When food and art combine

One of Shanghai's top Italian restaurants has managed to fuse food and art into one unforgettable dining experience, Shi Yingying reports.

They call Italians "the people of poets, thinkers, scientists, artists and chefs". Those words are displayed proudly on a sign hanging in front of Rosso Italiano Restaurant & Art - in Italian of course. The last two words - artists and chefs - are especially true when it comes to this venue, which combines food and art in a delectable and inventive way.

"I have two things to offer in my restaurant - good food and good art," said Gian Marco Alessi, owner of the restaurant.

The restaurant's dcor is all red - doors, chairs and lamps - and non-Italians may be taken aback by the bright colors. But the color manages to set the restaurant in a romantic yet contemporary fashion. Literally meaning "red Italian", Rosso Italiano is nested in a historic 1993 building, a former abattoir turned creative center.

"The restaurant doesn't interfere with the building itself. It neither fights nor collides with the architecture - it is part of it," said Alessi, who is also the interior designer of the restaurant. "I asked myself, 'What to use to decorate the restaurant?' The best answer is art."

Fitting perfectly with its posh surroundings, the restaurant's sleek space is also an art gallery, loaded with sculptures, photography, terra-cotta warriors and Chairman Mao slogans. One highlight is a 12-meter by 3-meter painting placed to divide the open kitchen from the dining area.

Divided into four sections, the artwork is framed with glass on four sliding doors and functions as a canvas and curtain to the kitchen. Open the glass doors and the kitchen is revealed to diners, with chefs rolling pasta dough, chopping onions and prepping plates.

"The kitchen is the stage and the most important person here is the chef," said Alessi.

"I also want my customers to enjoy seeing the chefs prepare food and that's why the VIP table is in front of the kitchen."

This table doesn't make picking a seat at Rosso Italiano any easier because each corner of the restaurant is filled with surprises for art lovers.

Once seated, the delicate small red book in front of you, the menu, becomes the evening's reading enjoyment. Loaded with chic, contemporary interpretations of old classics, such as the T-bone Fiorentina of beef with white beans, or the sea bream fillet with roasted asparagus and endive, the menu demonstrates the restaurant's sense of imagination.

Italians take their food seriously, not just as nourishment and pleasure but also as the component of a national and regional identity. "I hate when people call this restaurant 'fine dining'. It is Italian dining that I'm offering here," said Alessi.

The authentic Italian meal starts with a perfect pair - olive oil and a breadbasket. The homemade brown bread shows why Italian food can be at its best when it is at its simplest. Drizzled with the imported olive oil, the bread is a delight.

Interrupted from the indulgence of bread, a waitress, wearing a uniform akin to a classic Chanel jacket, brings the starter, an amuse-bouche of the chef's choice. Vying for the honor of top appetizer is the spicy roasted octopus and prawns with seasonal vegetables. Fresh from the oven, the prawns are fragrant, tender and luscious.

Dressed with a little tongue tingling pepper, the expertly roasted octopus has a tender ring that delights the palate.

There is no dish that's more of a gamble than risotto. But Michelin chef Valentino's Carnaroli risotto with asparagus and prawns is a work of art - creamy and steaming hot with rich flavor, and laden with large pieces of prawn.

The secret of making the risotto, according to the chef, is the sauce. The trick in cooking is to keep it at a proper heat and leaving it to bubble gently as it absorbs the liquid, which is added gradually.

Among the fish dishes, cod fish fillet, cooked at a low temperature on crispy bread, baby spinach and tomato sauce is a good choice. When the tidy package was slit open at the table, the seductive aroma of tomato and olive oil filled the room, and the fish was perfectly cooked.

The dessert brings the entire meal together. Taking the chef's advice, the freshly made pear gelato was the shining star of the night. Made with a Pacojet ice cream maker, the combination of pureed pear with silky cream is reminiscent of pear cake a la mode.