Bulgari has announced the release ofits beautiful book ‘La cucina de Luca Fantin’,honouring the talents of its Michelin-starred chef and some of his delectable recipes prepared at the Bulgari Hotel in Tokyo. Occupying the top four floors of the Bulgari Ginza Tower, the magnificently renovated locales of Il Ristorante Luca Fantin and Il Bar provide his delicious, Italian-inspired fare in the brand’s Japanese flagship location.
Within the elegant pages of the book, culinary enthusiasts enjoy an extra serving of luxury, as it is dosed with personally crafted, delicious recipes by the eponymous head chef of Il Ristorante Luca Fantin. An authentic taste of Italy awaits diners in his stylish locale, where Fantin blends key traditional ingredients straight from his Mediterranean homeland with fresh Japanese meats, fish, and vegetables.
Published by ASSOULINE, the book reads as an exquisite culinary collection, featuring thirty- two of Fantin’s original recipes. A sophisticated, stunning coffee-table book, its pages gleam with original photography, an exquisite collection of recipesand detail Fantin’s inspiration for each dish.
As a sort of muse, nature itself inspires each of the four grand menus, one for each of the seasons. From autumn to summer, Luca Fantin takes us on an enthralling voyage through fascinating landscapes as he seeks out the freshest local ingredients that reflect the four seasons of the year. A meticulous chef, he personally visits the very sources of his ingredients and builds relationships with the suppliers, and such moments are captured in the book’s images. Celebrating the bounty of the seasons with his locally-inspired creations, each of his original menus lauds the unique flavours of autumn, winter, spring and summer.
Andrea Petrini, who contributed the book’s introduction, reveres, “Fantin’s cooking is entirely Italian, yet Japanese in its delicate use of nuanced flavours. It reverberates with a strict minimalism, as contemporary as it is timeless.”
Takanori Nakamura, who wrote the foreword, explains, “Delicate Japanese ingredients produced by the country’s four seasons have awakened Luca’s taste sensitivities. As well, they have evolved his culinary abilities, causing his reputation to grow far and wide.”
When it’s not possible to jet off to Japan, foodies from all over the world are now able to discover the ingredients and inspirations behind such delightful concoctions as lamb with chicory and zucchini flowers, or tender squid ink gnocchi, through the beautiful, illustrated volume and its luxury slipcase.
In time and season – The Menu
Readers are treated to an insider look at a master chef’s process, as Fantin finds inspiration within the seasons’ annual evolution. In his summer-inspiration roasts Baked Rosy Sea Bass with Herbs and Tarragon, a masterpiece of simplicity, as the herbs and fennel are oven-baked alongside the sea bass to recreate the warm aromas of wild grass and parched earth. Served with a tarragon green sauce, shallots and white balsamic vinegar, the dish is accompanied by tarragon puree and fried fish scales for a lush dose of summery texture.
For autumn, Homemade Tagliatelle with Raw Lobster is on the menu, featuring exceptional products such as Japanese spiny lobster to act as the decadent meal protagonist. Every morsel of the luxurious crustacean’s shell, head and bits are used to make a concentrated yet simple broth to be stirred into the pasta. Meanwhile, the homemade tagliatelle plays an exquisite supporting actor, expressing the flavour of the lobster within its fresh Italian textures.
Moving into winter, cosy Risotto with Radicchio and a Red Wine Sauce provides the stronger flavours and richer colours that characterise the chilliest season, but also recall the delectable dishes from Fantin’s childhood home in Treviso. Blending the textures of Japanese-grown radicchio and rice, the salad’s bitter notes echo of their Italian equivalent, while the delicacy of the risotto reminds of the Mediterranean homeland that inspired the combination.
Heralding the season of abundance and of transition, the spring menu introduces a lot of green as the tubers are replaces by asparagus, green pea flowers and herbs such as verbena, marigold and sage. Green Pea Caviar is an homage to nature. They are served close to their natural state as possible to retain the texture. The Asparagus with Bottarga and Eggs revisits the classic marriage of asparagus and egg yolks whilst the lamb with chicory and zucchini flowers presents a bucolic and extremely complex dish.
Preface of the book by Silvio Ursini
Foreword by Takanori Nakamura
Introduction by Andrea Petrini
Texts and recipes by Luca Fantin
Photography by Andrea Fazzari and Takao Ikejiri
Find out more about the culinary creations of Luca Fantin