2009 08 15 - Flavours of Italy ( Business Times )

Business Times - 15 Aug 2009
ITALY DINING
Flavours of Italy

Travellers on a quest to find good Italian food in Italy might run into tourist traps but persevere and there is perfectly good traditional fare to be found. By Jaime Ee

WHY did the chicken cross from one hot continent to another?
Answer: To get to be country-fried.

So how hot is Italy in the summer? So hot that you're thinking up worse puns than Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show and wondering whatever made you leave the 33°C weather of Singapore for the 37°C heat of Milan. I do understand though, why Italians need their afternoon siestas. I begrudge them their 1.30pm to 5pm shut-eye, but I understand why they have to have them, especially in the summer. The last thing you want is an overheated Italian running amok whacking American tourists on the head with theirown gelato cones.

In sum, it is not the best idea to swop a sweltering Singapore in July/August for an unforgivingly hot Europe, particularly sunny Italy where blazing cloudless skies look good on postcards but wreak havoc on your skin and disposition.

It's not the gummy heat that you're used to in Singapore, easily dispelled by simply stepping into the nearest shopping mall. It's a dull, throbbing heat, the kind that makes you feel a strange empathy with a steak being pan-seared - all you need is a meat thermometer to be stuck into your thigh and be pronounced well-done.

But there was more than steak on our minds as we made our way through three major Italian cities - Milan, Florence and Verona. It was a quest for Italian food - to test an oft-mentioned theory that you can find better Italian food outside of Italy, ie. Singapore, because all the good chefs have moved to Asia.

What we did find was that really home-style, traditional Italian food that only locals eat is hard to find, especially when so many of them get discovered by tourists, end up being reviewed on TripAdvisor and turn into profitable tourist traps.

Still, it's not an unpleasant quest when you're on holiday and the fun is still in discovering what you like, and learning from the experience. And most of all, eating your way through Italy is still an adventure, even with all the hits and misses along the way. Here, then, is a tip-of-the-iceberg chronology of a recent sojourn.
Milan

One thing that kept us going through the hot streets of Milan's central shopping area - the Duomo, via Montenapoleone et al - was this: Summer Sales. That was our mission, although with the strength of the euro, bargains were not that easy to find. But with a keen eye and a fairly loose wallet, you'd easily save at least 30 per cent off Singapore boutique prices, but that's assuming you're in the market to shell out S$2,700 for a Bottega Veneta bag that would cost about S$3,500 back home.
Such calculations on a hot day can have a dampening effect on one's appetite and the energy to seek out some highly recommended places like Da Giacomo (Via Sottocorno 6, Milan Tel: 39-02-7602-3313) touted for its seafood and traditional dessert trolley, or Il Salumaio (Via Monte Napoleone, Milan Tel: 39-02-7600-1123) a trattoria-cum-gourmet shop that is said to be good for 'aperitivo' - the Italian version of happy hour where you have a drink and finger food that can be as substantial as a main meal (so now you know why Italians don't have dinner till after 9pm).

Instead, we found ourselves on via Bagutta, at a trattoria of the same name, worn around the edges given its 70-year history and as a haunt for literary sorts back in 1926. As it is with most restaurants, it looks like some tiny joint from the outside but it expands magically inside into a deep, wide space with indoor as well as alfresco dining areas. The food here is simple but tasty - a risotto Milanese is flavourful and not bogged down by cream, a pasta with tomato and eggplant sauce is rustic and appealing, and the antipasti buffet is chock full of delicious surprises.
The service is efficient if not overly friendly, but if you're with someone who speaks Italian and leave a nice tip (tipping isn't a given here) their smiles get wider and they're literally begging our Italian-speaking companion to try a nugget of mozzarrella cheese from the buffet, on the house.

For dinner, the decidedly fancy, two Michelin star Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia (Via Montecuccoli, 6 Milan Tel: 39-02-416-886 wwwaimoenadia.com) is where Aimo Moroni and his wife Nadia capture the essence of Tuscan cuisine with the fervour of artists. Smack in some nondescript part of town, the white-walled small eatery leaves no impression, save for the eye-popping, garish paintings on the walls that look like graffitti on canvas. Wild frenetic strokes, splashes of uncoordinated colour assault the eyes - the food is lot calmer and down to earth.

The food will not win awards for innovation - and it is overpriced at 120 euros (S$240) a head for the tasting menu without wine - but it does seem true to chef Moroni's devotion to ingredients. The humble ingredients of bread and tomato are broken down into a refreshing cold soup for an amuse bouche, while a composed salad of raw and cooked seafood capture the briny flavours of the sea countered with the brisk flavour of a raw vegetable sauce. An overly al dente semolina pasta is nonetheless flavourful with fresh marinated anchovies with shavings of dried mullet roe for extra kick. A main course of Piedmontese milk fed veal tenderloin in a crumb crust is deceptively simple but merely attests to their fierce philosophy to maintain the integrity of their ingredients.

