Buon Appetito
In celebration of Italian National Day on June 2, Johannes Pong takes a tasting tour around the old boot.
Non-italians may not comprehend just how mind-bogglingly diverse Italian food is. The traditional dishes of each city are unavoidably linked with its regional identity, from the seasonal local produce down to the shape and size of a particular type of pasta. But buona fortuna for us, during “Italy Quality and Lifestyle” (the Italian Chamber of Commerce’s annual event, somewhat akin to Le French May), we get a chance to sample twelve authentic regional Italian cooking styles during a promotion entitled “A Tavola!,” or “To the table!”. From June 2 to June 21, twelve restaurants in town will have their Italian chefs offer 12 distinct cuisines from 12 different regions of Italy. Each venue offers a three-course meal for a fixed price of $388, plus a complimentary flute of Prosecco from Casamiawines and a coffee from Caffè Pascucci. Remember not to order a cappuccino after the dinner, you barbarian—in Italia, it’s strictly a breakfast drink.
Catania, Sicily, at The Mistral
The island is soaked in Mediterranean sunshine and marinated with Arab and Greek influence. Circled by abundant seas, the islanders aren’t afraid of raw seafood. Try chef Claudio Dieli’s swordfish carpaccio with avocado, fried sweet apples and lemon dressing. Pasta dishes are popular here, with the first traces of dry pasta originating in Sicily. So go for the home-made pappardelle with tuna, eggplant, cherry tomato sauce, Sicilian ricotta and basil. For dessert, try chef Claudio’s modern interpretation of the classic Sicilian dessert, the cassata (a round sponge cake) with cinnamon ricotta and strawberry sauce. End with a Pascucci coffee sorbet or an espresso with Amadei chocolate.
The Mistral, B2, InterContinental Grand Standford, 70 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2731-2870.
Naples, Campania, at Angelini
This is where pizza and the mafia comes from. Chef Vittorio Lucariello is typically Neapolitan. He’s vivacious and speaks with friendly expletives (in Cantonese as well), describing the cuisine of his hometown as “a sunny cooking style, healthy and light, with volcanic-flavored tomatoes.” He’s offering a Neapolitan onion soup with buffalo mozzarella, cured lard and yellow onions. Then there’s the paccheri, a typical Genovese Sunday ragu. This is Cosa Nostra, a REAL meat sauce of mostly veal, with just a little bit of tomato and onion. And don’t forget to sample the caprese, mini-chocolate almond cakes.
Angelini, Mezzanine, Kowloon Shangri-La, 64 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2733-8750
Assisi, Umbria, at Nicholini
Umbria, the “green heart” of Italy with its forests and frescos, is a paragon of local food culture, with culinary traditions stretching centuries back in time before the Roman empire, to the ancient Etruscan civilization. Often overlooked as a rustic backwater, Umbria possesses stunnning culinary diversity within its borders. The area is famous for its cloudy, dark green olive oils with intense fruity flavors. Game features heavily, so check out Chef Sandro Falbo’s wild boar prosciutto served with chicken crostini, hand-crafted bastardelle (ribbon pasta) with pigeon, or a farmer-style stewed rabbit in casserole with sautéed truffle polenta. And taste Chef Sandro’s all-bean soup from Assisi (yes, hometown of St. Francis).
Nicholini, The Conrad Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, 2521-3838