Roberto Pinna sets alight the Scalini dining experience

New Chef de Cuisine Roberto Pinna

Scalini restaurant’s new Chef de Cuisine Roberto Pinna is delighting guests with a fascinating selection of dishes inspired by his upbringing in Sardinia and his extensive experience in countries such as Switzerland, Antigua and Malaysia.

Roberto, 29, has joined the Scalini team from the Shangri-La Hotel Tanjug Aru Sabah in Malaysia where he was Chef de Cuisine at two restaurants. He worked previously as the Italian cuisine chef in a fine dining restaurant at the world-famous Rosewood Hotels and Resort Jumby Bay on the Caribbean island of Antigua. He has also worked in restaurants in Kuwait city, Sardinia, Dublin and Verbier.

Roberto is adding excitement and intrigue to the Scalini dining experience with his ‘Light my Fire’ cooking show where newly-created à la carte dishes are prepared at guests’ tables using a combination of fire, smoke and ice.

‘Light my Fire’ cooking show by Chef Roberto Pinna

“This new ‘Light my Fire’ cooking show involves close-up interactions between our guests and the chefs and service staff at the comfort of each dining table to provide an entertaining and truly mouth-watering experience for every diner,” explains Roberto. “We play the famous pop song ‘Light my Fire’, from the 1960s, during the preparation of dishes such as Manzo, which is a succulent beef tenderloin from Australia flambéed in Grappa and served with smoked eggplant and fire-roasted potatoes. This really is a menu designed to satisfy every palate and guests are invited to help with the preparation of their favourite dishes at the dining table.”

Chef Roberto Pinna’s ‘Light my Fire’ Wine Dinner

At the invitation of Scalini, we have experienced Chef Roberto Pinna’s ‘Light my Fire’ Wine Dinner featuring his tantalizing dishes paired with some beautiful Italian wine.

Pass around Canapés

Burned foie gras & fig jam
Salmon carpaccio & frozen orange
Beef tartar & mustard greens
SPARKLING WINE: Glera, Pitars Cuvée Prestige and Bellini Peach with Glera Pitars Cuvée Prestige, Italy

Among all three canapés, we especially like burned foie gras & fig jam, which was a delight to the eyes. Just looking at the hearty piece of foie gras already made our mouth water. The beef tartar was tasted wonderful on the palate!

Starter

Marinated watermelon, Italian burrata cheese, oysters, asparagus salad
WHITE WINE: Rivera Bombino Bianco Italy

The pairing of this course was impressive. The aroma of the wine complemented the dish with a floral taste. Flavours of marinated watermelon, burrata cheese and oysters were well balanced. It would taste better if the thin-cliced asparagus was a bit softer.

Middle Course

Monkfish tortellini, citrus sauce, Sardinian bottarga, fresh mint & broccoli salsa
WHITE WINE: Rivera Bombino Bianco Italy

The tortellini was al dente! It was a scrumptious dish. The mint and broccoli salsa and the monkfish tortellini were a perfect match in flavour.

Main Course

Slow-cooked beef cheek, roasted onions, spicy baby carrots, eggplant purée & rosemary sauce
RED WINE: Dogajolo IGT Carpineto Italy

The slow-cooked beef cheek was effortless to enjoy, it was really tender and juicy! Its melt-in-the-mouth texture was a joy on my palate!

Dessert

Warm brownie, Valrhona chocolate mousse, Sambuca ice cream
Sambuca shot with crushed coffee bean

For me, the warm brownie was a bit sweet but it did pair with the sambuca shot quite well, though the liquor was a bit too strong for me.

Who in Gourmet Bangkok team reviewed ‘Light My Fire’ Wine Dinner?

Chelsea Chan ~ A food lover, golfer, fun lover, and adventurer
Chelsea was born in Hong Kong and is a genuine food lover. Her palate is especially sharp on Cantonese food, delicacies from Hong Kong and meat (especially beef, chicken and lamb). She is able to taste how the food is cooked and prepared. Besides, she is also a pro buffet gourmet because of her unlimited appetite. When she says ‘too sweet’, it may not be sweet for you as her preference for chocolate is 72++ dark chocolate.

Jeknoi Changpuak ~ A lifestyle journalist, sharp brain, and Chinese guru
Jeknoi was born in Taiwan and is a linguist. Ever since joining the Gourmet Bangkok Team, he has been contributing to our Chinese articles. He is a professional journalist and interviews successful businessmen and special persons for his column in various Chinese newspapers published in Taiwan. He is the owner and founder of 泰國菁菁寮 Jeknoi Changpuak.

Where is Scalini?

Scalini
Address: Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok,  11 Sukhumvit Soi  24, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
Phone: +662 620 6666
Website: Hotel Website

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