by Nourhane Es Sari
“Beauty connects people” is the motto chosen for Italy’s participation to Expo 2020 Dubai. The purpose of the Italian Pavilion is to enhance the idea of Italian beauty, rooted in centuries-old traditions which, however, do not fear the contamination of new ideas and inspirations.
The Italian Pavillon will host exhibitions, monuments and artistic installations, but there will be also space for one of the protagonists of Italian culture: food, and in particular, gourmet cuisine. The man who will bring the tradition of Italian cuisine to Dubai is Niko Romito, a well-known Michelin- starred chef from Abruzzo, whose mantra is simplicity. Chef Romito will bring two gastronomic projects to Expo 2020: “Spazio bar e cucina”, launched for the first time in Milan during Expo2015 and “Ristorante Niko Romito”.
“Spazio bar e cucina” aims at replicating the atmosphere of a typical Italian bar, mixed with a hint of the conviviality of a domestic environment. Typical breakfast products and dishes reinterpreted in a modern way are served in an environment where cuisine and hospitality take on a completely informal connotation.
“Ristorante Niko Romito”, on the other hand, is a project dedicated to gourmet and elegance, conceived by the chef exclusively for Bulgari Hotels & Resorts in Dubai, Milan, Beijing and Shanghai. Chef Romito proposes a gastronomic format characterized by a concentration of taste accompanied by the lightening of classic Italian dishes. A journey that goes from region to region, from cotoletta alla milanese to a typical dish of Naples, burrata with anchovies. Protagonist of Romito’s kitchen is bread, a fundamental ingredient of his cuisine.
The strength of the projects, as the chef himself underlines, is “the evocative power of Italian cuisine”, its ability to capture the essence of the territories, tradition, history and beauty.
Niko Romito, with his three Michelin stars, is certainly the right person to bring to Dubai fundamental component of Italian culture such as food and culinary art. With Chef Romito, Italy’s participation in the universal exhibition is complete.
