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2023-11-04
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This Italian restaurant is located at K11 MUSEA, and from its name you will already know it is also related to the famous Michelin 3-star restaurant 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Central. Indeed, it is under the same legendary chef Umberto Bombana, who has opened this restaurant together with the sister restaurant Cannubi, which share the same entrance, with Tuber located on the lower floor.Walking down the steps and through the curtain is the neat dining area, with six tables set up so there are
This Italian restaurant is located at K11 MUSEA, and from its name you will already know it is also related to the famous Michelin 3-star restaurant 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Central. Indeed, it is under the same legendary chef Umberto Bombana, who has opened this restaurant together with the sister restaurant Cannubi, which share the same entrance, with Tuber located on the lower floor.
Walking down the steps and through the curtain is the neat dining area, with six tables set up so there are plenty of space in between. The wooden floor, lacquered wall with art drawings, and the lighting on the ceiling which reminiscent of the sun, has created a warm, relaxing, and comfortable ambience for diners. We are seated at a table facing the windows.
There is only one Degustation Menu ($1,880 each), with each course having three options to choose from. I also go for the wine pairing ($780). But first we are served the Homemade Rye Sourdough with Crispy Bread. The sourdough is very good, with a crunchy crust and fluffy inside, and dipping in the fragrant extra-virgin olive oil from Sicily, we cannot help ourselves to finish the whole bread quickly.
The Amuse Bouche features Pan-fried Hokkaido Stingray Cheek. On top is a creamy egg yolk sauce with plenty of Osetra caviar, while on the bottom is olive oil with Japanese daikon emulsion to balance the rich flavours. Very good in taste, the fish has a tender yet firm bite, supplemented with the umami of the caviar, harmonized in the different elements, and can easily be served as a course on its own. Wonderful.
The first wine is Togni Rebaioli Marti Cuntrare Metodo Classico Rosato NV, a sparkling rose wine from Lombardy, made using the traditional method, from a native grape called Erbanno. Refreshing and versatile, it is a good complement in taste with the first course I have picked.
My wife has chosen Warm King Crab in the first course. In the middle, the chef has removed the meat from the Norwegian king crab to make a salad, and put the Hokkaido red sea urchin on top, with some chives to enhance the flavours. On the two sides are the crab leg meat, wrapped in thin slices of zucchini trombetta, with a fennel tomato jus to provide freshness and sweetness.
I go for Langoustine ($480 addition), which features lightly pan-fried Norwegian live langoustine. Chef Tommaso Gaudino comes to the table to shave the prized Alba white truffle on top generously, and very soon covering the whole langoustine. Underneath there is mushroom ragout, with the small mushroom pieces giving a different texture, and the langoustine jus adding flavours to the sweetness of the flesh. Very delicious.
The second wine is Zeni 1870 Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2021, with a nice floral and fruity nose, good complexity of flavours from the blend of Garganega, Trebbiano and Chardonnay, with a nice hint of bitterness on the finish.
For the second course my wife has chosen Poached ‘Taiyouran’ Organic Egg ($480 addition), with the Alba white truffle again shaved tableside, completely covering the poached egg underneath. The soft egg yolk, after mixing with the aromatic truffle, truffle potato emulsion, and comte cheese foam, presented a wonderful feast of flavours. A wonderful alternative of having scrambled eggs with the truffle.
I picked Roasted Kinki instead. The Hokkaido kinki fillet has been perfectly pan-fried, with the skin crispy and the flesh moist and tender, served together with some tuatua clam which provided a nice contrast on the bite, with the umami complementing the channel rockfish. There are also some cima di rapa, a type of leafy vegetable, to give some nice bitterness. A smart choice of using Soave to pair in this course.
The third wine is Domaine Jean Yves Devevey Rully La Chaume 2018, with the lieu-dit acquired by the domaine only in 2010, and the Bourgogne red wine has a nice earthy note which goes well with the truffle and pasta.
My wife has chosen the signature Artisanal Linguine, with a huge carabinero calidad suprema red prawn, cooked medium well. The sweet taste of the prawn is memorable. The al dente linguine is accompanied with the flavourful Mazara prawn sauce, which are further enriched together with the intense flavours of the prawn essences in the head.
My pick for the pasta course is Homemade Tagliolini with Alba white truffle ($480 addition). I feel bad having Chef Gaudino to come to our table in each course, but could not resist a smile when seeing the abundance of white truffle added to the pasta. With also some girolles mushroom and mushroom jus, the texture of the pasta is simply phenomenal, and this is perhaps the best pasta I have.
The fourth wine is not the original one on the menu, a special arrangement on the day by the manager. The 2013 Heritage de Monlot is a St-Emilion Grand Cru, owned by the famous actress Zhao Wei. But frankly this wine is interesting only because of the fame of the owner rather than the actual quality.
For the main course my wife has the Challans Duck, with the French duck breast beautifully seared, the fat rendered in the process, leaving a crispy skin, a pink and tender flesh. On the side is beetroot, with some spiced duck jus to accompany with the meat. There is also a matsutake mushroom rice, prepared in a Japanese rice pot, using Japanese rice, to go with the main course.
I have picked Baby Lamb ($480 addition), coming from Avignon in France. Chef Gaudino comes to the fourth time, to shave the Alba white truffle on the trimmed lamb loin, perfectly cooked to medium rare, with the flesh milky pink in colour. Very tender and great in taste, together with honey pea with sweet taste and poppy texture, and the cheese fondue, mushroom and lamb jus, it is another fantastic dish.
The pre-dessert is Caramelized Fig. The fig is not too sweet, pleasant and well-balanced, helping also to cleanse the palate. On top is a gelato, with the chef adding the sabayon, an Italian custard sauce, using a whipper to give extra texture.
The fifth wine is Umani Ronchi Maximo 2020, an Italian sweet wine made from 100% botrytised Sauvignon Blanc. Complex in aromas and taste, there is a lightness on the palate that I find it appealing to go with less rich desserts.
Both of us have chosen Piedmont Hazelnut Millefoglie for dessert. The crusty layered puff has some toasted hazelnut and gianduja foam, with hazelnut cream to give a wonderful rich and sweet enjoyment. On the side is a hazelnut gelato, with vanilla sauce. The hazelnut flavours are repeatedly highlighted in the various component and reinforced in the dessert. A very nice finish.
There are many choices of Petits Fours, with the manager pushing to the table a cart displaying the various hand-crafted chocolate. I pick lychee jelly, dark chocolate with whisky fillings, orange white chocolate cake, and hazelnut chocolate. Delicious and testimony to Chef Gaudino’s background as a pastry chef.
Finishing with a cup of Double Espresso ($58) and Peppermint Tea ($58), the bill on the night is $7,311. Service is excellent, with the manager single-handedly serving all the tables, introducing the dishes, taking orders, serving wines, and interacting with customers. While apparently short of hands, he has done an excellent job to his best effort. But I hope it is not the norm as that is too tiring and impossible for long term. Overall, it is a great restaurant and I would not be surprised they will be getting Michelin recognition in near future.
張貼
