Earlier this week I was invited to the opening ceremony of Italian food month, at the Park Hyatt in Gangnam. This is an event which has been running for seven years to promote Italian food in our fair city. I think we all know how much I love Italian food, and while there a thousand and one places making it, they aren’t all considered equal. In fact the Italian ambassador said as much in his speech, which while a tad shady was right on the nose.
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- Fregula Di Mare – Harmonium
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- Truffle Veal Tatare – Cornerstone
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- Tagliatelle with Bolognese Ragu – Kitchen 485
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- Almond parfait – Il Chiasso
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- Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Mousse – Eataly
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- Lasane Ccu Ricotta – Brera
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- Chicken Liver Pate & Black Truffle – Allatorre
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- Stockfish Tortella – Atrio
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- Beef Sirloin with Pesto Sauce – Ristorante EO
This year there are 13 different Italian restaurants taking part in the Italian food festival which runs from May 1st-31st. As part of the festival each of the restaurants will be offering a special regional Italian dish alongside their regular menu. While I have not ventured to many of these restaurants before (what have I been doing with my life?) I was lucky enough to taste quite a few of the new dishes on offer. Almost everything we tried that day was delicious but the standout for me was the Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Mousse from Eataly. Their region was Tuscany which is one of my favourite places in the world. This dish was simplicity itself but just full of immense flavour. I also really enjoyed the Truffle Veal Tartar a Piemonte special from the Cornerstone. Anything with truffles is a winner in my book, so I was excited to see them included in a couple of the special dishes.
The festival is wonderful way to celebrate great Italian food and to get acquainted with some new restaurants that have the seal of approval of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. I now have a long list of new places to go and try. The restaurants participating are Alla Torre, IL Chiasso, Brera, Pizza Muzzo, Atrio, Cornerstone, Harmonium, Kitchen485, Vera, LaTana, Ristorante Eo, Eataly, Latana and Peninsula. For more information about the food festival you can check out the Italian Food Festival facebook page, or contact the restaurants directly.