Hong Kong’s top restaurants: Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Central – truffle heaven

Nothing awakens reminiscence like an aroma, Victor Hugo once said, which is why diners at Otto e Mezzo Bombana may have seen a small woman do a sizeable swoon in the entrance to the restaurant recently. Truffles – the smell of grand, old opera houses – fill the air at this establishment and are the reason I scanned the menu for dishes that promised a romantic experience led by the nose.

When we visited, almost a third of the dishes on the trim menu featured black truffle, making my fingers dance over the choices before pointing to “Melanosporum” black truffle risotto (HK$520), a decadent delight enhanced with an aromatic Italian cheese and Jerusalem artichoke. And to finish the meal, we ordered black truffle gelato (HK$250).

First up, though, were three rounds of bread (the crispy, milky breadsticks vanished first) to see us through lengthy course intervals, possibly because the place was full. In fact, three-Michelin-star Otto e Mezzo is so popular that, had someone not cancelled the previous day, it would have been more than a month before we’d have been given a table on a Friday or Saturday evening.