It’s now been three months since Alla Prossima opened in the Abstract Hotel in Upper Queen Street. Ponsonby News sat down with Executive Chef, Gabriele Marangoni, to learn of his plans and to get the inside story about his take on tiramisu.
Alla Prossima is a destination restaurant that specialises in Emiliano Romagnola cuisine. It’s also a restaurant inside a hotel.
How is that different and what are the challenges?
As always, it’s about my relationship with the customers who eat the food I prepare.
The relationship I have with hotel guests is a little different from the one I have in a stand-alone restaurant. It’s a more gregarious, more familiar environment. Hotel guests exhibit a sense of belonging – it’s their restaurant. I may see them more than once in a day and can greet and acknowledge them. They chat a little more easily, so I get to listen to their stories. They quickly find a favourite place.
At the same time, it’s more rewarding. Abstract Hotel is surrounded by some very good K’ Rd restaurants, so if someone staying chooses to dine in house several times during their stay, I feel a sense of pride. They have a world of choice on their doorstep, yet they choose to come back to the same place, maybe even to order the same dish.
Alla Prossima means “until next time.” Our promise is that you will enjoy your meal so much you’ll want to return soon, and with hotel guests we get to see that promise materialise. It’s very rewarding.
But don’t you have to cater to a broader audience in an in-house restaurant?
You’re right. We specialise in regional cuisine. People who choose Alla Prossima as a destination often understand that, but hotel guests may think, “Italian. Where’s the pizza?” That’s part of the challenge – catering to all expectations. I want people to have a particular experience of Italian cuisine. Bringing that to the breakfast menu requires great care. One step at a time. I’m introducing scrambled eggs carbonara: we’ll see how that goes.
How do you make a connection with your customers?
A lot of that has to do with seeing and being seen. Dining is not just about fuelling the body. Every time I cook for someone, I feel a connection. If I’m shut in a kitchen, any feedback comes via the wait staff: no matter how observant and diligent they are, my connection with customers is at one remove. With an open kitchen I can see how each customer responds to my dishes – what surprises them, what delights them. I learn from them. It’s a more intimate relationship.
And because they can see me preparing their food, they have a greater sense of involvement in the meal. They can see my passion, the care and attention that goes into each dish. It’s not just a something that materialises in front of them. I don’t think I could go back to a closed kitchen.
Does that go into the preparation too? Is that why you sometimes make the pasta where customers can see it
Indeed. Tatsou, our sous chef, is an exceptional pasta maker – better than me – so I ask him, when we have time, to make it in the open. The feedback we get is amazing. People love to watch, even if it’s not what they’ve ordered. They get mesmerised watching him – seeing the skill, subtlety and care that goes into our pasta.
OK now to the secrets: tell me what’s so different about your tiramisu.
Originally tiramisu consisted of biscuits soaked in coffee and marsala wine with beaten egg yolk and sugar. The latter gives you fast energy. Hence “tiramisu,” which means “pick me up” in Italian. Mascarpone, acidulated cream, was added in the late 70s, during the Italian economic boom. Today the challenge is to lighten the dish while keeping its traditional flavours.
For me it all starts with the mascarpone. We use Giotti, imported for us from Bologna by Granarolo. It’s not as high in fat content as local mascarpone. When you cook with it, it stays creamy, with a velvety texture, rather than becoming buttery.
Instead of using marsala I use amaretto liqueur. That gives the dish an almond flavour. It also allows me to use less sugar, which means I can aerate the mascarpone more and customers don’t leave with a heavy sugary load at the end of their meal.
I want people to leave my restaurant feeling good, not bloated. Then they’ll want to come back again.
Alla Prosimma, 8 Upper Queen Street, T: 09 320 1871, www.allaprossima.co.nz
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