Chef puts modern twist on classic Italian fare
Print Edition
During Giancarlo Perbellini’s recent one-week stint as guest chef at Calypso Restaurant & Lounge in Jing An Shangri-La West Shanghai, several visitors came just to see him at work in the semi-open kitchen. Their curiosity did not disturb Perbellini though. In the exposed kitchen of Casa Perbellini, his new and much-praised restaurant in Italy, he is used to being watched.
Born in 1964 in Bovolone, a quiet town located in the Verona valley, Perbellini “came from a family of pastry (chefs) and cooks,” he said during an interview with Shanghai Daily.
His own journey into the restaurant industry began at Marconi and 12 Apostoli in Verona. In 1989, he opened an eponymous restaurant in Isola Rizza. In 1996, Perbellini earned his first Michelin star. This was followed by a second star in 2002.
In December 2014, Perbellini decided to go a step further by opening a concept restaurant, Casa Perbellini, in Verona. In his more than 30-year career, Perbellini has focused on using traditional recipes and modern techniques to create the finest in high Italian cuisine.
“Italian haute cuisine is not only pastas,” said Perbellini. “It’s about the soul of Italy and using modern ways to prepare dishes. Traditional Italian cuisine is the recipes of mammas, which are different from one village to another. Haute cuisine is very modern.”
Perbellini brought 10 dishes from his Italian haute recipe book to Shanghai from October 27 to 31 as part of the Shangri-La International Festival of Gastronomy. These dishes — including sesane wafer with seabass tartare, goat cheese and sensation of liquorice; cold spaghetti salad with calamari, tomato confit, basil and lime; and smoked quail on artichokes with tomato confit, pistacchios and Parmesan cream — were added to a week-long special menu at Calypso.
“The guests are very happy. Some like the starters and some like the meat,” smiled Perbellini when asked how diners in Shanghai reacted to his recipes. “The Shanghai customers are very lovely. They are enthusiastic to taste new things and are curious.”
During his stay in Shanghai, Perbellini collaborated with two other chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants for an exclusive dinner on October 26. Perbellini, Rolf Fliegauf from Switzerland and Laurent Peugeot from France worked together to create a five-course menu.
“It’s very interesting to work with other chefs. You always have something new to learn,” said the Italian.
Creativity and learning continue to be priorities for Perbellini. Back home in Verona, his restaurant Casa Perbellini changes its menu every four weeks as new produce and seasonal ingredients become available.
“Every season we have at least two brand new menus, sometimes three,” explained Perbellini.
According to the chef, Casa Perbellini is an intimate restaurant where “people eat right in the kitchen.” Perbellini avoids keeping an extensive food stock at his restaurant, which means that every day he must go to market for ingredients. Fish, meat, vegetables — guests are served whatever is the freshest.
“The guests ... can see what the chefs are doing and tell them what they want.” Perbellini said. “I don’t want to explain to the customers, I want to show them what I’m doing.”
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