— Five Premier Italian Chefs —
— Five One-of-A-Kind Canapés and Main Courses —
Shanghai, China (Nov. 7, 2013) – Excitement was in the air for this 5th installment in the magical 2013 series of Chefs in the City. For the last time this year, five of Shanghai’s finest Italian chefs: (from left to right) Chef David Bassan from Bocca Shanghai, Chef Riccardo Messina from Acqua e Farina, Chef Corrado Michelazzo from 10 Corso Como, Chef Giuseppe Tino from Favola at Le Royal Meridien Shanghai, and Chef Marco Busatti from Isola Shanghai (and, center, Ambra Schillirò, CitC coordinator and marketer extraordinaire) impeccably prepared five original dishes and canapés. “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. All proceeds from this year’s Chefs in the City events will be donated to the Cancer Recovery Center charity organization on December 5th, 2013, at Bar Rouge. Be sure to join the party at 8pm. The 150rmb entry fee will include canapés and one drink, plus the live dessert from the mystery chef. Come to enjoy the music, live auction for dinner and other prizes, lucky draw, and the introduction of Marco Barbieri from Da Marco, who’s joining as Chefs in the City’s 6th chef for the 2014 season.
On this evening, more than 50 Italian cuisine lovers casually gathered together in the newly opened 10 Corso Como, Shanghai’s new four-level branch of Carla Sozzani’s legendary Milan-based concept store. The evening started out by indulging on plentiful offerings of five unique tantalizing canapés, each created by one of the Gang of Five. The alluring starters were delightfully accompanied by glasses of refreshing Brut Rosé 2009 Prosecco and two styles (hot and cold) of beautifully presented, specialty Illy coffee cocktails.
The first canapé I set into was Chef Riccardo Messina’s “nouveau” take on the traditional starter, Insalata Caprese (aka slices of fresh tomato and mozzarella cheese), an appealing yin/yang mix of bright white Buffalo Cheese Cream and deep burnt-orange Persimmon Purée, dusted with toasted Walnut crumbs. Substituting the ubiquitous seasonal persimmon for the traditional tomato yielded a perfect autumn treat. The sweetness of the fresh fruit accompanied by the fresh, fruity, and slightly sweet taste of the Rosé Prosecco proved to be a wonderful aperitif to get my appetite raging. Another great autumn-inspired creation was Chef Giuseppe Tino’s Creamed Pumpkin topped with pungent Gorgonzola Cheese Foam and crispy Parmesan bits. Chef Marco Busatti contributed the refined combination of juicy, grilled Foie Gras cubes and Caramelized Onions atop Chestnut Cream. Chef Corrado Michelazzo offered up a perfumy treat of truffle oil-flavored Creamed Potato with a bright yellow Quail Egg Yolk and crispy Purple Potato Chip. Chef David Bassan‘s reinterpreted Eggplant Parmigiana was a symphony of flavors, presented in a clear plastic square dish to highlight the colorful layers of Eggplant Mash, Parmesan Cream, Tomato Mousse, Bread Crumbs, and Ham Powder; decorated with a large crispy Basil Leaf and, yes, you guessed it, a crispy Parmesan wafer (yea!).
Soon after most guests had arrived and sampled the delectable canapés and cocktails, we moved on to the intimate curvy dining room for another one-of-a-kind five-course dinner, with tastes heightened and accentuated through exquisite wine pairings under the guidance of expert sommeliers. The first dish to arrive out from the busy kitchen was Chef David Bassan‘s plate of Norwegian Blue Mussels in a 2013 “New Marinara Style”. The shelled mussels sat atop Tomato Cream, garnished with fresh Oregano, Basil and Parsley, candied Black Garlic, and diced fresh Tomato, all topped with a dollop of Mussel Water and White Wine Foam, and seasoned with drops of organic extra virgin olive oil and lemon salt to accentuate the rich, bright tastes of the main ingredients. The crunchy texture of the Toast Crisp contrasted against the smooth and juicy sensations of the ubiquitous bright yellow-orange meat and sauce. The clean, citrusy, and green apple tastes of the Pinot Grigio 2012 Corte Giara expanded the mix of tastes in every bite.
Next to arrive was Chef Giuseppe Tino’s skillful execution of tender baby Squids (~3”) oozing slightly briny Creamed Baccalà (salted cod), sitting atop Saffron Leek Sauce, accompanied by a Crispy Polenta Cube, a Black Squid Ink Macaron filled with Creamed Baccalà, Purple Potato Chip, and a flavorful, nutritious, bright-green Spinach Leaf. The adequate acidity of the Greco di Tufo 2010 Mastroberardino was mouth-watering and yielded a good balance of sour and sweet, nicely complementing the bright sea tastes of the stuffed squid.
The magic continued with Michelin Star Chef Corrado Michelazzo‘s pasta dish, which I fondly nickname “Orgasm on a fork”. The colorful dish comprised thin, yolky, and chewy Taglioni Egg Noodles (similar to those used in HK-style wonton noodle soup) resting atop Truffle and Torreggio Cream Sauce and a whole, raw egg yolk. Once I mixed and blended all the ingredients together, I took a bite of this velvety-rich and decadent delight and didn’t stop eating again until I could see my reflection shining back at me from behind my, now shiny clean, white plate. The acidity of the bright, young, and 14% alcohol heavy, Sidus 2010 Planirossi paired very well with this dish, lightening up and cutting through the stickiness of the lush pasta sauce.
Chef Riccardo Messina next introduced his juicy, grain-fed Beef Tenderloin Steak in Pistachio Crust, perched atop an ethereal Eggplant Foam. The beefy juices from the steak, and earthy flavors from the eggplant prepared in way typical of cooking mushrooms, mixed well on my tongue with the well-rounded, full-bodied, and robust red Chianti Classico Riserva 2008 Marchesi Antinori. Hints of hazelnut further combined with the steak’s pistachio crust and fragrant, roasted flavors of the eggplant, raising the enjoyment of the dish to higher levels.
Chef Marco Busatti showed a final flair of magic with his self-titled “Smoke and Eat”, a multi-layered dessert fantasy, hiding within a fog of smoke. Breaking through the 70% Verona Chocolate Wafer capping the brandy snifter allowed the hand-blown pine smoke captured inside to escape. The retreating fog uncovers a wonderland of sweet treats, such as Italian Candied Cherries, a squirt of cream, fresh mint leaves, and orange peel curve, all delicately placed atop the first layer, Espresso Jelly. The second layer was a rich Bavarese Rice Pudding, and digging further down revealed a lush bottom layer of White Chocolate Mouse. The heavy 14.5% 2007 Amarone della Valpollicella Collina dei Ciliegi well matched the smokiness of the dessert and the bitterness of the coffee jelly.
Everyone very much appreciated 10 Corso Como’s warm hospitality in hosting the final installment of this year’s round of this very special and unique event. Also, as always, 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 a few of my own, on this page.
How awesome is this!