Jelloman and I have been talking about 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana’s white truffle dinner for years. I have been very lazy picking up the phone (year after year) so it never materializes until tonight. I figure with our wedding anniversary coming up in a few days, there’s another reason to splurge on a big meal in addition to the white truffle season.
Little nugget is tagging along tonight and we all know what that means. We will be expelled from the restaurant’s main dining room. On most nights, it doesn’t bother me at all but tonight, it sucks a little as the lounge was fairly noisy with a couple of customers getting a little, shall we say, pumped up. Normally, I won’t say this but just for my dining privileges, I wish little one could grow up faster so we can all enjoy our meals where we are supposed to (we won’t have such problems if we’re dining in Europe though).
Our amuse bouche tonight was sautéed chanterelles, with mushroom consommé, mushroom foam and shaved white truffle (not sure if they’re from Alba).
This came with a few slices of white truffle. Obviously, they are trying to get this “white truffle” theme into our heads early. Not a bad idea.
The cold appetizer for us was marinated shima aji (striped horse mackerel). This was beautifully decorated with Oscietra caviar in an umami-rich champagne dressing.
Not surprisingly, the combination of flavors and textures worked really well together. There’s the acidity, sweetness, a touch of smokiness and a great temperature and texture contrast.
Our shima aji dish was followed by a warm appetizer, roasted blue lobster and assorted mushrooms served with a slightly briny sea urchin emulsion. The zesty hint from the citrus dressing was a lovely touch but I wish there could be a little more sweetness there for a much better balance. (The slow pace of serving us food was starting to get on my nerve a bit.)
Just before our white truffle pasta arrived, we were offered a bonus dish, homemade pasta with diced tuna and sundried tomato. Obviously, there is reason why 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana remains the best Italian restaurant in town year after year. The execution of their pasta is always perfect. Lovely al dente texture and this came with some extra kick (from what I thought was bottarga?) too.
Little one has been waiting for this since we stepped in (so did we!).
Our homemade egg tagliolini!
It was simply tossed with butter and parmesan, and finished with a shower of white truffle from Alba Italy. Let it snow with Alba white truffle!
It's very aromatic! Could smell this from miles away.
We almost couldn't see the tagliolini as they were totally covered by the white truffle. This was very very tasty.
At this point, I decided to ask our server to speed things up and he gladly agreed to our request. I should have done it after the first starter!
My main dish of beef tenderloin and short rib was next. It’s not the first time I had this here and it won’t be the last.
The timeless combination of tenderloin and short rib was simply served with mashed potato and seasonal vegetables in a red wine reduction. The tenderloin was pretty good but the short rib was so succulent! Yeah, it’s a little heavy after two pasta dishes but I guess I’ll just have congee the next two nights to make up for it.
Jelloman instead had the Challan duck with root vegetables and spice duck jus. There’s just something about French duck that I couldn’t resist. Pretty nice.
For dessert, I chose the “millefoglie” with hazelnut gelato and vanilla sauce over the melon soup.
My better half wanted something lighter and more refreshing so with little wonder, she had the melon soup with melon pearls and sorbet. I would have made the same choice if it’s in the middle of the summer myself.
I have only asked for the "Happy Anniversary" wording written next to one of our desserts but the good guys here decided to treat us to a lovely raspberry chocolate tart with the greeting next to it. How nice is that!?
Some petit fours while we enjoyed our coffee and tea.
It was a very good evening full of good food and I’m glad we finally tick Chef Bombana’s white truffle dinner off my long to-do list. Jelloman looks like she’s a happy camper and I’m just delighted that she has stuck by me the last two decades through all the good and bad times.
P.S. Just one small regret. We didn't get to see Chef Bombana tonight. I guess he must be busy attending his children's Halloween party somewhere.
Food Rating: 8/10
Price: $$$$$
Address: Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra, 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2537-8859
Website: www.ottoemezzobombana.com
S. Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: 32nd (2020)
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