8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Shanghai

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

6th-7th Floors, Associate Mission Bldg., No. 169, Yuanmingyuan Road.

Shanghai, China

021-60872890

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Website

Incredible Italian in Shanghai

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana Shanghai exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana is the sister restaurant to their Hong Kong location. They have been awarded 3 Michelin Stars in Hong Kong. We were getting sick of several weeks of Chinese food during our Asia trip and decided it was time for something different. Being huge fans of Italian food, we went for the number one bet.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana Shanghai interior decor

This restaurant is located in the swanky Rock Bund development a couple of blocks from the actual bund.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana view of Shanghai bund

We dined on New Year’s Day and made the reservation just a couple of hours prior to this. Is the crackdown on expensive government meals working?

Insider Tip – Make reservations, bring a lot of money

Cuisine – Italian
Location – Rock Bund, Shanghai
Opened – 2014

Service – 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana had excellent service with a very knowledgable waiter who helped us navigate the menus. Things slowed down during the latter part of our meal though.
Verdict – 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana serves up excellent Italian food, we think more authentic and superior to food back home in the San Francisco area. If you are in Shanghai and want high end Italian cuisine, look no further.

Previously we had tried to only eat Chinese food when in this region. Restaurant like this that are better than ones back home have us rethinking this strategy. If we were in Hong Kong and wanted Italian food, we would definitely visit their restaurant there.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Yes.

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Signature Dishes – Truffle degustation menu, pasta, wagyu beef.

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana’s Menu Includes a tasting menu, which was Black Perigord truffle staring January 1. They also have an extensive al carte menu.

Website 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Menu

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Food Picks:

Mojito (90) tall and icy with a nice amount of punch.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana bread basket

Excellent homemade breads and Sicilian olive oil. Corn, flatbread, breadsticks, Focaccia

Amuse Bouche of beet with cheese and a crispy cracker.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana foie gras

Roasted Foie Gras (288) – chestnut emulsion, mushrooms jus, field salad leaves, toasted brioche. Finally some excellent Foie Gras on our Asia trip. Medium in size with two nicely done pieces of brioche. The sauce wasn’t even necessary.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana black truffle risotto

Risotto (368) Black Truffle Risotto aromatic cheese, fresh pé rigord black truffle. They use one year aged Italian Carnaroli from the Piedmont region. Aging gives the rice more flavor and a firmer texture. They warned us that their pasta is cooked to very al dente. Boy, was it al dente, memories of Italy. We would love to find a place in the US that cooked it this well. Rich, strong, bold flavors with the aged rice kicking the entire dish up a notch.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana sea urchin spaghetti

Artisanal Spaghetti (258) Japanese Sea Urchins Spaghetti – ricotta cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, chili & fine herbs. Their pasta is hand made daily using the best Italian semola flour. Also cooked to very al dente. Rich Uni along with some chewy and zesty pasta. Another well done dish.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana wagyu beef

Short Rib and Tenderloin (590) Tajima Wagyu Beef Braised Short-Rib and Pan Seared Tenderloin – potato purée, seasonal vegetables, red wine sauce. This dish costs almost US$95, but was well worth it. Very strong rich luxurious flavors with the braised rib and strong red wine flavored sauce. The meat just fell apart. The other cut was excellent. High quality meat with lots of robust wagyu flavor cooked to a perfect medium rare. This dish is enough for two people.

Black Perigord French Truffle Degustation Menu – RMB1488 per person/ RMB 2288 per person with wine pairing

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana scampi carpaccio

Iceland Scampi Carpaccio – orange dressing, Siberian baeri caviar, diced vegetables. A beautiful dish with raw shrimp that was rich but elegant in its form.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana truffle egg confit

Japanese Organic Egg Confit mushroom jus, braised winter white vegetables, fresh Périgord black truffle. Chawan mushi was deccadent, rich, and full of chopped up vegetables and mushrooms. They liberally shaved truffles on this dish as well as the others. If you love truffles, you need to try these dishes.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana truffle tagliolini

Homemade Classic Tagliolini butter & parmesan cheese, fresh Périgord black truffle. This dish was smothered in truffles, cooked super al dente, and ridiculously good.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana poached blue lobster

Poached Normandy Blue Lobster beetroot & orange coulis, garden seasonal vegetables, bisque foam. Not a big course but cooked well and very fresh.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana panettone mascarpone ice cream

Homemade Traditional Panettone mascarpone ice-cream, honey crème anglaise. Just in time for Christmas, this does not taste like any prepackaged Panettone cake. Light and airy, subtle flavors to the ice cream.

8 1 2 otto e mezzo bombana petit fours

Petit Fours included several delightful pasties and candies, a great way to finish the meal without having to order dessert, as we were extremely full.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None

Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?

Restaurant Map:


8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana Overall Rating: (Super 3.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating: (Super)
Service Rating: (Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating: (Excellent)
Value Rating: (Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:Beer, Wine
Attire:Formal
Parking:Paid lot
Reservations:Yes

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