A self-taught virtuoso who pivoted from economics to gastronomy, Italian chef Niko Romito steers award-baiting restaurants Reale in Abruzzo, and Dubai’s Il Ristorante: Niko Romito.
His cooking is defined by a radical minimalism he calls “essential,” utilizing scientific precision to strip away the superfluous and extract the absolute purity of flavor from every ingredient. This philosophy of quiet luxury now spans the globe through his partnership with Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, bringing his codified, sophisticated take on Italian classics.
Here he shares the dishes from his history that have helped form the chef (and person) he is today…
Cotoletta alla Milanese
This is a grand classic dish from Milan — and therefore there is pressure to make sure our version is perfect. In order to get the escalope’s breaded crust right takes great technique. We worked to perfect the time of cooking and level of frying, to ensure that the meat is succulent and not dry with a crust is perfectly crispy.
Antipasto all’Italiano
A multi-plate sharing course with each dish representing a different region of Italy like Piedmont, Campagnia, Sicily etc. I wanted to showcase the country’s gastronomic culture with dishes including vitello tonnato, bruschetta all’pomedoro, frittata di pasta mista — dishes that are the heroes of Italy’s vastly different regions.
Bread and chocolate
This is a dessert dish inspired by nostalgia. Most Italian kids grow up eating slices of bread with spreadable chocolate, so I wanted to capture that childhood pleasure. This dish has four different consistencies and typologies of chocolate. The bread is dried and then soaked in chocolate milk so it absorbs the fl avour. We then add a chocolate fondant and serve it with chocolate ice cream and a chocolate crumble. For chocolate lovers it is a dream.
Bread
Bread is hugely important representation of Italian culture. I’ve been working on the yeast, flour and fermentation of bread for many years now, to try and find the perfect balance. I have a dedicated laboratory in my restaurant in Italy where we experiment with bread every day — just to try and create the perfect loaf. Here in Dubai the bread has become a trademark of our restaurant.
Lasagna
Around the world the lasagna is synonymous with Italy. Although rather than trying to be too traditional with my version, I have made it lighter and healthier than a grandmother’s recipe. In my Dubai kitchen the trick is to make sure that our ingredients are of an excellent standard, therefore adapting the dish allows us to respect tradition, but create something that is more modern, delicate and lighter.
Il Ristorante: Niko Romito, Bulgari Hotel & Resort Dubai. Daily, 12.30pm to 3pm and 7pm to 11pm. Tel: +971 4 7775555. bulgarihotels.com
