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There are a few things we can never resist, and a good kitchen takeover is one of them. This April, Okinawa’s Pastaione is taking over the Tsim Sha Tsui pasta bar Zozzona for two nights, and we’re already marking our calendars.
On April 15 and 16, chef Teppei Zama, co-founder of the Okinawan spot, will bring his distinctive take on Italian cooking to Hong Kong. His training took him from the two-Michelin-starred Taverna Estia near Naples to opening his own Italian restaurant in Denmark, and now he works out of Okinawa with an approach that balances Italian tradition with Japanese precision and seasonal awareness.
For chef Zama’s Zozzona debut, every dish celebrates the craft of pasta and seasonal ingredients. The takeover menu opens with antipasti including tagliatelle-style calamaro with Okinawan squid, lemon zest, and squid ink powder; tuna tartare with olives, capers, and mushrooms; jidori chicken liver pâté with candied almonds; and zeppole di baccalà, codfish fritters served with Japanese fruit jam and mascarpone.
Pasta courses follow with mezzi paccheri ai frutti di mare, loaded with Japanese seafood and San Marzano tomatoes, alongside pappardelle al ragù di Agu pork, enriched with Chianti and onions. A bistecca di manzo with Japanese beef sirloin, potato purée, and beef jus comes next, before dessert closes with an Okinawa tiramisu made with mascarpone, cocoa, and chinsukō, Okinawa’s signature crumbly cookie.
With limited seating across both nights, reservations will likely go fast. If you’ve been meaning to make it to Zozzona, or you’re curious about what one of Okinawa’s most interesting pasta chefs does when he lands in Hong Kong, book your spot now before they disappear.
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