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Four Seasons' Alto collab with Bali's chef Maurizio brings Puglia-inspired dishes to Jakarta
Bali-based Italian chef Maurizio Bombini has teamed up with Four Seasons Jakarta executive chef Marco Violano and executive pastry chef Lorenzo Sollecito to present The Puglia Trilogy, only on March 30 and 31 at Alto Restaurant & Bar.
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Flavorful main: Homemade agnolotti pasta filled with creamy burrata cheese is served in a pool of delicious seafood consommé and lobster meat at Four Seasons Jakarta's The Puglia Trilogy, which celebrates the southern Italian region of Puglia. (Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta) (Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta/Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta)
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urrounded by a view of the capital city’s skyline on the 20th floor of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta in South Jakarta, the Alto Restaurant & Bar has welcomed Bali-based Italian chef Maurizio Bombini as a guest chef only this month.
Chef-owner of his award-winning and namesake Mauri Restaurant in Seminyak, Bali, Bombini is renowned for his fine dining flair, and is in the nation’s capital collaborating with executive chef Marco Violano on the savory dishes featured in The Puglia Trilogy at Four Seasons Jakarta.
The hotel’s executive pastry chef Lorenzo Sollecito completes the trio hosting the “trilogy”, a food event that highlights the southern Italian region of Puglia where Bombini and Violano come from, and to where Sollecito traces his roots through his grandfather.
The three chefs explained why they were promoting Puglia as a travel destination.
“Tourists usually go to the northern part [of Italy]. But now, Puglia has become trendy. Puglia is authentic and people start to get excited about the region,” chef Maurizio told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a four-course lunch preview for selected media on Monday.
“They start to discover [Puglia] cuisine that is highly concentrated on seafood. The weather in Puglia is really good for seafood and vegetables,” he added.
“You can see a lot of seafood [on the menu], which Puglia is renowned for. Most ingredients we use are from Puglia. But we twist them with a modern touch," chef Marco told reporters.
Lunch trilogy
The lunch course starts with three amuse-bouche, or bite-sized hors d’oeuvre: a seafood taco, a spring roll with cod and a truffle panini.
Gravlax di Tonno e Ricciola features tuna and amberjack fish with salsa verde makes the appetizer. The dish is made complete with orange and onion carpione (an Italian pickling technique) that enhance the freshness of the fish.
Homemade agnolotti pasta then comes with delicious seafood consommé, which according to chef Maurizio, is made of seafood stock that is “reduced for nine hours”. The pasta is also filled with creamy burrata cheese that is perfectly matched with lobster meat.
“The burrata cheese is famous in Puglia for its light characteristics,” chef Maurizio told the Post. “It is one of the few kinds of cheese that would go well with seafood.”
The main course is Merluzzo, delicate Alaskan cod with bell pepper and potato espuma (foam) with dehydrated olives. Lastly, chef Lorenzo presented Pumo Pugliese, a sophisticated dessert inspired by Puglia’s rich history.
“For the dessert, we have to jump to 3,000 years ago when Puglia was ruled by the Romans,” he explained. “At that time, the Romans believed in [many] gods. One of them is Pomona, goddess of fertility, fruit and flower. The people, in order to please her, often created [decorative] flower buds for good luck.”
Pumo Pugliese features Gargano lemon and ricotta crème shaped like a flower bud, with a spray of aromatic lemon. Cracking open the bud reveals a pistachio praline topped with strawberry compote. Paired with Primitivo wine, the delicate dessert makes for a sweet ending to the dining experience.
The Puglia Trilogy at Alto Restaurant & Bar is available only on March 30 and March 31 for lunch (12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Rp 588,000++ per person) and dinner (6 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Rp 1,470,000++ per person). Book by phone or WhatsApp message at +622122771888.
