Torino, located in north-western Italy is known for its food and artistry. The capital of Piedmont, it is often called ‘little Paris’ because of its French-influenced architecture. When I want to immerse myself in authentic Turin cuisine and culture, I plan an evening or sometimes a lunch at Zanotti Il Ristorante Italiano. The restaurant was established by Turin-native Chef Gianmaria Zanotti in 1998 to introduce and share the traditional and inspired recipes of his home. To continue this tradition, he invited Federico Scalvini to join him in his kitchen 13 years ago. Chef Federico, who studied under the same culinary masters as his mentor, leads a kitchen staff of as many as 22 persons to prepare meals for the approximately 200 diners they accommodate each day.
As you enter the twin glass doors of the restaurant under an archway, you will be immediately struck by the bar directly in front of you conveying a refined, elegant, yet cosy ambience. At your feet is a golden embossed bull, the emblem of Turin, symbolising that you have entered an establishment that is proud of its Turin roots. You then will turn to the left and enter the dining room, the tables all covered in white tablecloths, the chairs in white slipcovers. Meanwhile, the walls are either pale yellow in colour or dark wood panelled with some appearing like louvred shutters, creating a feeling that you’ve boarded a very elegant yacht. This feeling is further enhanced if you choose to dine in one of the two private dining rooms that can accommodate six or ten diners respectively.
To bring a juxtaposition of colour to the atmosphere, the walls are decorated with paintings by Chef Gianmaria’s friend, Luigi Rincicotti, many of them reminding me of Pablo Picasso’s cubist period. A portrait of Chef Gianmaria adorns one wall when he is back in Italy to reflect his enduring spirit in his restaurant.
Both Chef Gianmaria and Chef Federico worked in Michelin star restaurants back in Turin, and so they have brought with them this aspiration for excellence. Zanotti Il Ristorante has also been awarded numerous accolades such as the ‘I am Italian Cuisine Candidate for UNESCO Heritage’, which was awarded by the Italian government. With almost all the ingredients used in the food preparation imported from Italy twice a week, I felt sure, as usual, we would be served a masterpiece of dishes.
We began our meal with a tantalising to the taste buds Vitello Tonnato, made with ever-so-tender chilled eye-round veal loin sliced thin and bathed with the most traditional light caper and tuna sauce before being sprinkled with roasted red peppers and garden leaves. Chef Federico explained the dish reminds him of the foo prepared in his home when he was a child. It actually takes a long time to prepare as the veal is slow cooked for around three hours.
Next, we were served Polipo alla griglia con carciofi e crema allo zafferano, charcoal-grilled Mediterranean octopus tentacles, also much more tender than I expected, covered by a saffron cream sauce with Sardinian artichoke over pasta and risotto. Again following the slow cooking tradition, with a two-kilogram giant cuttlefish, it took two hours to prepare before the final grilling.
Our third starter was truly a masterpiece, Risotto nero alla Fiorentina. The risotto was made with imported Carnaroli rice imported from the Turin, or Piedmont region. It is prepared with slow-cooked stocks made with black squid ink, lobster and baby clams, and each of these flavours, while distinct, blends perfectly. And then the risotto is also mixed with the different seafoods.
As there were four of us in our party, we had a fourth starter as well, the signature Tagliolini al tartufo, a very light, thin, ribbon-shaped pasta served with fresh, shredded truffle. The pasta is freshly made each day and tastes truly Torino authentic. Zanotti then also only served a grated parmesan cheese that is preserved for thirty months. And now we came to our main dishes for which we chose two to share. The first was the Toothfish cotto in padella con crema di piselli e funghi di stagione, pan fried toothfish fillet with green pea cream and lightly roasted mushrooms with thyme that gives it a richer, slightly minty flavour. The fish was a very delicious Chilean seabass, a kind of cod caught in the ant-arctic. In the summer months, they will import the fish from northern Scotland.
Our second dish was the Maialino da latte alla nostra maniera, boneless, suckling pig prepared Zanotti’s style. It takes 24 hours to roast the milk-fed suckling piglet on a rotisserie after which it is cut into bite-size cubes. Of course, nothing is wasted, so the bones are used to prepare a very delicious gravy. The skin is very crispy of this three-layered pork known in Thai as mu sam chan. But for me, there seemed to be less fat and it was more tender than the Chinese versions I have had.
Unexpectedly, we were next served the signature Pizza Zanotti with mascarpone cheese and topped with Parma ham. The crust was thin and flat; the way I like it as I come from New York.
Now, it was time for the dessert, Zanotti Il Ristorante Italiano’s specialty, Tiramisù. As Chef Federico has also been trained as a pastry chef, I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed. Already, we had enjoyed his fresh baked breads and home-made pasta. Now, we were served the Tiramisù on a dish with three very creamy scoops. We had two servings for the four of us. It was delicious, but quite rich for me. So, I had just one with a very robust espresso, the perfect way to finish this Italian feast.
I had not been to Zanotti in a while. I guess because I no longer worked in the vicinity, but after this Italian gastronomic extravaganza, I will be returning soon, maybe for a set lunch that I used to enjoy regularly
