Profile | Umberto Bombana’s trusted chef Valentino Ugolini on what he’s learned from Italian maestro

Loyalty is a prized commodity among chefs, and Valentino Ugolini has earned his stripes over nearly 15 years to become one of Hong Kong-based Italian chef Umberto Bombana’s most trusted lieutenants.

Ugolini, a native of the Umbria region in central Italy, has worked for Bombana since 2011, starting as a sous chef at three-Michelin-star 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana.

“He teaches me a lot,” Ugolini says of his boss, who is among Hong Kong’s most respected Italian chefs.

“He has a lot of knowledge about food. He knows a lot about ingredients. For me, he really is a big mentor. We are also very similar in what and how we like to eat.”