Rich Bounty
As food lovers flock to Macau’s 8 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, we take a look at the innovative restaurant’s stellar signature dishes
Ask any Hong Kong foodie where to get truffle pasta and the answer is likely to be 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the only Italian restaurant in Asia with three Michelin stars and home to the city’s best truffle dishes since it opened in 2010.
Then in 2015, truffle lovers in Macau got the treat they had been waiting five years for, when 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana crossed the sea. Located at the Galaxy Macau integrated resort, the restaurant has been feted by critics from across the continent for its perfect balance of innovative cooking and traditional recipes.
Executive chef Antimo Merone selects only the freshest ingredients from around the globe and adjusts his menu according to the season, which means only produce of the highest quality passes muster. And as diners become increasingly conscious of food provenance and organic ingredients, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana has been ahead of the curve.
The restaurant itself has a number of signature dishes worth boarding a ferry or helicopter for. These include scampi with pickled radish and sea urchin topped with apple jelly and citrus emulsion. Or for those who like their sea urchin with a dose of carbs, the linguine pastificio is tossed in a crustacean broth and mixed with garlic, chilli and Mediterranean herbs. A generous helping of sea urchin is blended into the sauce, with more plopped whole on the top. Lobster lovers are in luck, as fresh crustaceans are flown in daily from Brittany in France before being poached and pan-roasted with butter and garlic. If you prefer your fish with Japanese origins, fatty tuna also arrives each day from Tokyo and is plated with Kaluga caviar from Mainland China. Another delicious French ingredient is the lamb, which comes from Aveyron and is served with aubergine, olives and anchovies. Meanwhile, wild-caught kinki, one of the most sought-after fish in Japan, is pan-seared and served with vegetables. And then, of course, there is the world-famous truffle pasta, for which rare truffles come weekly from Italy. Given these stellar ingredients and innovative recipes, it’s not surprising that 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Macau has also been awarded a Michelin star. Any foodies in Macau can make use of the exclusive VIP room to enjoy the exquisite cuisine privately with their closest friends. So, the only thing left to do is work out if you’re in the mood for lobster, caviar, truffles or fatty tuna.