Psychedelic Spin Painted Veal, Not Flame Grilled
It’s not often a three Michelin star chef gives over his kitchen to another cook. But when that guest chef also has three stars and the third best restaurant in the world, it’s hard to argue credentials.
This meeting of gastronomic royalty occurred on Feb. 17 and 18, as Otto E Mezzo’s Umberto Bombana hosted fellow Italian Massimo Bottura for two evenings of high culinary art. Raised and based in the town of Modena, home of the staple ingredient balsamic vinegar, Bottura runs Osteria Francescana. In the most recent S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Bottura’s place came in third.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52248″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
“I said yes to Umberto because I was here three years ago when a chef conference gave me a prize and I enjoyed Hong Kong so much,” Bottura says. “I always tell my wife, who is from New York, the two most beautiful cities in the world are New York and Hong Kong. You have everything here, all my passions – food, art, music, energy and it’s compressed in a small city.”
A coveted taste of the eight course menu available for only two nights wasn’t cheap at HK$2,800 (plus another HK$1,000 if you chose the wine pairing option) but if you’re a true foodie, it’s almost worth the splurge. Beyond what you imagine as traditional Italian fare, Bottura delivered a playful tour of Italy full of surprises and inventiveness. Each dish came with its own story, teasing the tongue and artfully engaging the patron the same way a provocative artwork would – and references to contemporary paintings are aplenty in the dishes.
“You know, art is at the top of every civilization, every culture,” Bottura adds, “If you pick the way they express their ideas, you can get it and put your ideas through their ideas.”
The evening began with a granita called “The Key To Italy”, an homage particularly for Sicily. The cold, icy appetiser is also savoury, with sea salt and notes of almonds, espresso, wild capers, oregano and bergamot all alluding to the South.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52249″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
It is followed by the dazzling plating of “On The Rocks,” a bright serving of scrumptious seafood with chunks of costumed crouton and seaweed that conjure the texture and taste of the ocean. Of course, the generous portions of lobster aren’t bad either.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52242″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
The most daring dish of the night was “Riso Grigio E Nero”(Rice Grey And Black), incorporating black and white truffles, raw oyster pulp, squid ink and caviar. For Bottura, the world is not black and white, and this risotto, which could easily slip into unpleasant fishiness, is an envelope-pushing seafood course that makes delicate use of the briny, ephemeral freshness of oysters and the sea.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52243″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
The “Baccala Mare Nostrum”, with salt cod in a verdant broth of Vesuvian tomatoes, green olives infused with lemon, wild oregano, olive oil, is so incredibly silky, the cod could be passed for fresh instead.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52244″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
The outrageously named “Psychedelic Spin Painted Veal, Not Flame Grilled” resembled a Damien Hirst abstract painting, with the colours of the Italian flag splashed behind a sous-vide piece of veal coated in charcoal ash on the edges. A delirious de/re-construction of a grilled Florentine steak (without the grilling, the steak and Florence). But, oh, this beef is more tender than any Florentine ever.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52245″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
The unusual choice to end the savoury courses was a “Foie Gras Crunch” popsicle. It’s a foie terrine covered with caramelised hazelnuts and almonds, with a centre filled with aged sweet balsamic. Yes, it’s as delicious as you would expect and with Bottura’s technique, the terrine keeps the foie flavours and cuts much of the fat.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52246″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
For dessert, “Oops! A Broken Lemon Pie” is a salute to the perfection of imperfections. With lemon zabaione, meringue, sorbet and a seemingly smashed lemon tart that makes the dish look even more stylish than a boring unbroken one.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”52247″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”450″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”600″}}]]
The finale is a collaboration between Bombana and Bottura that pays tribute to Chinese sweet glutinous balls. In this treat, the centres are almond paste and chocolate.
Feeling satisfied and challenged, who can argue food isn’t art now?
