Tuber Umberto Bombana earned its very first MICHELIN Star in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2025 selection. When the announcement was made at the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, founder-chef Umberto Bombana and executive chef Keith Yam could not hold back their excitement, as they exchanged a high-five and hugged each other. Yam then went on stage alone to represent Tuber and accept the recognition.
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“I asked him before going on stage, ‘Do you want me to go with you, or do you prefer to go by yourself?’ He said it was up to me, so I let him go on his own because it was his special moment,” Bombana says with warmth.
Where It All Began: A Journey of Trust and Taste
The two chefs first met in 2001. At that time, Yam was a kitchen assistant working in an Italian restaurant, while Bombana worked as an executive chef.“During that time, I had already learned from TV and the internet that Italy has a wealth of interesting produce to offer, and I yearned to cook with it,” Yam says. “That’s why, when Bombana introduced all these ingredients I had never seen, my eyes lit up, my curiosity piqued, and I wanted to dig deeper into Italian culture.” (right image: ©MICHELIN)
This enthusiasm led him to immediately apply for a sous chef position when 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo - Bombana opened its doors in 2010. Bombana, having already noticed Yam's talent, hired him without hesitation.
“It’s easy to tell whether a chef is passionate about their craft. I could already see Yam’s dedication to perfection from how he set up his mise en place,” Bombana says.
When Yam joined the restaurant, Bombana was already an international celebrity chef. However, Yam vividly remembers how Bombana would spend long hours in the kitchen, brushing truffles and preparing morels, working shoulder to shoulder with the kitchen team day after day. The “King of White Truffles” would also share his knowledge. From how truffles were formed to how the climate affected the quality, Bombana wanted his chefs to know their ingredients thoroughly.
However, it was the morale of the team that impressed Yam most. “Once you set foot in Bombana’s kitchen, you could instantly feel that everyone was working towards the same goal,” he says. “The vibe was so powerful that it was contagious. The atmosphere was totally different from what I had experienced in other kitchens.”
The powerful energy stems from Bombana himself. “He was always in the restaurant. Despite being a famous chef, he never rested on his laurels,” adds Yam. “From the dish presentation and the selection of artwork to how he communicated with his customers, he constantly reviewed every detail, trying to bring the dining experience to new heights every day. If you thought you were putting a lot of effort into your job, you just looked at Bombana and realized he was always more committed than you.”
From Apprentice to Leader: A Legacy Forged in the Kitchen
Bombana recognized Yam’s potential early on. “When I asked the chefs to prepare a fish or make a sauce, you could see how much effort he put in. The kitchen is a very black-and-white place. Everything is transparent in there,” Bombana says firmly, adding that Yam was the best-performing chef on the team.
During Yam’s tenure, 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo - Bombana was promoted from Two MICHELIN Stars to Three MICHELIN Stars, becoming one of only four Three-MICHELIN-Star restaurants in Hong Kong at the time. In 2013, Yam left the restaurant temporarily to devote time to his family after the birth of his child. He returned to the restaurant one year later with the enhanced role of chef de cuisine.
For Yam, the biggest challenge in his new role was mastering customer communication skills. Fortunately, Bombana was always by his side. Yam would observe how Bombana interacted with the customers and gradually learned the ropes. After two years of practice, Yam could finally engage with his customers confidently on his own.
Over the eight years he held the position, Yam never stopped improving himself, joining Bombana at the overseas events and developing an open-minded approach to cooking.
Taking the Helm at Tuber Umberto Bombana
In 2022, Tuber Umberto Bombana opened in Tsim Sha Tsui’s K11 Musea, and Bombana appointed Yam as the restaurant’s executive chef in recognition of his ambition and talent.In Latin, “tuber” means “lump” or “swelling”. Furthering Bombana’s reputation as a truffle icon, Tuber focuses on all varieties of fungi. Each season, the restaurant creates a refined Italian menu highlighting seasonal mushrooms and harvests. For example, in the winter of 2024, when Alba white truffles were in season, Yam created a dish featuring langoustine, artichokes, burrata cheese, and oscietra caviar to complement the prized ingredient. Throughout the year, French black truffles, morel mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, French summer truffles, Australian black truffles, and others take turns appearing on Tuber’s menu. Each year, Yam designs a new dish to spotlight these precious ingredients.
“I always let him decide. When he thinks the dish is ready to be launched, I come for a tasting,” Bombana says. “Yam always does his own research. I tend not to interfere (with the dish creation). It’s important to let him take ownership of his own work.”
And Bombana isn’t disappointed. For instance, when Yam was trying to perfect the crispiness of roasted chicken skin, he experimented with different techniques. When none delivered the desired result, he turned to his father-in-law, a master of Chinese barbeque meats, for advice, finally achieving the texture through air-drying.
“I also learned something new,” Bombana says, with a smile.
Gratitude and Growth: The Future Beyond the Star
As the years passed, the bond between the pair only grew stronger. After three years of leading Tuber, Yam finally set foot on the MICHELIN stage, and the moment moved Bombana deeply.“I was very emotional seeing him on stage,” Bombana says. “I was very happy for him and his team. It was a very fulfilling moment.” When asked about his hopes for Yam, he says, “I wish I could continue working with him for many more years.”
For Yam, the feeling is mutual. “I am deeply grateful for his teaching for the past 20 years,” he says. “It takes 100% trust to let a Hong Kong chef cook Italian cuisine. I used to call him ‘sir’, but as we chatted and worked more closely over time, he became like family to me. I am very thankful for that.
“It may look simple on the outside, but there is so much more than meets the eye. Bombana’s teaching may appear subtle, but it has so much wisdom in it. Now Tuber has earned One MICHELIN Star, I will keep striving for more. I will also work to earn the recognition of more customers. Just like Bombana, I will never stop improving.”
