Il Sereno al Lago

Dishes mentioned

• Amuse Bouche

  We start with the amuse bouche. First, the 'frutta nera' — a cube of figs macerated for about 60 days. Then the 'carota mandorle prezzemolo' — an acidic carrot brioche, parsley sauce, almond cream, topped with piment d'espelette and salted almonds. Then the oysters with a plum compote. Then the 'dosa' — a fermented lentil and rice crepe filled with mutabal, topped with a pomegranate sauce. Finally, the beef tendon cooked in a casserole, served with a celery extract, the casserole juice, and grated grapefruit. The fig one is particular — it tastes like licorice, but there's a play between the sweetness of the fig and a pinch of salt. I really like the work on the carrot, even just aesthetically. In the green sauce there's that marzipan note of almond, super fresh, balancing the sweetness of the carrot. The amuse bouche didn't blow me away, but it creates curiosity for what comes next.

• Ricciola in Cevice

  This is amberjack matured for about 10 days, served with a kimchi of tenderumi (zucchini shoots) and its juice. They call it 'ricciola in cevice' but it's their own interpretation — all the acidity that a classic ceviche would have is given here through the kimchi. The amberjack has no salt, only its natural sapidity from maturation, and raw trombetta zucchini for texture. The chef came to explain it. The fish has a nice meatiness to the cut and eye, with that rainbow effect. I find it very elegant in its simplicity. The wine is too floral for the dish, I think. And I'm not sure about the zucchini as a texture partner — maybe something crunchier or softer would work better. But overall, a great dish, I would have eaten more of this.

• Pappardelle PPF

  This is the pappardelle PPF — panna, prosciutto e funghi. But it's a reinterpretation: pappardelle made with grano arso (burnt wheat flour), accompanied by a cured deer ham marinated with barley miso. Hidden at the bottom, there are pioppino mushrooms in sweet and sour. And instead of cream, the chef — who's not a fan of cream, being from Campania — makes a sauce with mozzarella whey and aromatized with pork shoulder jus. This was the dish I was most scared of, but it's pure comfort food. In my head I was thinking fettuccine with cream and mushrooms, but no — the ham was a bit of a trick when he told us, because he made it sound simple, but it's actually grano arso pasta, the cream is mozzarella whey, and the mushrooms are agrodolce. It's like the pasta you make at home but elevated. Fantastic texture, beautiful.

• Riso alla Pescatora

  This is 'riso alla pescatora' — rice, not risotto. The chef's goal is that butter and parmesan don't prevail, so it's not as creamy as a classic risotto, the rice is more grainy. At the base there are raw razor clams that get heated by the rice's heat, and on top, blanched octopus suckers. There's a seaweed powder. The aroma is interesting. The texture is not bad, and the flavor reminds me of the classic trattoria-style risotto alla pescatora, but with much cleaner flavors. I like what he did with the octopus suckers — they give a kind of crunch, a different texture. There's none of that oiliness. But the flavor reminds me of those Sunday lunches, communions, weddings — genuine flavors. Simple, essential, beautiful presentations.

• Rombo Chiodato

  This is the turbot, marinated in Rubia Gallega fat and its less noble parts. They take the fat from the Rubia Gallega for other dishes, plus chicken skin and less noble parts of turbot and other aged fish, render the fat, add soy miso, and let the fish marinate for 5 days. Then it's steamed so the fat melts — no grill, no fire. It's glazed with a Rubia Gallega dashi. On top, the less noble parts of chicken, the skin made crispy like rotisserie chicken. I dip right in. The chicken skin is good. I like the aromatic aspect of the herbs. I like the journey — initial confusion, then he makes you taste everything, and then he brings them out one by one. You taste the fish, the meat jus, but then there's this cleanliness from the vegetables, the herbs. Your lips get sticky from the gelatin, but your mouth feels fresh. Beautiful play. The white wine pairing works well.