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/span>On Aug. 25, Rosso at the Shangri-La Jakarta introduced its new chef, the eccentric Sicilian Gianfranco Perroni. The introduction was delivered in a unique way.

Just before the guests were escorted to the main dining room to get a glimpse of chef Perroni’s creations, the lights were dimmed.

Out of the crowd, a man, with black sunglasses and a white shirt, stood in front of the bar facing toward the guests. An entertainer, or so we thought. He sang a song, something from the Italian language, with romantic charisma and eccentricity. What a surprise, it was chef Gianfranco Perroni.

Before the era of chef Gianfranco Perroni, Rosso was helmed by chef Paolo Gionfriddo, also a Sicilian.

Born and raised in Sicily, Italy, Chef Franco spent his childhood cooking with his parents and siblings, mastering the subtle art of seasoning and heritage recipes, which are now exquisitely presented in his signature dishes.

We began with a plate of bistecca di Salmone (salmon steak) with tomato sauce and served with sauteed wild mushrooms and slightly creamy parmesan spinach. The salmon was cooked to perfection, as pink as a maiden’s blush.

After salmon we were given a plate of filetto di Manzo, which means beef tenderloin. The beef was cooked medium-rare, then generously smeared with robust, rich, creamy gorgonzola cheese. The beef was complemented by a rustic potato and a sweet and sour red onion.

As we indulged in the dishes, the event’s wine partner, Santa Margherita, offered to pair the dish with an Italian Chianti, a Santa Margherita Chianti Classico from 2011.

The pairing worked beautifully with the next dish, a staple Italian vegetable duet of eggplant and tomato. It was a classic Parmigiana di Melanzane, or eggplant parmesan with a blob of buffalo mozzarella. Buffalo milk is richer than a cow’s, and so Buffalo cheese is particularly creamy.

For the finale, we were given a trio of Italian desserts: cannoli, tiramisu and cassata. The tube of cannoli was deep fried to perfection, deep golden brown with a surface as rough as Mars.

Cannoli is a stable Sicillian treat, derived from the word “cannolo”, meaning little tube. Even during the era of Italian immigration to United States, cannoli was considered as a must for Italians to remind them of home. For chef Perroni, generating memories is an essential part of cooking.

Then we were given the next dessert, another classic Italian repertoire, the tiramisu and cassata. Cassata is a kind of layered dessert consisting of ice cream and sponge, a close relative to ice cream cake. Cassata came from Sicily but it’s history goes as far back to the 11th century during Muslim rule in Palermo. Chef Gianfranco’s creation was a three layered ice cream as it included a Neapolitan, then a dollop of cream.

After the last sip of Santa Margherita Dulcedo, it is clear that chef Gianfranco is bringing Sicily to Jakarta in the form of food. Visit Shangri La Jakarta and pay a visit to Rosso to meet the chef in person. While you’re there, you can meet the food as well.