In a city as business-minded as Hong Kong, it’s good to know that there are dedicated chefs provisioning this kind of professionalism in dining establishment form. The restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA is a fine example of this kind of executive finesse encased within a smart Michelin-starred Italian restaurant housed in one of the city’s most central office and shopping developments, Landmark.
With the original Mandarin Oriental hotel in its window’s eyesight and most of corporate Hong Kong in its reach, plus a plethora of well-heeled shoppers ambling outside its entrance for good measure, you’d be forgiven for thinking Otto lacks the flavour and soul of an Italian cuisine institution. For that matter however, you couldn’t be anymore incorrect.
Hailed as the most personal and distinctive project of Chef Umberto Bombana, the apparent “King of White Truffles”, Otto tells an authentic story of one chef that has made it his life’s work to enshrine Italian cuisine’s venerability around the world.
Tables at 8½ Otto e Mezzo
Opened by Chef Bombana in 2009, Otto sophisticatedly offers simple yet refined cooking and has become a talking point across many a dinner table around Asia. As of 2012, when the second Otto opened in Shanghai, Chef Bombana’s empire has expanded across China, reaching Beijing and Shanghai, becoming one of the most highly recognised and acclaimed Italian restaurants outside of its native country on the culinary scene.
8½ Otto e Mezzo
When Glass visited 8½, named after Chef Bombana’s favourite film, Fellini’s 1963’s 8½ , at the Landmark Atrium we were swept of our feet by its unparalleled attention to splendour from the moment we entered. Retaining its smooth Italian style we were shown to our seats without fuss and not interrupted again until we were ready to order, a team of waiting staff watching from afar and waiting for the right moment for us. When that moment came, our fully-stacked six dish tasting menu was to begin.
Seared Red Tuna Fennel Pollen, Tomato and Citrus Emulsion with Calvisius Elite Caviar
Seared red tuna belly peppered with fennel pollen and tomato and citrus emulsion was the first dish to grace our impressive table setting. This, more than any other option on the menu, was presented to us more as an appetizing amuse-bouche, acting as an entrée to the second seafood follow-up, blue lobster with basil rattatuia and seafood emulsion.
This was a marvellous piece of shellfish and put our faith completely in Italian cuisine as having the monopoly on the most enormously flavoured seafood. Homemade Tagliolini pasta followed, which had all the delightful tasting senses of the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of Italy that conceived it. Once we mixed in the parmesan and shaved Alba white truffles these tastes truly became a creamy symphony that strung across our taste buds.
Cavatelli, shellfish ragout and sea urchin
Tajima Short Rib and Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine and Plum Sauce, Whipped Potato
Heftier meat dishes followed. These came by way of pork, beef and calf, with Cotechino winter sausage and beef cheek with braised baby lentils and red wine jus first, and Fassone veal tenderloin in crisp bread, pumpkin and aromatic cheese fondue second. These meat choices, albeit strong in their payoff, tied together very well. From the clean and mild taste of the winter sausage to the grassy fresh beef cheek, finished off by veal just soft and lean enough to consume all three in the space of less than 20 minutes.
It didn’t stop there, however, with Otto’s on the ball staff topping off our tasting experience with chestnut cake, Chantilly and marron gelato. This compact confection was intensely sweet but the chestnut notes kept it earthy, and in that way, allowed it to work well with the preceding meaty aftertaste. Any other miscellaneous aftertastes were satisfyingly washed down with a cleansing dessert wine, served, as were the other fine wines that complimented each dish, out of Riedel crystal glasses.
Chef Umberto Bombana
Following the dining experience Glass was able to share a few exclusive words with Chef Bombana to hear his thoughts on his position in Hong Kong as the custodian of some of Italy’s finest cuisine.
What do you think makes dining in Hong Kong such a quality experience?
I think it comes down to wanting an experience. You want to be entertained by great food as much as you are by the theatre. Great ambience and great service is a part of this experience as much as everything from a good cocktail to a great coffee, it’s all the experience. It’s been a mission to me to follow all these steps to give the best experience.
As a chef in Hong Kong, what opportunities are you presented with?
I like the energy of this city. It has an international clientele that spans the world and I’ve been in the financial centre of this city for so long I’ve really had an opportunity to see the entire world. As a free market you also don’t have tax of importation on food, which is great. You can have food coming at you from Australia, from California, from all over Europe. If you manage this right you can have the best food from Japan or Portugal in 12 hours. That is one big plus, having the world’s best food at your fingertips. As long as this food has soul, knowledge and balance of flavour, which I think we succeed in very well, it really becomes the diners, they feel how special it is.
What edge does Otto have on the competition when it comes to Italian cuisine?
It’s part of my philosophy as a chef to work with the best ingredients possible, the kind with soul and Italian flavour. I think the location is very important, it must be somewhat convenient, and then we make sure to setup a refined but comfortable area of relaxed ambience. The staff must always exhibit professionalism because the intention is to have the best team. The final ingredient is people who enjoy the restaurant. It makes it fun to be here at the end of the day, especially when we all enjoy working together, it makes it all come so easily.
Finally, what directions do you envision dining going in Hong Kong in the next five years?
We have so much great talent in kitchens in this city, great types of cuisine, Cantonese for instance is fantastic. We also have lots of small individual restaurants with personality chefs who want to achieve something, who love people and want to excel in hospitality. I see these developing more and more and making Hong Kong more interesting.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA
8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra, 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong
Lunch 12:00 – 14:30
Dinner 18:30 – 22:30
Bar opened from 12:00 noon until late
Closed on Sundays.
Dress Code:
Smart casual. For gentlemen, please avoid wearing shorts, vest, sandals and slippers.