Acclaimed Michelin-starred chef Francesco Gasbarro will arrive in HCM City for a very special Italian culinary residency hosted at The Reverie Saigon from October 16-20.

Chef Gasbarro will present a five-course wine dinner at R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant on October 16 and a six-course menu on October 17- 20.

Direct from the hottest dining destination in Geneva, La Bottega, Chef Gasbarro will bring his signature free-style approach to Italian cuisine. La Bottega was awarded its Michelin star just five months after opening in 2015, and has retained it since then, thanks to its determination to marry inventiveness with the highest quality ingredients.

His signature dishes to be presented at R&J will include Uovo (slow cooked organic egg, cauliflower and truffle), cappelletti (home-made pigeon ‘cappelletti’ pasta, butter and fresh thyme), spaghetti (spaghetti pasta, smoked lapsang souchong tea, pumpkin and pecorino), ricciola (line-caught Mediterranean amberjack, organic carrot, almond and ginger), manzo (USDA first choice beef rib-eye, Đà Lạt sweet potato and onion), and nocciola (hay ice-cream, Piedmont hazelnuts and passion fruit).

Gasbarro began his culinary education early. He opened his first restaurant in the Campo di Marte area of Florence, before teaming up with Paulo Airaudo to open La Bottega.

“My aim is to redefine Italian food and while it is firmly rooted in tradition, I am not constrained by tradition,” Gasbarro said.

The five-course wine dinner is priced at VNĐ1,988,000++ while the six-course dinners are VNĐ1,488,000++ or 2,488,000++ with paired wines.

The R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant is located at the Times Square Building, 22-36 Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard and 57-69F Đồng Khởi Street in District 1. For reservations, please call (028) 3823 6688. — VNS