Chef Francesco Apreda of the Hassler Roma promises to introduce real Italian food to Mumbai, come November

The three most famous things from Italy are the Church, Sophia Loren and the Hassler Hotel. Since we know enough about the first two, it’s time we get some know-how about the best hotel in all of Italy. This is why Chef Francesco Apreda from the hotel’s Imago restaurant will step into the kitchen at Vetro, The Oberoi, Nariman Point, in November.

Apreda says that the Hassler Roma had always been foremost on his list of ideal work locations. Located at the top of the Spanish Steps, the hotel is historic in the true sense of the word. “The magic of cooking from such a height and with such an exceptional view is indescribable, as well as the fulfillment of any chef’s greatest dream,” he says.

Now, he runs Imàgo, the Italian restaurant at the hotel. Apreda does a very good job of selling Italian food to Italians in Italy—a task by no means easy. “I started working when I was 13. The hallmark of my cooking is constant research for the best and most prized products, always fresh and seasonal, transformed into my own creative interpretation of Italian food,” he says, explaining how he manages to re-invent himself.

“We are taking to Vetro what we prepare and offer guests in Rome at Imàgo,” he says about the food he’s going to prepare in Mumbai. Some delightful dishes include Fusilloni pasta with quail ragout carbonara style, a delightful Pear and asparagus parmigiana timbale with mushrooms and artichoke sauce, Roasted fillet of sea bass with shallots and Cannellini beans, eggplant and ginger sauce, Semolina and Taleggio cheese pudding with Belgian endives and red onion sauce and Glazed breast of duck with dried fruit, amongst other things.

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