[Hong Kong] 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

Add: Shop 202, 2/F, Alexandra House, Central, Hong Kong / 中環德輔道中5-17號歷山大廈2樓202號舖
Tel: (852) 2537 8859
Hours: 12-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm
Website: www.ottoemezzobombana.com
Price: [lunch] 330 HKD/set (a la carte also available), [dinner] 800 HKD+
Visited: Dec 2011

I won’t be able to describe my dinner at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA in much detail. It was one of those charming experiences filled with constant oohs and ahhs that in retrospect, everything is a blur – the copious amount of wine consumed that evening certainly contributed to the buzz. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

We were lucky to get one of the C-shaped booths in the corners, which provided a great vantage point from which to survey the entire dining room: a comfortable interior in a warm palette of bronze and cream, made festive by Christmas decorations here and there. The faceted mirror ceiling is a nice touch.

Corkage fee at Otto e Mezzo is charged not by the bottle, but by the number of people at the table (100 HKD per person), and in total we only paid 400 HKD of corkage fee for all three bottles we brought that evening (instead of 500 HKD/bottle charged by other high-end restaurants). It all started with a bottle of bubbly Egly Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru (thank you J & C :)

The amuse bouche may look like a chocolate truffle, but it’s actually a cube of chocolate foie gras.

My appetizer, Marinated Scampi, Hybrid Caviar, Sea Urchin & Citrus Chantilly (280 HKD). Click here to see the recipe.

Umberto Bombana has been hailed as the “King of White Truffles”, and his menu reflects that by dedicating a whole page to white truffle dishes. Here’s one we sampled: Scrambled Egg, Mushroom Jus & White Truffle (590 HKD).

And here are the appetizers from the rest of the table. Warm Scallop Salad, Garden Vegetables and Black Olives, Sweet Peppers Mayonnaise (210 HKD).

Roast Duck Foie Gras with Piedmont Hazelnut Sauce, Smoked Duck in Dice, Greens (190 HKD).

Our second bottle, Giuseppe Quintarelli Bianco Secco Ca del Merlo.

My main course, Short Rib & Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine & Plum Sauce, Whipped Potato (390 HKD). Click here to see the recipe.

Here are the main courses from the rest of the table, and this particular one I loved: Papperdelle, Lamb & Mushroom Ragout, Fresh Rosemary (240 HKD).

Line Caught Sea Bass cooked in Sorento Lemon, Confit Vegetables, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Dressing and Fennel Jus (380 HKD).

Tagliatelle, Boston Lobster & Porcini Mushroom Ragout (290 HKD). Click here to see the recipe.

Lastly, a bottle of I Leccioni, Chianti DOCG.

We ordered two desserts to share. The first, Gianduja Chocolate Bar, Ricotta & Lemon Ice-Cream (130 HKD).

This one we loved: Crispy Pear Tart served with Vanilla Ice-Cream (130 HKD). The tart can be shared among 4 people (conveniently cut into 4 pieces), and the restaurant generously gave us each a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

A roaring good time we had at Otto e Mezzo. Special thanks to Antonio Bombini, the Assistant Manager of the restaurant, for being a most gracious host, though service quality from the rest of the waitstaff definitely could use some improvement. That aside, good food, excellent wine, and great conversations had me wrapped up in a warm buzz – I left the restaurant in an enchanted state, and will happily come back again.