For February, Shangri-La Chiang Mai sought and brought an extraordinary guest chef for their kitchen, Gaetano Trovato. Owner of the famed Arnolfo Restaurant in Colle Val D’Elsa, Italy.
Awarded his first Michelin star at the age of 25, Chef Gaetano centers his cuisine around regional ingredients. True to his style the chef arrived a week before scout local farmer and products to develop the meals for Chiang Mai debut. Some of the products used for this meal came from local organic farms and the Royal Project.
Chef Gaetano has worked all over the world and is proud of his versatility. He proudly stated that he transforms his cuisine to adapt to what is readily available to him.
Amberjack, Melon, Celery
Pitars Cuvee Stella
We started off our preview dinner with an Amberjack Yellowtail. A fish that is greatly appreciated and used in Japanese cuisine. Amberjack has a very mild taste, but it is succulent and juicy. At first bite, this dish is light delicious and fresh tasting. The melon gave it a slight sweetness to balance out the citrus flavors — a great way to start dinner.
Free Range Chicken, Caramelized Onion, Spelled, Zolfino Beans
2017 Nals Margried Pinot Blanco, Alto Adige Italy
This dish embodies what Chef Gaetano's cuisine as he known for always using local ingredients. No matter what country he is in, he will search out and use the best available local products. His criteria do not falter as he spent the first week in Thailand visiting farms from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. The chicken is from a sustainable farm known for raising livestock humanely without antibiotics or hormones. While all other ingredients are from local organic farms here in Chiang Mai.
Tiger Prawn, Foie Gras, Citrus, Turnip, and Radish
TThis deceptively simple looking dish is one that he has been developing for over 30 years. A Mediterranean inspired seafood dish, you indulge with the full flavors of the foie gras, while the sweet taste of the sauce comes crashing right through, add the bitter notes of the turnip and radish, and a whole symphony of flavors is composed. Wonderful.
Suckling Pig Ravioli, Leek and Liquorice
2016 Bruno Rocca Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy
To procure the quality meat for this plate, Chef and his crew visited a local sustainable family farm in Chiang Mai named Surin Farm. The suckling pig then spent 18 hours cooking before it was ready to be served with a young leek sauce. Topped with bits of crispy pork crackling for adding depth and texture. The meat was tender and could almost melt in your mouth. This course was complex and unforgettably delicious.
2015 Tenute Folonari Cabreo "IL Borgo", Tuscany Italy
I was completely taken by surprise by our last main course. Not only in presentation but in size. To say that I was full before this plate was sat down in front of me would be an understatement. Full or not, I finished every piece on this plate. The duck was incredibly delicious, a moist, tender breast with the crispy skin. Every bite was better than the last. I enjoyed this dish so much that I was despondent when there was only one bite left.
Mille Feuille, Strawberry, Basil
To close out, the dinner Chef decided to go with a classic French pastry. Decadent in all the right places. The flavors of the mille-feuille are simple, but the textures are amazing, and the addition of the basil made your taste buds go in every direction.
Final Thoughts
The dinner was wonderful. The quality and taste seemed to continue to up as the evening progressed. Not to say that one was better than the other because each dish could stand on its own. I say this emphasize and appreciate the time, effort and planning that went into this. Chef Gaetano Trovato genuinely cares and enjoys his craft, which is apparent when you get to talk to him. For someone who has spent more than 45 years working in an industry, Chef Gaetano has this youthful energy and excitement to him. It's the energy of someone who loves what they do and it's apparent in every dish that I was fortunate in enjoying.
For those interested in booking a table, Chef Gaetano Trovato will only be in Chiang Mai for four days. Listed below are the dates and times. Book in advance as tables do fill up quickly.
Shangri-La Chiang Mai also has a resident sommelier that has put together an incredible line up to go with Chef Gaetano astounding cuisine.
20-24 February 2019
Dhala Wine Lounge, Level 1
11.30 – 14.30 hrs.
THB 1,588++ per person (Food only)
18.00 -22.00 hrs.
THB 2,188++ per person (Food only)
Sommelier recommended rine pairing options
788 net for 3 glasses,
1488 net for 5 glasses and 2588 net for 6 glasses
For further enquiries and booking Call: +66 53 253 888 or Email at:[email protected]
