Umberto Bombana, who grew up in Bergamo, opened 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA in Hong Kong in January 2010. It became the only Italian restaurant outside Italy with three Michelin stars, three years in a row.
I am the owner and chef of 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, a restaurant on Hong Kong Island. I was born in hot Italy, though not at its hottest time: on February 8. You have surely drunk tea with bergamot many times, and this citrus fruit was named in honor of the city of my childhood, picturesque Bergamo.
I am an Italian living in Hong Kong. That's rather unusual, isn't it? If this were a funny cartoon, its hero would surely be running around the bustling city of Chinatowns in search of pasta with meatballs and four-cheese pizza. But the only place I run around is my kitchen, and the Italian food we serve is much broader and deeper.
I opened the restaurant in January 2010. In November it was awarded two Michelin stars, and in 2011 three, which for me is the biggest reward. 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA is the only Italian restaurant outside Italy to have received three stars, and three years in a row at that. Whenever I think about it, my mood always improves.
It all started with my grandmother. She cooked so deliciously that my favorite pastime was eating and also watching every stage of the cooking. It was then, standing in a corner of the kitchen, leaning on something and secretly watching our home cook, that the dream of becoming a chef began to take shape.
Of course, my surroundings added fuel to the fire of my newborn dream. The city of my childhood had many hotels and restaurants whose chefs were considered very respectable people. Even a young boy realizes that being respected is a very valuable thing in this world.
There was no way back for me: I was captivated by the world of gastronomy and realized that Europeans love to eat. That's when my dream of becoming a chef turned into a goal.
If I had to choose one favorite dish, I couldn't. Moods change, and so does the favorite dish, much as it's impossible to choose a favorite song. However, I drink coffee every day, and no laughter, tears or melancholy can change this habit.
The best views of Hong Kong open up from the hills. I'm fond of hiking in the highlands, and I often watch how every tourist takes a picture on their phone. The Internet is full of these pictures, but they all have their charm.
My second hobby is the most ordinary one, but it is special for me: I simply love to eat. When I'm not eating or out walking, I'm interested in cinema and art in general. But I like eating more.
Do what you love and do it better than anyone. Do you like eating? Become a food critic or a chef, or open your own restaurant.
Do you like running? For a start, run better than anyone in your city, and do it with your own twist.
I like products from beyond Italy as well, yet everything I do has an Italian character. Maybe that's why my restaurant made it into the top 50 restaurants in the world in 2013. Or maybe not.
Actually, I was lucky not to lose my childhood dream and to make it come true. And I'm no different from you, so isn't that a motivation? Perhaps this is my parting word to Food'n'Chef readers.
The appetizing dish in the photo is deer loin with fragrant Piedmont cheese fondue and foie gras. I like to focus on seasonal dishes: they are something special for the guests, and for me they are a chance to write new culinary “music” from the ingredients of the moment.
