Chefs, past and present

Zafferano Italian Restaurant & Lounge has hired a new head chef, Emanuele Faggi from Tuscany. Prior to joining Zafferano, Faggi cut his teeth at two Michelin-starred Cracco’s in Milan, and was the executive chef at Singapore’s Gaia Ristorante in 2013.

An emphasis on regional produce and zero food wastage underpins most of his dishes. We recommend the delicate raw red prawns from Mazara, which is served with warm ricotta, overnight-cooked tomato confit, cocktail sauce espuma and drizzled with basil oil ($32). A refreshing dish is Salmone-barbabietola-limetta-salsa Verde-quinoa ($28): salmon marinated in beetroot juice for three days, accompanied with salsa verde from Piedmont and finished with crispy, deep-fried quinoa chips.

Faggi’s Ricotta and Spinach Gnudo Calameretti ($26) with baby squid in butter and sage makes for an innovative choice of dumplings in the Primi course. He also pays tribute to Gualtiero Marchesi, the founder of modern Italian cuisine, with a dish of Carnaroli Acquerello risotto with Vercelli saffron and bone marrow ($32) (Marchesi was known for his signature Milanese saffron risotto dish.) Another dish with an interesting flavour profile is the Piccione-frutti di Bosco-rape Bianche ($68), which consists of roasted Bresse pigeon, mixed berries and rosemary smoked white turnips, drizzled with pigeon jus and sprinkled with hazelnut pralinate. Level 43, Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay. Tel: 6509 1488

An alumnus of Zafferano, head chef Marco Guccio is now the proud chef-owner of his eponymous Guccio Ristorante on Gemmill Lane. Guccio offers seasonal menus to showcase the bursting variety of quality produce. Indulge in antipasti like Piccione-sedano Rapa-vaniglia ($44), which sees a tortelli stuffed with smooth braised pigeon, complemented with celery root purée, seared wild pigeon breast and lashings of vanilla essence. The Gamberi-piselli-ricotta di Bufala-limone ($32) is an ideal light starter, where raw Sicilian red prawns from Mazara sit atop green pea coulis, split peas and lemon-scented buffalo ricotta. For something heartier, try the Manzo-pastinaca-fondo ($44), where fall-off-the-bone tender U.S. prime beef short ribs have been sous-vide for 48 hours, before being served with parsnip purée, seasonal vegetables and veal jus. 20 Gemmill Lane. Tel: 6224 1684