Delish Eats: Octavium, Modern Italian Fine Dining Shines Bright in Central

Restaurant history: Operating under chef Umberto Bombana’s reign with Octavo Management Group, Octavium opened in 2018 with home-style cooking and experimentation at the forefront. Executive chef Giuseppe de Vuono mans the kitchens of the two Michelin-starred restaurant, one of Hong Kong’s finest Italian restaurants.

What’s the vibe and venue like: Tracing only 10 tables across the dining floor, the atmosphere is intimate. Dining for two on a weekday night, the serving team moved with grace and structure, allowing seamless and comfortable dining.

How much does it cost: The meal cost HK$1,880 per person, with a tailor-made, five-glass wine pairing for an additional HK$780. 

What’s the menu about: Executive chef Giuseppe De Vuono crafted this new degustation menu last September to expose diners to fresh recipes from the Italian mainland, alongside boasting the power of white truffle as we enter the autumnal season.

What did we order: Octavium’s new signature autumn six-course degustation chef menu.

Cured Amberjack: Topped with oscietra caviar and pickled celeriac roots, each bite of this starter is glutinous and rich. The amberjack is pleasant on the tongue and suits the cucumber jelly pairing for a balance of flavours.

Slowly Cooked Milk Fed Veal: We were electric at the plating of the dish, in line with the Michelin level of Octavium. For tastes, the veal is paper-soft and melts on your tongue with a gamey coating, whilst the vitello tonnato introduces an addictive cured note for a salty punch.

Red Sea Bream: Harnessing the power of the mighty mushroom, this dish exudes umami flavours that highlight the delicate nature of the red sea bream. Sauteed wild mushrooms contribute an earthy richness to the dish.

Homemade Bottoni (+HK$520): The addition of this pasta dish to the menu was excellent. The bottoni pasta shapes hold a creamy cheese bulb, that pairs well with the earthy truffle shavings. However, the white truffle powdering slightly overpowered the lighter salty flavours of the cheese pasta at times.

Mayura Beef Sirloin: The chocolate-fed wagyu cut, imported from southern Australia, closed the savoury section of the meal with a meaty ending. Each bite provides a light orange and iron-rich flavour, pairing well with the citrus salad and mustard-beef jus.

What we liked: Each dish was meticulously plated and presented by the serving team, accompanied by their intimate knowledge of each ingredient, its history, and its connection to chef Giuseppe’s vision at Octavium.

What we didn’t like: The duration of the chef meal ran three hours, slightly longer than previous fine-dining experiences. Conversely, the sumptuous food and wine let us forget about the time.

What you should order: On the pricey side of Michelin star meals, the six-course degustation chef meal ranks well for a premium dining experience to savour modern Italian cooking.

Location: Octavium, 8/F, One Chinachem Central, 22 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Contact details: +852 2111 9395

This food review is based on a complimentary media tasting provided by Octavium in exchange for a truthful review and no compensation. The opinions expressed within represent the views of the author.

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