HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach – November 11, 2019 – A significant event on Hong
Kong’s culinary calendar – the 20th edition of the Italian Alba
White Truffle World Auction, was successfully held last night at the
acclaimed 3-star-Michelin Italian restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana. The
auction of the finest Alba white truffle species together with the charity
dinner raised HKD3.56 million for the beneficiary Mother’s Choice.
The
10-hand charity dinner was curated by Umberto Bombana (centre), Executive Chef
of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Hong Kong, Antimo Maria Merone (2nd from
the left), Executive Chef of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Macau, Riccardo La Perna
(3rd from the right), Executive Chef of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana
Shanghai, Albert Au (2nd from the right) from China Club, and Keith
Yam (1st from the right) from 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Hong Kong.
High-res
images: http://bit.ly/36ScykA
The highlight of the
evening was the winning bid of the biggest single white truffle weighting 1kg
and 5 grams, sold at HKD1.035 million to a guest from Hong Kong who triumphed
over 19 rounds of intense bidding, marking the highest bid in the past 12
years. This year’s splendid white
truffle harvest has been rich and bountiful, courtesy of a warmer climate, and
more hydrated soils.
The now 89-year-old
International Alba White Truffle Fair in Alba, Piedmont is an annual
international gastronomic celebration of the region’s white truffle harvest.
During the festival, the Alba White Truffle World Auction is held on the second
Sunday of November at Castello di Grinzane Cavour, a historic 13th century
castle located amidst a UNESCO heritage site. This year as usual, 8½ Otto e
Mezzo Bombana – the only three Michelin-starred ristorante Italiano outside of
Italy, also livestreamed the auction during the ristorante’s charity dinner
gala, and donated 100% of the proceeds to Mother’s Choice for the people in
need. The white truffle auction this year was also conducted live in Alba,
Moscow, Singapore and Hong Kong.
To show appreciation
to guests supporting the charity event, Executive Chef Umberto Bombana joined
forces with 4 award-winning chefs to curate a 10-hand 5-course dinner pairing menu
this year for the gala. Other celebrated chefs include Keith Yam (8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Hong Kong), Antimo Maria Merone (8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana
Macau),
Riccardo La Perna (8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Shanghai), and Albert Au (China
Club).
Originated from Alba,
Piedmont, Tuber Magnatum Pico is the most fragrant fungus among all varieties. Due
to its unique, piquant and stimulating scents, Alba white truffle is often
considered as a supreme and delectable ingredient internationally, and is
famously crowned as “white diamond of the table”. The rare white truffle cannot be
cultivated, and can only be foraged in the wild from October to December. The
precious ingredient’s scarce and ephemeral qualities make it a rare luxury
commodity, and a precious treasure for chefs to appeal epicureans all around
the world.
The charity dinner
menu is as follows:
ALBA WHITE TRUFFLE AUCTION DINNER
SUNDAY, 10TH NOVEMBER 2019
WELCOME DRINK
Cocchi, Totocorde Alta Langa Brut
SLICE OF PIZZA
Porcini Salad
Fontanafredda, Contessa Rosa Alta
Langa Brut
FISH TRIPE AND CRAB
Sautéed with Egg
2016 Produttori del Barbaresco
SEA CUCUMBER AND LOBSTER
In Mushroom Jus
2014 Bruno Rocca, Barbaresco Rabaja
FAGOTTELLI OF CASTELMAGNO
Cooked in Winter Garden Broth,
Mushroom Coulis
2015 Paolo Scavino, Barolo Cannubi
SPECIAL RANDOM
2013 Vietti, Barolo Lazzarito
Castiglone Falletto
POULARDE FROM BRESSE
Spinach and Brioche Filling, Winter
Mushroom Ragout, Confit Egg Yolk
2013 Oddero, Barolo Brunate La Morra
HAZELNUT PARFAIT
Roasted Apple
2019 Saracco, Moscato d’Asti
Reservations |
|
Social | Facebook: @OttoeMezzoBOMBANA Instagram:
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Address
| Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra, 18
|
Contact | +852 2537 8859
|
Opening | Monday to Saturday |
| Lunch 12:00 — 14:30; Dinner 18:30 — 22:30 Bar opened from 12:00 noon until
Closed on Sunday |
About Mother’s Choice
Mother’s
Choice is a local non-profit organization in Hong Kong with a mission to join
hands with the community to transform lives and give hope. Since 1987, it has
pursued a vision of no girl or baby left alone by providing loving and
non-judgmental support to young girls facing crisis pregnancy, caring for
children in need of a permanent home, and fighting for each to have a loving,
stable, and permanent family to call his/her own. Today, Mother’s Choice
continues to impact the lives of thousands in Hong Kong through five services —
all united by the goal of building stronger families in our community.