Verdict? A nice experience but it won't be a major disappointment to skip this.
Given the energy-sapping heat of Milan, one bright moment was a simple one - breakfast at our hotel, the Sheraton Diana Majestic, located within walking distance of via Montenapoleone, a 100-year-old historical building that is traditional in look but youthful at heart. The breakfast may be nothing to shout about, but sitting in the lovely tree-sheltered alfresco terrace area is a welcome respite from the heat.

It's like sitting in someone's expensive back yard, looking up at the sky through the majestic branches of ancient trees, sipping fresh orange juice and dreading the time when we would have to leave our tranquil surroundings for the nearby train station for the next leg of our journey to Florence, the cultural heart of Italy.
Florence

The great thing about a Westin hotel is that everything works. The Westin Excelsior is a grand dame of a hotel just on the cusp of the main shopping and historic square, and its efficient staff make sure that your every need is taken care of. What impressed us was the way the concierge didn't dole out the same restaurant recommendations to everyone who asked, taking pains to understand your requirements and then recommending something that, if not totally traditional, is at least decent in quality.

And it can certainly pull a string or two. We'd heard a lot about Il Latini (Via dei Palchetti 6/r, Palazzo Rucellai, Florence 50123 Tel: 39-055-210916 wwwillatini.com) and the concierge told us not to join the long queue outside but wave a Westin card at the door as 'we know the owners so they always let our guests in first'. And what do you know, it worked. As a long line of envious faces glared at us, the doors of Il Latini opened at precisely 7.30pm (they don't take bookings which is why a long line forms before opening time) and you are whisked in.

Our elation doesn't last long though. First, the restaurant is huge, huge enough to accomodate the long lines so really, it's not a hassle getting in. Second, there are no individual tables. You get squashed with a bunch of fellow diners at the same table. And EVERYONE is a tourist. Eager for a supposedly genuine trattoria meal but actually getting a circus act.

Well-trained servers start loading their arms with plates of parma ham slices and a tasty fried toast topped with a coarse chicken liver pate which they pass out like candy to waiting children. There is no ala carte menu - you get the ham, the bread, a green salad, a choice of pasta and the main course of 'every kind of roasted meat - chicken, lamb, pork, rabbit - or Florentine steak'. Because the roasted meat looks more like someone salvaged it from a burning building (what moist meat you can find underneath the charred exterior is quite good), your best bet is the t-bone steak. But it's a big hunk of meat that's too much for two people. Done rare, it looks quite palatable and if you're in a big group with a penchant for rowdiness, you're in the right place. If you want a quiet meal, go somewhere else. Oh, and the price? For all that, it's 45 euros a head, more if you have the t-bone.

For an aperitivo, we'd go to Procacci (Via Tornabuoni, 64R Tel: 39-055-211-656) which is the only original shop on Florence's shopping street. It's been around since 1885, but it was taken over by the Antinori wine group and maintained as a little wine bar/cafe. It specialises in truffle panini sandwiches that you enjoy with a glass of prosecco. Or just have it as a snack any time of the day. The truffle sandwiches cost 1.80 euros for a tiny mouthful or two but they do hit the spot. The cranky waitress who doesn't speak a word of English is another matter. If you're extra peckish, order the truffle omelette for 7 euros - oversalted but eggs and chopped truffles are a happy combo.

Fatigued by the weather, we didn't want to venture too far from the Westin for dinner, so we decided to give up our reservation for Ristorante Oliviero (Via delle Terme 51/R Tel: 39-055-212421) which features a modern European take on local cuisine. The trusty concierge instead suggested 13 Gobbi (Via del Porcellana 9/R Tel: 39-055-284015) that was just around the corner from the hotel.
Translated as 13 Hunchbacks, the restaurant is very much a tourist place, but a lot more civilised than Il Latini. The food is a little better too - decent fish carpaccio, pasta with bottarga (mullet roe), smooth gnocchi in tomato sauce and sliced beef with mushrooms. One conclusion we made was that when in Italy, forget the main courses, just go for the appetisers and the pastas because that's what they do best. Meat and fish tend to be overcooked and salty, really nothing impressive. The restaurant has a certain old world charm which certainly works on the tourists - the place is packed too.

