Wineshark HK Restaruant Review - 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

This Italian restaurant is located in Alexander House, a Michelin 3-star restaurant that is so popular that you need to book a couple of weeks in advance to secure a table. With a section of the restaurant being a bar where you can enjoy a drink before going to your meal, the dining area has a nice setting, not being extravagant to make you uncomfortable. The wine cellar is also impressive with a wide selection of wines too.

On the night I went for the Degustation menu plus the wine pairings, with the first course being a Seared Red Tuna Belly. It is served with fennel pollen, tomato and citrus emulsion, as well as Royal Oscietra caviar. The tuna is tender with a good sear on the outside but deep red on the inside, seasoned perfectly and the taste got further elevated with the freshness and acidity of the emulsion. The caviar provides an interesting flavors, and this caviar is one of the most prized and expensive version. This pairs very well with the citrus and white peach flavors of the 2015 Argiolas Meri Vermentino di Sardegna.

The second course is Roasted Langoustine, seasoned with Mediterranean herbs and with warm couscous salad on the side. Langoustine is a kind of mini lobster, about the size of a large prawn, with a very soft and juicy flesh and intense flavors. The salad is prepared with couscous which is a sort of semolina and also got some lobster meat mixed together. It is a really nice seafood course all by itself. And the more full-bodied 2010 Benanti Pietramarina Etna Bianco is a good complement too.

The third course is my favourite on the night. It is a Homemade Tagliolini, prepared with butter, Parmesan and 'Melanosporum' black truffle fondue. The pasta really got the perfect texture, and frankly one of the best I have ever tasted. The sauce is also in harmony with the tagliolini, plus the really aromatic black truffle making this an overall phenomenal enjoyment that you would not regret spending the money. The 2013 Girolamo Russo A' Rina Etna Rosso is a nice choice to pair with a fruity redberry aroma and taste.

The fourth course is choice of beef or pork, and I opted for the Farm Baby Pork which got natural jus, mushroom, and 'Cicerchia' beans puree. The pork is so soft and tender that I originally could not believe it is really pork given its texture. The sauce is rich with intense flavors, further enhanced by the caramelized mushroom and beans puree to give a sweet taste. The 2009 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino is also a decent wine pairing.

The last course is again a choice of two, and as recommended I chose the seasonal La Pesca, which is a peach compote, bavaroise and peach sorbet. The sou chef came out to introduce the dessert to us, and truly it was a wonderful peach assortment. The sorbet got an intense peach flavors and is extremely good on its own already, but supplementing with the compote which is made by stewed the peach in syrup, and the bavarois or cream gave the different texture and enjoyment to wrap up a wonderful meal. My only critic is that the wine paired, the 2011 Livon Cumins Picolit does not have the right sweetness, with some bitterness on the aftertaste.

With a double espresso to conclude the dinner, served alongside with homemade petit fours, this menu demonstrated why the restaurant justified a 3-star rating. The service also is very good with the sommelier giving a good explanation of the wines selected. The chef also catered to Ivy's request to adjust her food to serve with sauce on the side and doing a light version because she is on diet. Even though a bit pricey with the menu plus wine pairing at $2160 per person, it is still a restaurant I recommend and would come back again on special occasion.

My overall rating is 73/100.