Il Ristorante Trussardi alla Scala ..... Michelin Star Experience in Milan, 17 Sep 2010 - Milano, Italia

Executive Chef Andrea Berton takes the helm at Il Ristorante Trussardi alla Scala since 2006. His talent and dedication of his art to tease the palate has won the 2 star Michelin award for the past 2 years. the clean uncluttered spacious interior of the restaurant was inviting and unobtrusive. As we came out of the lift to the restaurant, on the second floor of the building, the immediate right allows full views of Chef Andrea and his team busy with the orders.

It was our last night in Milan before we flew back to Singapore and we decide to splurge at Trussardi alla Scala. HY and I have been planning this dress-up dinner for sometime and tonight's the night. The restaurant was chi-chi enough for a dress-up dinner. The maitre d' whisk us to our window view table and got us comfortable. 

The sommelier was quick to his feet and introduced us to the wines when we decided on our dinner dishes. We chose a chardonnay to go with the risotto and a barolo with our red mains.

Before we even begin with our starters we were pampered with a chain of complimentary appetizers. These 3 appetizers provided a mix of different taste and texture to warm up the palate. Before our own orders came, our stomachs were more han warmed up.

Beetroot, Seaweed, Saffron, Squid ink Crackers

Staccato Cheese on biscotti

Salmon with pineapple

For starters we had the "Porcini" mushroom with beef stock and olive oil. Porcini was in season and this juicy savory mushroom blended well with the beef stock and olive oil. This dish was tasty but I can't help noticing the petite portion.

“Risotto Milanese” with golden calf sweetbreads (Primi)

This Milanese risotto was too heavy for HY. I thought it was a tard too heavy compared to the many we had in Italy. However, this heavy saffron and cheesy version seemed to be what's typically available in Singapore. I thought it was good and HY is not a fan of cheese. That's Parmigiano-Reggiano for you, me love, too bad it's not your cup of tea. I have it all ..... slurp!

Duck Nantaise, steamed breast, fried legs and grilled spring onions. (Secondi)

Nantaise duck was absolutely tender. The grilled spring onions added the extra fragrance to this dish. HY liked this as it was light but I thought it was too light after I had the risotto.

Spring lamb shoulder with fried potatoes, cream of onion and ricotta cheese (Secondi)

The spring lamb had the roasted charred bits on the outside that taste very savory and the thick chunk of meat remains pinkish and tender. It already taste delicious on its own.

White meringue with hazelnut chocolate, crispy vanilla bread and rhubarb ice cream (dessert)

This is a mix of sweet and and sour dessert bites created by the dessert chef. The vanilla bread coated with burnt sugar and the meringue with hazelnut chocolate provided that burst of indulging sweetness. Having mouthful of the sour rhubarb ice cream in between the sweet bites brought alternating waves of intense sweetness and sourness. They looked really simple but HY and I love this.

We thought that we were done with dessert and asked for our bill but only to be served with another wave of complimentary dessert that was more than the dessert that we ordered. What you see here's some Canolo, white chocolate macaron, chocolate ganache, a pair of lemon gummy coated with sugar and some kind of orange jelly tart.

The complimentary dessert came with 2 chocolate lollipops ..........

and finally a bowl of chocolate truffles .......

The service here was immaculate. Food was well presented, delicious and the ambience was classy. The experience ....... top notched! So far our most expensive dinner but we enjoyed this indulgence.

Piazza della Scala, 5
20121, Milano, Italia
Tel : +39 02 80688201
Il Ristorante Trussardi alla Scala Website

Bistrot Giacomo ....... an enjoyable casual dinner in Milan, 16 Sep 2010 Milano, Italia

Giacomo Bistrot is a cosy yet swanky restaurant patronized by hip Italians that are dressed up to the nigh. At 7pm most of the folks at the bistrot were drinking around the bar counter nearest to the entrance and at 7pm, we were the earliest customers to arrive for dinner. That ties in well as there's no later time slots to accomodate us. The house was full. Ristorante Giacomo was the swankier sister restaurant just right beside this bistrot. The price point at Ristorante Giacomo wasn't right for us today as we still wanted more budget for shopping. Maybe we'll do a dress up dinner for our last night in Milan.

Inside, the ambience wasn't that fitting of a bistrot. I thought a bistrot should be more casual than what's presented before me. The interior was dim and had heavy furnitures, making it a bit stark. What's really casual about the bistrot was the attitude of the waiter who served us. He was jovial, chatty, attentive and was willing to share his personal recommendations on the dishes in the menu. Hip looking folks aside, Giacomo Bistrot was all about good food and attentive service that made it an enjoyable experience.

Deep fried vegetables and fried mozzarella dough (Complimentary appetizers). This looked like the 'acah' (spicy preserved vegetables) and fried fish balls that we see in Singapore. The vegetables were crunchy, not unlike tempura vegetable. I liked those mozzarella dough balls. The chewiness coupled with the fragrance of the mozzarella made this kind of a fun dish for appetizers..

This was our bread bowl with so many different shapes, form and taste to choose from. These biscuit liked ones was especially good.

