Italian food master makes sure delectable Swank menu is in vogue

Chef Michele Senigaglia of Italian restaurant Spasso usually sources inspiration from cook books when designing a new menu. But for the menu he created for local fashion retailer The Swank, he looked in the women's magazines corner.

'I read a few issues of Vogue when I was working on the menu,' Senigaglia said, laughing.

The four courses of the Swank menu each have a chic title. Femme Fatale is an oysters au gratin appetiser, while the low-calorie porcini mushroom soup is called Autumn urban gastro chic.

It looks as if the chef picked up a few trends (or at least the jargon) from those fashion magazines.

The dishes feature a hint of orange, with the use of pumpkin puree or passion fruit coulis echoing The Swank's theme colour.

'I worked with the pantone colour code in mind,' Senigaglia said.

His choice of ingredients also reflects his interpretation of fashion and style.

'For example, I use paccheri because it's a popular type of pasta from southern Italy, where people are very passionate and warm,' he explained.

Priced at HK$568 plus service charge, The Swank menu by Spasso was launched last week and is available every Thursday night till January 26, by appointment only. Call 2730 8027 for a reservation.