakhouse boldly entices diners with its free-flow handmade pasta. For pasta lovers, it is definitely worth trying. Unfortunately, Pasteako’s steaks were average, and may not be enough to satisfy steak snobs with high standards. – translated by Cherry Chan
Here’s what our star ratings mean:
★: Not recommended
★★: A disappointing experience
★★★: A good experience
★★★★: A very good to great experience
★★★★★: An outstanding experience
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