Anatomy of a dish Porcini mushroom risotto from Café del Sol.

Fourteen years after its inception, the family-run Café del Sol collection of Italian restaurants is as popular as ever. And if there’s one dish that keeps people coming back for more, it’s the porcini mushroom risotto, says co-owner Chiara Viljoen

For this risotto, Café del Sol steers clear of standard arborio rice (which they feel can get stodgy quite quickly) in favour of top quality nano rice, which absorbs a little less liquid. The kicker for any mushroom risotto is, of course, the mushrooms. “We use only the best – and the freshest – porcini mushrooms,” says Chiara. They make their own mushroom stock by infusing dried porcini mushrooms in a veggie stock “for super-concentrated flavour”. The quality of a good risotto also depends on the type of cheese used – Café del Sol’s chefs use 18-month matured grated Grana Padano. This risotto has special significance for her family, explains Chiara, who owns and runs the Café del Sol restaurants with her mom, Luciana (who was born in Italy), and brother, Ryan. “I have such wonderful memories of our family taking off for the Mpumalanga forests to forage for mushrooms.” For a final hit of umami and that silky mouthfeel, they finish the dish with a drizzle of truffle oil. Café del Sol Botanico, Upper Level, Bryanston Shopping Centre, Sandton; tel: 011 463 0207