A drive to the restaurant is almost worth it, except plan to move when traffic is low especially if you are staying in the old city.
Recently opened, the restaurant is connected to Eataly, inside the largest food shop in Istanbul specializing in Italian products, it is simply huge. The Eataly concept is well-known and has been tested all around the globe but does it make sense for a three star Michelin chef to open in Istanbul? This is something only Massimo can answer.
This night the restaurant was quiet with a few tables mixed with locals, except our table. The service excellent, the maître d’hôtel is friendly and passionate about his work. The decor is suitable, not nearly as chic as Modena, but chic enough with a relaxed contemporary environment and a nice view.
Offered an amuse bouche, Massimo’s young chef served us signature dishes as we left it all up to him. We ate several courses and the cuisine was excellent, plenty of taste and plenty of food.
The cod was outstanding and the slow cooked meat superb with an added course of pasta with a meat Ragù.
The Cetarese pasta was a highlight, made with anchovy sauce is typical of Cetara a town and commune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. An original Roman sauce recovered and reprocessed in the Middle Ages by the monks of the Coast. The principle is straight forward: the anchovies are “stowed” in salted and under weight in barrels. The salt facilitates the drainage of fluid from the anchovies, which are stored in glass containers exposed to the sun for the water to evaporate and the concentration of the liquid increases. Finally the liquid is “cast” again between the anchovies stowed to flavor further and finally discarded.
This pasta was a dream and is worthwhile the travel to enjoy the refined taste of Massimo’s Pasta Cetarese. We enjoyed a nice evening and highly recommend a visit if you go to Istanbul.
http://www.osteriafrancescana.it/ristoranteitalia
Categories: Cycles, Restaurants
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