— Five Premier Italian Chefs —
— Five One-of-A-Kind Canapés and Main Courses —
Shanghai, China (Sept. 19, 2013) – For a 4th magical evening, five of Shanghai’s finest Italian chefs exquisitely prepared five original dishes: (from left to right) Chef Marco Busatti from Isola Shanghai, Chef Riccardo Messina from Acqua e Farina, Chef Giuseppe Tino from Favola at Le Royal Meridien Shanghai, Chef David Bassan from Bocca Shanghai, and Chef Corrado Michelazzo from VaBene.
Over 50 eager diners started out the evening indulging on plentiful offerings of 5 unique tantalizing canapés, each created by one of the gang of 5 chefs. The alluring starters were delightfully accompanied by glasses of refreshing Prosecco. The one-of-a-kind, five-course dinner then followed, with tastes heightened and accentuated through exquisite wine pairings under the guidance of expert sommeliers.
Perhaps I’m too used to eating Chinese food, maybe I’m seeing into things that aren’t there, like the way I perceived a definite Chinese cuisine theme throughout the five choices of unique Amuse Bouche Finger Food. However, none of the chefs would acknowledge this insight. Take, for example, Chef Riccardo’s anchovy-filled fish balls. To me, these chewy and flavorful treats highly resembled the ever-popular Shanghai shenjianbao. Also, the codfish balls, creamed mushroom balls, and the fried cheese balls each reminded me of various styles of fish balls common among Chinese appetizers, especially the way that the fried cheese balls squirted out Balsamic juices the way “urinating” fish balls squirt out meaty stock. Lastly, the multi-layered jelly salad also appeared somewhat similar to some of the common cold starters found on many a Chinese banquet table, namely the layered jellied meat loaves.
Clearly diverting from any intentional, or unintentional, Chinese theme which I observed in the amusing Amuse Bouche, the mains casually marched in one-by-one, firmly representing haute Italian cuisine. I again sensed an underlying theme, a possible focus on the season’s transition from summertime moving into autumn. Not yet fully embracing winter’s heavier, more gamey tastes and textures, this night’s fare is still almost as light, flavorful, and healthy as we seek in the warm summertime, yet satisfying a craving for a bit more substantial fare with a flair.
The magic began with Michelin Star Chef Corrado Michelazzo‘s brilliant starter “Flavor of the Sea”, a stylish combination of raw seafood delicacies. Further demonstrating Chef Michelazzo’s genius, each seafood platter rested atop a box of dried ice and Oyster powder, which, when ignited with water, exploded with streams of misty sea spray, complete with aromas of the ocean. The effect was as if each diner found themselves at the edge of the sea where a bountiful of seafood treasures lay for the taking! This exotic dish included real, edible gold leave decorating plump raw Spanish Red Prawns, Oyster juice foam covering meaty raw Oysters below, and sushi-influenced Italian classic of seashell shaped Conchiglioni pasta cradling Buffalo Mozzarella Fondue, Sea Urchin, & Seaweed!
Our tour of autumn-inspired Italian creations moved on to Chef Giuseppe Tino‘s imaginative “Travelling in Italy” pasta concept, a combination of classic elements such as mussels, Paccheri pasta tubes, Mullet Roe, spicy chili sauce, and fig. Each ingredient, employed in a fresh and clean approach, symbolized a special place from his recent summer travels.
Carrying on highlighting lighter seafood-based dishes, Chef Riccardo Messina shifted gears from memories of travelling, onto more emotional affairs, with his “Sword in the Heart” – marrying grilled scampi and scallop atop caramelized red wine-marinated onions with refreshing broth of green tea and green apple. Following these matters of the heart, Chef Marco Busatti introduced us to his “Passion of Tuscany” – a generous cut of Venison Sirloin, accompanied by Polenta Patty, Cranberry Sauce Ravioli, and crust of bread. Chef David Bassan completed the evening with his whimsically playful dessert “Fried Egg or No Egg”. This smooth textured treat actually contained no eggs at all, but, instead, was made from Coconut and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mango Sphere and homemade chocolate from white truffle & 70% Verona black chocolate. The Mango Sphere, aka the sunny egg yolk, explodes with mango juices as I bite through the mango skin.
Everyone very much appreciated Acqua e Farina’s warm generosity to host the event, along with the styling jazz tunes sang live, mid-meal, by Apphia Campbell, writer and performer of Black is the Color of My Voice. Also, many thanks to all of the suppliers of all of the high-quality foods & wines provided for the event, and to Andy Campbell & UTP Photos for many of the great snaps here, along with my own, on this page. 🙂
“Chefs in the City“, a Shanghai based nonprofit organization comprised of the city’s premier Italian chefs, aims to create the very best of the “Italian culinary experience” but with globally sourced ingredients of the highest quality. At year-end, the net income from the Chefs in the City events will be donated to a charity organization.