In conclusion, we didn't have much luck in our first dining visit to Florence, but we prefer to think about it this way: We'll be a lot more prepared the next time.
Verona

Maybe it was a case of third time lucky, but once we headed out of Florence, our meals (and the sights) got significantly better. Once pretty detour we made was a one night stay at an impressively renovated monastery in Siena - called Castel Monastero (www.castelmonastero.com), a cluster of medieval buildings set within the breathtaking countryside of the Chianti wine region. If ever you're looking for an off-the-beaten-track resort in Tuscany, this is really worth a stay. It's brand new, and divided into charming rooms and villas that are literally rooms with a view.
It put us in a good mood for the drive to Verona - where you can make a wish for true love at a tourist-centric shrine to Juliet of Romeo and Juliet fame. The city is a lot more compact than Florence, with a lot more charm and less manic. It's a pleasure to stroll through the manageable historic square, stopping to buy local salami and cheese at a well stocked gourmet shop that offers vacuum pack services, or confectionery from old-fashioned bakeries.

Verona is so tiny you can cover it in one day, by which time you'll be ready to explore beyond its city limits. Lake Garda - the largest lake in Italy, beckons, and our Audi TTRS coupe is itching to be taken for a spin. Our destination was Sirmione - Lake Garda is so big that you can drive right out of Verona and into the province of Brescia (Lombardy) and still say you're at the lake.

Sirmione was a place recommended to us by chef Roberto Galletti of Garibaldi restaurant. He grew up nearby, and he told us to check out the restaurant of his close friend, Riccardo Genovesi of Il Girasole (Via Vittorio Emanuelle 72, Sirmione. Tel: 39 30 919182) which was probably the best advice we'd had throughout our trip.
Sirmione is a small historic town well known for its thermal springs (hence the slight sulphuric tang in the air) and postcard worthy Scaliger Castle which dates back to the 13th century and is now a magnet for tourists packed back-to-back through its pedestrianised grounds.

Sirmione was a favourite resort town even during Roman times, and various illuminaries have made their presence felt there like the poets Catullus and Tennyson, while famed opera singer Maria Callas even had a villa here. When it's not peak tourist season, a walk around the lake side is a relaxing one, meandering past olive trees, strolling past sunbathers and frisky dogs, watching the ducks as they watch you warily in case you're tempted to kick them and dipping a toe in the clear thermal spring water.

But lunch at Il Girasole is the real highlight, especially as chef Riccardo is obsessive about sourcing ingredients only from the local region. That's why ocean trout or tuna from Sicily is bought, cleaned and turned into melt-in-the-mouth gravlax; fresh prawns are prepared three ways - steamed in their sweet natural juices, raw and fried as tempura; and just picked zucchini flowers are dusted in rice flour and fried to perfect crunchy sweetness. Even a simple pasta is awe-inspiring - fresh tomato sauce from Italian tomatoes and sprinkled with freshly grated bottarga, and home made tortellini stuffed with local Bogass cheese.
Even the cured ham he serves isn't the familiar parma variety but culatello - made from pork butt rather than the leg. It's small, round and with a more mellow flavour than parma. And when he serves you a steak, it's fillet of bull, ie. cattle that hasn't been castrated (apparently that's what happens to normal cattle) and allowed to grow naturally. The meat is more tender and really simply good.
Despite a hot trek around the castle trying to find the restaurant, fighting off tourists and an increasingly bad temper, we were happy as well-fed larks after the meal.

It was hard to leave, but some good news is that chef Riccardo will make a guest appearance at Garibaldi in October. Unfortunately, he won't be able to bring his precious produce, but diners will still get to experience his deft hand at delivering fresh, uncomplicated favours.
By the time we headed back to town, we barely had time to enjoy the quirky decor and lush surroundings of the Byblos Art Hotel, before we were out to our last dining spot, Locanda di Castelvecchio (C.so Castelvecchio, 21/a -37121 Verona. tel: 045 8030097) that's located on the edge of the historic centre and touted as a true-blue authentic Verona eatery.

The restaurant dates back to the 1830s and the heavy drapes, Romanesque urns and dark wood panelling attest to the days gone by. Polite but unfriendly waiters were the first indication of a possibly disappointing dinner, followed by the many dishes that were not available that day. But - what they did have was quite mindblowing for its simplicity and taste.

Home made pasta, for example, was elaborately served with a dollop of butter on top and three different sauces in separate metal dishes: fresh tomato sauce that was addictively sweet; a rich ground beef sauce and deceptively simple carrots and peas. It was possibly the best pasta we'd ever had. This was followed by a comforting chicken noodle soup - the noodles like springy Chinese wantan mee, topped with chicken livers. It was ridiculously simple yet three dimensional in flavour. A local specialty of mixed roast and boiled meats looked awful but tasted divine, especially if you're into gelatinous textures like the tendon-like head of veal, beef tongue, sausages and roast beef and pork. An ugly brown sauce made with breadcrumbs, meat stock and bone marrow went very well with the meats, as did the condiments of apple chutney, green herb sauce and mustard.

It was just what we were looking for - a taste of old Italy, or at least what we imagined it would be. Never mind the unenthusiastic waiters, it was the taste of a country we crossed the world for, and plan to continue exploring for a long time more.

jaime@sph.com.sg