8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA
Add: 6-7/F, 169 Yuanmingyuan Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu / 圆明园路169号6－7楼, 近北京东路
Tel: 6087 2890
Hours: [restaurant] 6pm~12am [bar] 4pm~late
Website: www.ottoemezzobombana.
Price: 600 RMB+/person
Visited on: Mar 2012
Spent the afternoon at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA for a Beluga vodka and caviar tasting. Royal Kaluga Caviar by the spoonfuls, Beluga Vodka Gold Line shots, followed by delicious canapés adorned with Imperial Caviar…life is not too bad after all.
What’s Beluga Vodka? Long story short – Russian natural malt spirit (meaning that it is fermented with natural enzymes, with no synthetic additives) undergoes filtration through quartz-sand for a 3-month period, then matured in resting tanks for around 30 days to refine its structure and taste. Check their website for more info.
Their premium line – Beluga Gold Line – is really la crème de la crème. It has a limited edition due to more complicated and prolonged production process, and each bottle has an individual number as a stamp of uniqueness and quality of the product. A shot of this smooth vodka with spoonfuls of Royal Kaluga Caviar from Holland & Wilde…perfect.
We also tried the Beluga Gold Line chilled, with a sliver of orange peel and a rub around the rim of the glass.
Now a bit on the caviar. That afternoon we tasted three varieties of caviar – royal, imperial, and crown – each with its unique color and taste, suitable with different pairings. Imperial caviar, for example, are characterized by their dark amber colour and present a strong, nutty flavour, perfect for pairing with vodka. Royal caviar, on the other hand, have a medium to dark amber color and a most delicate flavor, ideal with champagne. You can find them on this website.
What else was floating around the room? Sea urchin royal with cauliflower mousseline, topped with a dollop of Osetra Caviar.
More canapés, all adorned with caviar. No need to say more.
Click here for my dinner review for 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo.
Was that a private event?