About 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA
8½
Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA is the first and only three Michelin-starred Italian
restaurant outside of Italy, and for eight consecutive years it has retained
this prestigious accolade. Last year, it topped Gamero Rosso’s list of the
“Top Intalian Restaurants in Hong Kong” and made the list among the
top 50 Restaurants in the world. Its Chef BOMBANA Umberto is known as the
“King of White Truffle” and is regularly ranked among “Asia’s Best Chef”.
Currently, Bombana’s name is attached to fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong,
Macau, Beijing and Shanghai. He also opened Hong Kong’s first refined Italian
trattoria franchise, CIAK, as well as a boutique private kitchen Octavium in
Central. He was honored with the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Diner’s Club®
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Last September, Chef Bombana was also
bestowed the Order of Merit from the Italian Republic (OMRI, Ordine al Merito
della Repubblica Italiana). It is the country’s highest ranking award.
About Umberto Bombana
Hailed
as “The King of White Truffles”, Chef BOMBANA Umberto’s food is rooted in
respect for honest cooking, great produce and attention to customers. At the
same time, he is committed to push traditional Italian cuisine forward with innovative
and boundless creativity. His success is reflected in his three
Michelin-starred Italian fine dining restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, which
is now recognized as a must-go dining institution for Epicurean connoisseurs
the world over.
A
native of Bergamo in Northern Italy, Chef BOMBANA trained at Centro di
Formazione Alberghiera and apprenticed under acclaimed Chef Ezio Santin at
Antica Osteria del Ponte, a Michelin-starred restaurant outside Milan. Chef
BOMBANA’s talent and skills soon took him around the world. In 1983, he joined
the famous Rex II Ristorante in Los Angeles, where he was lauded for his simple
yet refined regional cooking.
Chef
BOMBANA arrived in Hong Kong in 1993 to manage Toscana at The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel, which became an iconic fine dining destination. He was awarded “Best
Italian Chef in Asia” by the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF)
in 2002. He was declared a “Worldwide Ambassador of the White Truffle” in 2006
by the Piedmontese Regional Enoteca Cavour in Italy.
He
opened 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA in 2010. After only 11 months the restaurant was
awarded two Michelin stars. The following year, it was elevated to 3 Michelin
stars, the first and only Italian restaurant outside Italy to receive such high
recognition. Since then, it has managed to maintain the honour.
Expanding
into China, Chef BOMBANA opened 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA Shanghai in 2012 and
Opera BOMBANA in Beijing in 2013. In December 2013, he opened Hong Kong’s first
refined Italian trattoria, CIAK — In The Kitchen in the Landmark Atrium,
Central. In June 2015, a branch of Chef BOMBANA’s flagship 8½ Otto e Mezzo
BOMBANA Galaxy Macau opened serving seasonal ingredients and refined Italian
fare. In June 2016, CIAK — All Day Italian, a second branch of his Michelin
star trattoria reached Taikoo Shing. An even more personal boutique restaurant
and kitchen laboratory Octavium was launched in Hong Kong in 2018. It already
owns one Michelin star.
Over
his career, BOMBANA has been bestowed with many awards. He is the recipient of
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Diner’s Club® Lifetime Achievement Award 2017. In
2017, he also received the Order of Merit from the Italian Republic (OMRI,
Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana), the country’s highest-ranking award.
In
2018, BOMBANA was given the Award Italia a Tavola. 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA
received three forks while Octavium gained two forks from the Gambero Rosso
guide.
