With Michelin-starred pop-ups becoming the order of the day, it looks like India is well and truly on the global culinary map. The latest to join this illustrious bandwagon was The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences, which hosted a pop-up on November 22 and 23, featuring Villa Cora, a prestigious two Michelin-key hotel in Florence.
Chef Abhishek Gupta, executive chef at The Leela Gurugram and an inveterate traveller, connected with the Italian chefs on his travels and orchestrated the pop-up, bringing executive chef Alessandro Liberatore of Villa Cora to Gurugram. Chef Alessandro was assisted by his sous chef Mattia Nesi, who also translated for him, since he speaks mostly Italian. The pop-up took place at Zanotta, the star hotel’s fine-dine Italian restaurant.
Chef Abhishek Gupta, executive chef at The Leela Gurugram met (centre) chef Alessandro Liberatore and (left) Mattia Nessi on this travels
Chef Alessandro has worked his magic in the kitchens of Villa Cora for a decade, after stints at the restaurants of the Il Salviatino hotel and at Il Cestello in Florence. He has worked in a number of Michelin-star restaurants, including Al Gallopapa in Castellina in Chianti and Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole, which have influenced his culinary sensibilities.
Just a 20-minute walk from the iconic Ponte Vecchio, Villa Cora is perched above Florence in the heart of a centuries-old park with a view of the Boboli Gardens, and dates back to 1863. It also has an interesting history. It was briefly owned by Empress Eugenie, widow of Napoleon III, and has played host to a number of dignitaries, including Enver Pasha and Japanese Emperor Akihito. It’s a testament to 19th-century opulence and aristocratic splendour, and the food is no less spectacular.
Aubergine Mille-fueille and (right) black cod ceviche
Chef Alessandro’s modern take on traditional Italian dishes brings a refreshing interpretation to the table. While fellow diners ooh-ed and aah-ed over their deconstructed bruschetta, I dug into the dark eggplant cube served with a parmesan wafer.
Ravioli with pappa al pomodoro and (right) gnocchi
The ceviche of black cod topped with herring caviar was sublime and the potato gnocchi, which I can never resist, really hit the spot, as did the red prawn risotto. One of chef Alessandro’s signature dishes is the ravioli with a pappa al pomodoro (bread and tomato) filling, in a nod to the traditional Tuscan soup. For the mains, I opted for a gently cooked shoulder of lamb, although Chilean sea bass and tomato tarte tatin were also temptingly on the cards.
The Leela Gurugram has a spread of petit fours for the pop-up
Everything was innovatively plated, making it a feast for the eyes as much as for the stomach. It was almost heartbreaking to demolish the works of art that the dishes were. Not to be outdone, the Leela Gurugram team — which had, in any case, assisted the Italian chefs throughout — put together a spread of petits fours so lavish it needed an entire room of its own to be displayed.
The meal was paired with excellent Italian wines, from the Bottega Della Venzie Pinot Grigio (Veneto) to the Cortese di Gavi DOCG (Piedmont) and the La Brancaia Ilatraia IGT (Tuscany). Of course, Cinzano Prosecco flowed throughout. Priced at Rs 25,000 plus taxes per person, the exclusive meal was sold out.
“In Tuscany, we are blessed to have the sea, the mountain, and the plains. The climate is good and we have access to a lot of meats, fish and vegetables. At Villa Cora, we run a seasonal kitchen,” shared chef Alessandro. Despite the pressure of presenting the perfect Italian meal to Gurugram’s discerning diners, his smile never seemed to leave him.
The visiting chefs with the team at The Leela Gurugram
Speaking about the seasonal produce, he added, “Currently we are serving the autumn menu with a lot of pumpkin. We are not doing a lot of tomatoes, since the season is over. Of course, being a hotel, we do have a tomato sauce for the pasta, but there’s no tomato in the fine-dining restaurant. We are also using celeriac, celery, and Jerusalem artichokes right now.”
At Villa Cora, there’s also a deep focus on sustainability, explained the chef, which is why they only use sustainably caught fish. They also have a modest kitchen garden, where they grow a few herbs, “to do the finishing when plating.”
About coming all the way to India to do the pop-up, chef Alessandro remarked, “It’s very important for us to come here and see this beautiful nation. Also, collaborating with a new team is very good.”
What was also “very good” was the meal — one to be recounted on cold winter nights by a fireplace in times yonder. After all, it’s not every day that chefs from a two Michelin-key hotel in Florence land up in Gurugram and cook up a multi-course Tuscan storm.
