But then again, if you are a tai tai, you probably won't be reading this...more so on HGW! hmm...

Anyways, to those in the know, Caffé Cova from the original Cova Pasticceria-Confetteria, Milan has opened its doors at the comfort of swanky Paragon. Brought in by the Wing Tai group, the fashion company is now edging into the premium lifestyle segment by moving into branded food and lifestyle. Outside of Italy, Cova can only be found in Japan and Hong Kong and on some luxury American cruise ships. What you can expect to get here will be exactly what you would eat in Cova Milan, so you will not see any acclimatization to suit the local palates.

For a start, the café is only serving set lunches ($28 for antipasto & primo, $32 for antipasto & secondo, $36 for antipasto, primo & secondo; all sets come with dolci and tea/coffee) and dinners, tramezzini (sandwiches) like panini with posh fillings, chi chi pante integrale tostato (toast), pane al latte (milk bread) and classy quiches for light bites. There are also high tea sets ($18-$22) to partake in while you while your afternoon away after all that Jean Paul Gaultier shopping. The smorgasbord of cakes, pastries and biscuits will spoil you silly as you walk over to the display shelves to pick your dolci and biscotti to accompany your coffee.

Coffee yes. You hear me right. Italians love their expresso. Cova prides their blend as the perfect balance so much so they do not offer anything else. It’s an all-purpose combo that is flexible enough for any kind of treatment, be it your latte or cappuccino. The proof is in the taste. I’m no connoisseur of coffee, so I’ll leave you from here to uncover its intricacy.

I bumped into decadence on their 2nd day of operations. On that first surreptitious find, I couldn’t resist the dainty pastries on display. I chose an exquisite Vanilla bignè (cream choux pastry) filled with the smoothest cream and an elegant but petite Chocolate Raspberry Crostata to go. These buttery packages of sins look deceptively small but they were spewing of the most luscious crème. Sublime. All that lovelies were not cheap ($2.10-$3.30 per petit piece) though, but they were worth every penny and every count of calorie. I had them some time later in the day. I wasn’t sure how much they had suffered in the pass, but if they still tasted so divine, I can only imagine it would have been an ethereal experience enjoying them at the boutique.

Thus, of coz I paid my first official dine-in visit just 2 days later. On this luxurious lunch, I delighted in a pair of Gamberi (Prawn Mayonnaise) and Salmone (Smoked Scottish Salmon) Pante Integrale Tostato ($14) (toasted wheat bread). These articles of beauty were absolutely fetching, and delectable from bite to swallow. Haute sandwiches piled lavishly with seafood flavors that were totally in a league of their own.

Oh. To think I just dirtied those prettily manicured fingers.

Their Italian desserts may not look as fancy as their French counterparts but they certainly have more charm than your usual confections. Here you won’t find any cookie cutter sweets. Even the biscotti ($5.50/ 100g onwards) are crafted with the same attention to detail as the confections. And not only do they look very tantalizing; they taste just as heavenly too.

Without further ado, I delved straight into the abyss of chocolatey goodness this time round. The Sachertorte is a symbol of Viennese confectionery worldwide but Cova’s signature Sacher ($9/ slice) does not pale in comparison to their Austrian counterpart. Their interpretation adds a layer of sensuous chocolate cream in between the two layers of dense, but not cloyingly sweet chocolate cake and the requisite layer of apricot jam in the middle. Dark chocolate ganache with chocolate rice decorate the top and peripherals. I’ve not tasted the Viennese version but I’m quite sure I like this one. Though it wasn’t served the traditional way with billows of Schlagobers (lightly sweetened whipped cream), the intense chocolate sponge simply shone with its contrast of bitterness against the tartness of the apricot jam. Moist and lusciously rich. The dreamiest dessert, an expensive comfort.

If you are thinking of nibbling on those petit pastries I mentioned earlier though, be sure to choose with utmost judiciousness for the reason that the astounding display variety is almost bewildering. I would definitely need more than many visits to complete the phenomenon.

Sigh, lunch had to end. I only wish I needn’t wake up from this enchanting dream to find myself back in the daily grind of life again.

There you go…if you adorn Prada, hang LV, walk in Ferragamos, and oh! wear Panerais and talk on Vertus, then mosey your way to where Dome café used to be. Then sink your wearisome bodies on those plush cushions and sip a cuppa or two. Pick on a few of the café’s haute range of Italian chocolate bonbons and assorted jellies for your next baby gift or girly pursuits. And don’t forget to explore those Italian cakes too.

I don’t dress in these, therefore I don’t belong. I think I’m more suited for Chef Pang’s Le Royale and macarons downstairs, yeah…maybe even Delifrance’s smoked salmon croissant is more my cup of tea. Thankyouverymuch.

Now the good is over, continuing reading at your own peril:

Food and desserts are definitely the finest but service is patchy. Cova engages managerial staff from Hong Kong. The young service staff are earnest and attentive, but what irks is the curt attitude at the managerial level. Oh well…I wasn’t wearing Gucci or carrying YSL, I was wearing Raoul and it’s still not enough. Walao! :(