/ Reviews / Italian
No Fusion Confusion
by Monica liau
on Friday, November 20, 2009 12:00 AM
Rosso Italiano may not have prices or a finished menu yet, but the food has great potential. Executive Chef, Daniele Priori, is a purist from Rome. Everything from his kitchen is in season, made from scratch and has hundreds of years of history. "Fusion is confusion," Priori says fiercely. "There is no fusion in my restaurant."
Priori does things the traditional way but this doesn't mean his kitchen turns out tired Italian re-runs. His gnocchi was the most familiar piece of the meal, served with a luscious lamb and sausage ragout, and garnished with lemon, pine nuts and parsley. Next came a single lamb chop with Roman dressing (anchovy, garlic and pecorino), potatoes, mustard and Sicilian caponata (marinated and roasted vegetables with almonds). The mellow, fatty lamb stood out sharply against a backdrop of pungent anchovy, onion and balsamic vinegar.
After two heavy dishes, a refreshing palate cleanser of red wine sorbet with cracked black pepper proved a welcome relief. This was closely followed by a single huge shrimp, lightly fried tempura style and placed atop a salad dressed with olive oil and salt, surrounded by chopped puttanesca tomatoes and pesto aioli. The whole thing was colorful, well balanced and easily snapped up in a couple of bites.
Priori is also a fanatic about his desserts. When he presented a warm almond chocolate cake topped with cool, whipped white chocolate ricotta, garnished with orange, he insisted everything be eaten clockwise. With one bite, it became apparent that the cake was liberally laced with chili powder, throwing a decided kick into the heavy, heavenly cake.
While the food is the shining star of Rosso, the modern red and white interior with exposed stark factory walls is definitely intriguing. Designed by the owner Gian Alessi, it brings to mind an Italian futurist space capsule, clashing thematically with the chefs' traditional food - a disconnect that has no effect on the revelation of Priori's dishes.
The Bottom Line: If Priori can deliver on opening day, his food may leave you seeing red.