Squid Ink Risotto with Shrimps. In this dish, the risotto was infused with squid ink but no excess squid ink sauce was used for plating. A thoroughly black looking dish can be visually unappetizing even though it may taste delightful. The typical saffron fragrance was evident but not overpowering.

Fillet Mignon with dijon mustard based sauce. I was told that in Italy everyone's particular about their food and in Milan everyone eat good. This medium rare fillet mignon that was sitting right in front of us bear witness to this statement.

Although a rather thick chunk, it was relative easy to cut thin slices for the slow enjoyment. The dijon mustard based sauce was a good touch to accentuate the taste of the meat. Nice balanced sauce done just right to tickle and not to overwhelm the palate.

Milanese Veal Chop with grilled potatoes. I must confess that my photo didn't do justice do justice to the veal chop. It didn't look interesting enough in my photo but trust me that it taste real good.

The frying didn't dry up the veal meat inside the coat of golden brown at all. It was still glistening with veal juice as I sliced it apart.

HY chose this cake that was a very light mix of muscapone and chantilly interspersed with berries. We love this cake.

Via Pasquale Sottocorno, 6

20129 Milano, Italia

Tel : +39 02 76022653

Bistrot Giacomo Website

Seafood in Cinque Terre ...... Ristorante Ciak. 14 Sep 2010 - Monterosso, Italy

Manarola one of the Cinque Terre village.

As we left Siena and approached the Italian Riviera, facing the Mediterranean, the smell of the sea welcome us into Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre refers to the 5 villages that are built on the cliffs along this part of the Italian riviera.  In order to enjoy the beauty of this UNESCO site, one must plough 5km of coastal walk along the cliff. We stayed in Monterro al Mare and were glad with our choice as it has a great beach with crystal clear waters.

Looking at Corniglia and Manarola in the backdrop.

Cinque Terre has olive and lemon plantations and being so near the sea, an abundance of great seafood. While we strolled along the main street of Monterosso al Mare, Ristorante Ciak attracted us as we saw the passionate Chef Ciak at work in his kitchen from a window along the street. As we walked pass the windows, we could hear him shouting at his waiters to serve the food that was ready in his kitchen. I did observed that Ristorante Ciak is popular with tourists and locals alike. It would be a waste not to visit a restaurant with such unique character.

 

Risotto alla Marinara - Seafood Risotto

Our 5km hike of Cinque Terre left us craving for food and Risotto alla Marinara was the right dish to order. This risotto was meant for 2 person and the waiter dissuaded us from ordering anything else until later. When this seafood risotto was served to us we realized why the waiter was so adamant that we hold off ordering other dishes. The myriads of fresh seafood was scattered among the risotto inside a big clay ware. The portion was huge with a generous amount of seafood like mussels. clamps, fish, shrimps, scampi and squid.

Spiedo Gamberoni - Skewers of Giant Prawns

The grilled giant prawns wasn't unlike the grilled giant prawns we get in the asian seas. It was good just drizzled with lemon but was nothing out of the ordinary to us.

Coppa della Casa - Ice Cream with Whiskey and Honey

This simple house dessert was absolutely delightful. Simply add vanilla ice cream to honey and whiskey. This is one dessert that I'm going to try at home. The musky taste of whiskey contrasting with the milky and sweet tasting ice cream and honey. Love this dessert.

Here's some shots of Chef Ciak at at work in his open kitchen amidst the fresh seafood.

Peering through the windows along the street ......

 

One can choose to have dinner outside but a reservation would be advised. We couldn't get any outside seats and have to eat our dinner indoors but we managed to enjoy our dinner nevertheless.

Piazza Don Minzoni, 6

19016 Monterosso al Mare, Italia
Tel : +39 0187 817014
Ristorante Ciak Website

Tuscan food in Ristorante Mugolone .... inside the heart of Tuscany. 13 Sep 2010 - Siena, Italy

We left Florence on the 13th September 2010, away from the brand name outlet shopping, and headed southwards to the ancient city of Siena, said to be heart of Tuscany (according to a travel brochure that I've picked up). An outcrop of brick red buildings that forms Siena city amidst the greens welcome us as we approached the medieval looking city. The atmosphere here was calming. One would feel sedate walking through this well preserved city and get immersed in it's antiquity. 

Inside this ancient city, it would best suit the atmosphere by indulging in good traditional Tuscan cuisine. It wasn't easy googling up good Sienese restaurants in the English language. Ristorante Mugolone popped up after a search that didn't give us much choices. We arrived at Ristorante Mugolone after a late afternoon nap and I was aptly surprised and glad with the signs of accolades that decorated the entrance. Siena wasn't in it's best condition when we arrived. The sky was grey and it rained most part of the day. I was hoping for good food to perk us up and Mugolone was definitely up to the task.



Ristorante Muglone is just a short walk away from Piazza del Campo, nestled among the brick walled Sienese  buildings. The family run ristorante was warmly lit, exuberating a casual homely feel. Two very efficient managers were all they need to serve the restaurant from taking orders all the way to serving food and wine. There's the English menu which made ordering easy. Food here was traditional, simple but delicious.

