We were delighted to hear that Umberto Bombana, the chef from Toscana at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, recently opened up a new place at the Alexandra House in Central. We loved Toscana and missed it ever since the Ritz closed down in 2008. As with many new restaurants, we had to make bookings more than a week in advance. Not a problem, just book and wait…we’re used to it.
The decor is modern with an irregular shaped mirror ceiling, which made the dining area seem larger, but unfortunately echoed the conversations from the diners. It made it too noisy for a restaurant of this caliber, maybe not be the best place for a candlelit dinner. We sat near the entrance, which was next to their Ageing Cellar housing aged hams and cheeses. We couldn’t stop noticing the room every time the door was opened, as the smell was quite pungent.
We started immediately with the amuse-bouche – even before we ordered. A lentil bean soup with mozzarella was not bad as the beans were well blended so that there were no whole beans left. You can tell we’re not fond of beans. The bread was incredible. We just had to refrain ourselves from filling ourselves with it.
The sommelier recommended the 2000 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore from Tuscany, which fulfilled our requirement for a full bodied wine and showed a resemblance to Bordeaux, which we love.
We ordered the Marinated Beef Tenderloin as appetizer. Essentially, this was beef carpaccio with a fancy name. Large crispy Parmesan cheese flakes replaced the normally shaved type. Accompanied with sun dried tomatoes, this was good, but not spectacular.
The main course, Braised Veal Cheek and Veal Fillet on porcini mushroom and barley risotto was amazing. The veal cheek was so tender and soft, it just melted in our mouths. And the barley risotto was very nice, no rice but replaced with just barley. A nice twist that worked well.
For dessert, C tried the Coffee Trio, which contained a Tiramisu, a warm coffee tart and a crunchy coffee ice cream. The tasty trio’s strong coffee flavor almost had her skip her Cappuccino. And we had to try the Crispy Pear Tart. This was R’s favorite dish at Toscana. Although it was still wafer-thin, it could have used a few more minutes in the oven. It wasn’t uncooked, but a slightly browned crust would have made it much better.
The food was good but maybe we had high expectations, so we expected a bit more. Since the restaurant is quite new, we hope that time will iron out the small imperfections. The portions were small for à la carte, but that means that there will be room for dessert(s) 
– 17/20
Otto e Mezzo (8½)
Shop 202, 2/F, Alexandra House
18 Chater Road
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2537 8859
E: info@otto-e-mezzo.com
W: www.otto-e-mezzo.com
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Main entrance on 2/F
100319 Otto e Mezzo - By Chef Umberto Bombana
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Amuse-bouche, lentil bean soup
100319 Otto e Mezzo - 2000 Grattamacco
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Marinated Beef Tenderloin
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Braised Veal Cheek & Veal Fillet
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Coffee Trio dessert
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Crispy Pear Tart
