Nove in Central: outstanding dim sum and Chiu Chow food by Umberto Bombana at reasonable prices
- It was puzzling why this restaurant hideaway, which had a menu filled with delicious dishes, was not packed or fully booked weeks in advance
- Fantastic steamed xiao long bao with lobster bisque, and succulent goose meat were just some of the highlights
Much to-do has been made by other food writers about the Umberto Bombana connection with Nove, the new Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong’s Central district.
Expecting it to be filled with fans of the Italian chef (most famous for his three-Michelin-star 8½ Otto e Mezzo), I was prepared for disappointment when I called and asked if it was possible to get a table for just a few days away.
To my surprise, the person answering the phone did not sneer at my presuming that I could eat there without having to plan a month in advance (it’s happened before) and instead, simply asked what time I wanted to come. My party of four was the only table for much of the night, apart from one other, which included Bombana’s son, Bartolomeo.
I’m puzzled about why this retro-Chinese hideaway isn’t packed, because everything we tried was delicious and prices were reasonable for the quality and the quiet setting.
The menu has two main sections – dim sum and Chiu Chow specialities – with all the dishes available throughout the day. Although the dim sum dishes are three per order, the friendly, accommodating manager increased the portion size to four, so everyone in our group could have one.