QUALITALY 139

May 2024 XI MAGAZINE AT PAGE 36 CHEF’S FACES Not just Water A FEW KILOMETRES FROM HOME, IN THE BASSO VARESOTTO, THE POSSONI FAMILY HAS BEEN RUNNING A RESTAURANT DEVOTED TO RAW FISH AND CLASSIC FISH DISHES FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS. MA.RI.NA. IS THE NAME OF THE RESTAURANT, A HISTORIC NAME THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED A MICHELIN STAR FOR TWENTY-SIX YEARS FOR ITS ABILITY TO TREAT FISH WITH POLITE GENTLENESS IN RESPECT OF A NOBLE AND DELICATE INGREDIENT THAT IN OLGIATE OLONA, A PORT WITHOUT A HARBOUR, ARRIVES WITH A LITTLE MORE EFFORT THAN ELSEWHERE AND ONLY THANKS TO PAINSTAKING RESEARCH. IT IS IN THIS FERTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT DAVIDE POSSONI, SON OF PINO, MAÎTRE AND SOMMELLIER, WAS EDUCATED, LONG AT HIS FATHER’S SIDE. DAVIDE OPENED A NEW RESTAURANT IN 2021 WITH THE HELP OF HIS PARTNER ANDREA MARCELLA. ACQUA, THE NAME OF THE RESTAURANT A FEW STEPS FROM MA.RI.NA. , HAS THE VAGUE SHAPE OF A SHIP READY TO SET SAIL. WOOD, STONE AND STEEL MERGE INTO CLEAN LINES THAT SHOW A SPACIOUS OVAL ROOM. THERE IS NOTHING REDUNDANT IN THE FURNISHINGS, ESSENTIAL ENOUGH TO GIVE DESIGN TO THE SPACE. THE TABLES ARE LARGE AND CIRCULAR. THE MISE EN PLACE IS ELEGANT YET RATIONAL. THE LIGHTS ACCOMPANY THE SPACES WITHOUT AFFECTING THEIR FRACTURES. THE SECRET ROOM GIVES THE PRIVACY NECESSARY FOR A FEW EXCLUSIVE GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE ACQUA IN THE COMFORT OF A CONVIVIAL GATHERING AWAY FROM PRYING EYES. THE CHEF’S TABLE OPENS ONTO THE KITCHEN AND THE MEN WHO WORK THERE AS IF IT WERE A BALCONY OVERLOOKING IT. THE DEHORS, AT THESE LATITUDES, IS FOR FINE WEATHER, DESPITE THE NOW MILD WINTERS. THE BIOCLIMATIC SHOWCASE REMINDS US OF THE BIOSPHERE OF PERFECT ECOSYSTEMS WITH THE SEQUENCE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW MARKING THE SUCCESSION OF DAY AND NIGHT, THE BREEZE DISRUPTING THE FOLIAGE, THE RAINS GIVING LIFE TO THE PLANTS. IT IS A HARMONIOUS WELL-BEING, AN ALMOST ABSOLUTE SENSE OF PEACE THAT LEADS ONE TO QUIETLY ENJOY THE WAIT FOR THE MEETING WITH DAVIDE POSSONI AND THE CUISINE OF ALESSANDRO MENONCIN, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT ACQUA. by Gianluca Donadini CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU STARTED AND DEVELOPED YOUR PATH IN THE KITCHEN? In 2008, I enrolled at the International School of Haute Cuisine in Colorno. Previously I had attended the Faculty of Law. After finishing school I spent three years at Spigaroli’s in Polesine Parmense. Then I move to London with my partner. I start with Gordon Ramsey in Royal Hospital Road and ended up at the Hilton in Park Lane, which has a Michelin- starred restaurant led by Chef Galvin. In 2011 I was with Ducasse for a year at Bulgari before arriving at Hélène Darroze’s Connaught where I stayed for three years. I later returned to Italy for the birth of my eldest daughter and worked at the Bianca Maria Palace in Milan. With Covid I found myself at Arabesque Caffè in San Babila, which has a simple and fast kitchen with patrons attending the court. Thanks to Chef Salmoiraghi of Ristorante Acquerello in Fagnano Olona, my professor at Alma, I was put in contact with Davide Possoni who is starting the Acqua project. DID YOU DO ANY PARTICULAR INTERNSHIP? From Gastón Acurio to Barcelona. It was a transition of new flavours, new concepts, many talented stunts. I would have liked to work with him in Lima to learn more about Peruvian cuisine but with the girls it would have been complicated to move to Latin America. WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN, AND KEPT, FROM EACH OF THE CHEFS WHO TRAINED YOU. At Spigaroli the importance of ingredients: the quality of a Spigaroli courgette is immense. At Gaston Acurio’s the ability to balance spiciness and acidity. At Hélène Darroze’s the very disciplined, almost maniacal, organisation of the brigade. IN THE KITCHEN WE HAVE TO SEARCH AT ALL COSTS FOR THE SPECIAL INGREDIENT THAT AMAZES OR IN THE ORDINARY WE ALREADY FIND THE EXTRAORDINARY IF ONLY WE KNOW HOW TO LOOK HARD ENOUGH. In Northern Europe, where there is less abundance of choice due to the harshness of the climate, the chef has to search for the special ingredient to amaze. They beat fields and forests in search of lichens, unusual berries, bark. Think of Noma in Copenhagen. In Italy, we are spoilt for choice in the daily wealth of our culinary choices and the products of a generous agricultural nature. The search for something too particular could become prissy. THE NEED TO CREATE FUSION CUISINE AT ALL COSTS, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? It’s difficult to explain. In my case I have meat and fish dishes that might seem fusion. Our beef tataki for example is a fusion of Italian and Japanese elements and techniques. A LOVE FOR JAPANESE CUISINE? The fusion of Italian and Japanese elements does not come from the exercise of assembling different cultural elements because I am looking for innovation at all