Bruschetta Toscana - Tuscan Bruschetta

The bruschetta is a traditional Tuscan appetizer and the one served here is as good as bruschetta can get. The nicely toasted bread was topped with fresh, sweet and juicy Tuscan tomatoes. It's the most refreshing one I've ever eaten.

Tagliatelline ai Tartufi - Flat Ribbon Pasta with Truffles

It was tartufi season when we were here in Italy. I thought I have to try it here. The tagliatelline ai tartufi didn't have a fixed price. The price fluctuates with the seasonal availability of the tartufi. When the pasta was served there was this overwhelming fragrance of this king of fungus. So the way Ristorante presented the pasta was the best way to showcase the truffles. The tagliatelline was simply mixed with olive oil and the generous shavings of truffles was sprinkled over the pasta.
  

Mushroom lovers will definitely love truffles. This pasta dish just had the immense taste and fragrance of the truffles.

Coniglio Fritto - Chunks of rabbit fried in egg batter

These fried chunks of rabbit didn't really looked good. At first pass, one would thought that it came out of one of the frozen pack of chicken nuggets sold in supermarkets. This dish was drizzled with some lemon to add that refreshing taste.

The golden brown nuggets was sliced into half revealing the tender juicy rabbit meat in there. The egg batter and simple seasoning may taste similar to chicken nuggets but the rabbit meat was super tender.

Filetto di Chianina alla brace - Charcoal Grilled Chianina beef fillet

The Chianina is a breed of cattle that dates back to the time of the Roman empires. It's one of the oldest breed in the world and is commonly used for preparing the Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The beef fillet was simply peppered and salted and then cooked with some herbs. It's simplicity at it's best.

Sweet Salami - An traditional Tuscan sweet cake

The manager recommended us this traditional Tuscan cake. I didn't know the Italian name but I was told that they call it the 'Sweet Salami'. When the cake was created, it looked like a salami before it was sliced up. This version that Ristorante Mugolone served tasted like a slightly denser version of the egg based cake (鸡蛋糕) which taste great when sprinkled with cocoa powder and drizzled with hot chocolate.

Via dei Pellegrini 8/12
53100, Siena, Italia
Tel : +039 0577 283235
Ristorante Mugolone Website

Osteria Il Ciliegiolo a stop for a "little" lunch ..... Fiorentina steak again!!! 9~12 Sep 2010 - Impruneta, Italy

As we left the highway and got into the old wine road that leads to Greve in Chianti, we couldn't bear the hunger pangs anymore and decided to stop by any decent osteria for late lunch. When we saw an osteria that had many cars parked outside, I cruised to a stop. Osteria Il Ciliegiolo proved a surprise find that served sincere fresh traditional Tuscan food. The osteria is located in Impruneta along SR222 and just a short drive from Highway A1.

Italy is indeed blessed with fresh vegetables, meat and seafood that made cuisine in their osterias so sincere. I define sincere Italian food here as fresh, cooked with simple methods, unpretentious and eaten as soon as it's prepared.

Everyone that came chose to take the outside seats out in the comfortable patio. The ambience was casual and everyone seemed chirpy and happy with simple food served here. Many of the clienteles were locals.

The gift of food to us humans comes best when it's freshest and with the freshest there's no need for elaborated seasoning. Our salad of Tuscan lettuce and tomatoes were simply drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and some lemon juice. That's all that's needed to accentuate the sweetness of these Tuscan tomatoes and lettuce. I'm not fan of vegetables but I'm really enjoying this.

Our prosciuttos came on a wooden board. These had more sparsely interlaced fats and a nutty fragrance to it. It seemed boring after seeing so many prosciuttos that we eaten so far but in the land of prosciuttos, you can't help but to try and enjoy while you can before it hit us hard on our pockets when we'll like to have them in Singapore.

Some carbo loading was most welcome after a half day of "exercising" in the Barbarino outlet stores. We chose pasta with arrabbiata sauce. The arrabbiata sauce here was made from mashed tomatoes, chilli oil and garlic. It was not as cloying when compared to pre-mixed tomato paste. It had the nice light and sweet taste of the tomatoes and that little kick from the chili oil. Macaroni was a good choice of pasta as the arrabbiata sauce got filled into the tubular pasta. It was really fun eating it as the spicy sauce oozed out of the pasta as I bit into them.

HY and I were indulged by Bistecca di Fiorentina in Il Latini and the best just got better at Il Ciliegiolo. At Il Latini we had the 1.1kg T-bone, here we got the 1.4kg one. I liked it that Fiorentina steak is simply seasoned with salt and pepper and non of the other fanciful sauce to clout the palate.

This Fiorentina steak was cooked on the outside, very juicy and rare on the inside. Even if it's 1.4kg, it was all taken out by both of us.

Via Chiantigiana per il Ferrone, 22

50023 Impruneta, Florence, Italy

Tel : +039 055 2326327

Osteria Il Ciliegiolo Website