FOOD NEWS
The Only Italian 3-Star Michelin Restaurant That's Not Located In Italy
BY HOPE NGO
Italian food is popular the world over, and though the best is found in Italy, one Italian restaurant in another country has made history by earning three Michelin stars.
Hong Kong’s Landmark Alexandra mall is home to 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, the only Italian restaurant outside of Italy to boast three Michelin stars.
Otto e Mezzo is understated and elegant, and it gets its name from the Fellini film "8 ½," which is the favorite movie of the restaurant’s chef and founder, Umberto Bombana.
The restaurant boasts two private dining rooms, as well as an intimate 55-seat main dining room, and a wall of windows to give patrons a view of the bustling street beneath.
Otto e Mezzo serves up delicious dishes from a menu that changes seasonally, so Bombana can "find the best ingredients […] and let their flavors shine," he says.
Just 11 months after it opened in 2010, Otto e Mezzo was awarded two Michelin stars, and by 2012, it made history by earning a third.
Bombana said, "Michelin stars are a great honor," but advised young chefs, "You have to make good food for your customers [...] before you can achieve anything else."