Delicious, decadent degustation
“Mi Piace cucinare quello che mi piace mangiare;
mi affascina la perfezione delle preparrazioni”
Chef Arcangelo Tinari
(I like to cook what I eat; I am fascinated by the perfection of the preparation)
Somewhere between a pot noodle in the Namib Dessert and a Swahili banquet in Zanzibar, our taste buds grew up. Travel in your twenties is usually possible by making serious concessions with the food that you eat on the road. I can remember mostly getting by on street food and bakeries all across Eastern Europe, from Prague to Istanbul; cheaps eats on sleeper trains.
But you get older. You work and you save a bit more to fund your travels. And you realise that sometimes you might want something a bit more special than some hot noodles in a cold hostel.
The first time that we experienced a full degustation menu was on the rooftop of Emerson Spice in Stone Town. There they serve up a five-course tasting menu, using lots of local flavours; sensational Swahili spices to tantalise the tastebuds. Our feast was enhanced with my birthday cake, which was presented by the whole kitchen staff, accompanied by the ‘Happy Birthday song’ in Kiswahili; “Afya njema na furaha”.
And so it began; an interest in exceptional food, in great locations. We’re not interested in posey or pretentious presentation. Just big flavours and warm hospitality. So far, we’ve found this in three places.
A few years ago, we travelled to Bangkok. We spent several days wandering around ‘Old Bangkok’ where we were staying. We watched Thai people going about their daily life; practicing Tai Chi in the park, smoking, cooking street food and stopping to pray at tiny ornate shrines. We had heard about Gaggan, a restaurant run by chef Gaggan Anand. He offers Indian dishes in a fine dining setting, at times with a touch of theatre. We made reservations, and took a taxi into the city. We went with open minds and empty bellies. The whole evening was an unforgettable dining experience. We were welcomed and seated outside the former 19th century townhouse for pre-dinner drinks. Next we were shown to our table, where we spent several hours savouring 25 small dishes. All were super fresh and at times, super spicy, washed down with good wine and cool Thai beers. Chef Gaggan took time to meet and greet everyone at their table. And he joined us after dinner for a longer chat in the garden. There were many impressive dishes but the one that stands out in my memory was ‘The Story of Aspargus’, a trilogy of distinctly different asparagus dishes. In 2018 the restaurant was ranked top in ‘Asia’s best 50 Restaurants for the fourth year in a row. If Gaggan sounds like your kind of thing, you should go soon, as the restaurant will close 2020, when Chef Gaggan will start a new venture in Japan.
A similar level of excitement surrounds The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, a short drive from the Cape Peninsula. Two years ago we scored a table at short notice, unusual as it’s typically booked up months in advance. But we had requested a date at New Year, that time when most people are retreating after over indulgence at the Christmas table and in the shopping malls. At the time of our visit, the restaurant had been voted the best in Africa, so there was a lot of hype to live up to. It surpassed all expectations. It was a phenomenal way to start the year. Five divine courses were paired with fine Western Cape wines. There was a strong focus on local produce matched with local wines. After all, ‘local is lekker’. One wine was being produced just a few kilometres away, near the foot of Table Mountain. I remember leaving The Test Kitchen that day and thinking ‘life should always be this delicious’.
These journeys into gastronomy have always been a bit of a coincidence. We were there, so we went.
We just got back from our first trip where we travelled specifically for the restaurant. It was the highlight of a birthday trip, meandering through hilltop villages in Italy’s Abruzzo, the green heart of Europe. Villa Maiella had fallen onto my radar some time ago. A big birthday trip was the perfect excuse we needed to travel there. What made this restaurant experience different, was that we were able to book accommodation at their hotel too, which meant three full days of decadent and delectable dishes.
On our first day we opted for a ‘simple’ three course meal. This was started with a platter of tempting appetisers and a large glass of Del Professore, the best Vermouth I have ever tasted. My starter was a light, flavourful salad of porcini mushrooms and shavings of local mature pecorino cheese. The main course was ‘Ravioli di burrata allo Zafferano del L’ Aquila e Lenticchie di Santo Stefano di Sessanio’; a large plate of saffron ravioli, with it’s distinctive colour and flavour, filled with mouth watering burrata. Every mouthful was sensational. A birthday cake was presented to my husband, a beautifully decorated mille fuille, ‘Millefoglie’, which was divided between us as dessert. All of this was washed down with a bottle of fine Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, the Anfora from the Francesco Cirelli farm. This is a special Trebbiano wine because of how it is made. The grapes are gently crushed and then transferred into clay amphoras for 24 hours maceration. The next part of the process is to separate the skins from the juice before fermentation. The wine then rests and refines in the amphoras until it is ready to be bottled. It tasted exquisite. We were invited into the main kitchen, where we met the Chef Arcangelo Tinari. He spoke with passion about some of food we had enjoyed and he shared a few stories about his family. We ended the evening with coffee and petit fours. It had been a memorable birthday celebration and a fantastic preview of the full degustation menu to follow.
The next day we prepared ourselves for the Menu Del Territorio, a total of eight epicurean courses, matched with different wines from the region. After breakfast, we didn’t eat for 8 hours! We were ready. ‘Andiamo”. The Sommelier, Chef Arcangelo’s brother, talked us through the various perfectly paired wines that we would be savouring alongside our food. A vegetarian version of the Menu del Territorio was prepared for me.
Appetisers were presented; a delicate parsley sponge, a carrot and barley amouse bouche, sensational sage tempura and lettuce leaves filled with peppery black olives. Eight courses of deliciousness followed. We were full to bursting but we had savoured every mouthful. Nothing failed to impress at Villa Maiella. Everything was well-prepared, well-seasoned and perfectly presented. The team made us welcome from the beginning to the end of our stay. Even the breakfasts were amazing, with the flakiest croissants we had tasted anywhere in Italy, homemade preserves, premium prosciutto, fresh ricotta with giant sweet strawberries and local honey and freshly squeezed juices.
After three days of gourmet offerings and over-indulgence we needed to leave. But we got on the road with some knowledge of regional dishes, memories of nearby Maiella National Park and a few extra kilos!
Have you been to a degustation feast, somewhere in the world? Where would you recommend?
© Maggie M/Mother City Time