TRAVEL
Michelin Milan cont...
SINE BY DI PINTO
NEOPOLITAN SOUL, MILANESE SOPHISTICATION
SOME RESTAURANTS ARE ABOUT THE FOOD, SOME ARE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. CHEF ROBERTO DI PINTO’ S SINE MANAGES TO BE EMPHATICALLY BOTH.
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Michelin-starred celebration of his Neopolitan roots filtered through Lombard precision, served with such effervescent charm and passion that our 8pm reservation lasted until nearly midnight, Sine means‘ without’ in Latin, a homage to Di Pinto’ s philosophy of removing the superfluous to focus on quality. An ethos evident in everything from the minimalist, art gallery-inspired decor to the glass-framed kitchen where you can watch the magic unfold in course upon course of boundary-testing modern Italian cookery served with a side order of charm.
We began with what I can only describe as the best oyster of my life- a pisco sour concoction that married the brine of the Normandy sea with the citrus of lime sorbet and garlicky hits of guacamole in a way that made perfect, delicious sense.
Next came bread … Well, rather an artistic parade. There were breadsticks disguised in the flower vases on the table, a trolley laden with seaweed focaccia, olive croissant, milk loaves, farmer’ s bread and a sausage loaf all served with butter made from whipped buffalo milk, lemon powder and olive oil named after Di Pinto’ s daughter.
Then, the signature cuttlefish ink pizza. Now, on paper, the thought of tuna tartare on a cuttlefish pizza dough that was deep fried would not have been my first pick. The reality however was pillowy dough, the taste
reminiscent of crispy scraps from proper chip shops from days gone by, and a heady combination of flavours that whisked you from salinity to citrus drama- something I’ d travel to Milan for again and again.
And it was that premise that continued our menu journey. Clever takes on classic dishes interspersed with creative culinary flair. Like the amuse bouche that presented a tiny sphere of tomato sauce inspired by chef’ s mama’ s Sunday sauce recipe, this incarnation taking about six hours of cooking time for six seconds of palate pleasure.
The sheep’ s cheese mousse with heady sulphur from the mountains served in an egg shell with mint oil. The buckwheat waffle with jumbo prawns- playful, precise, nutty, sweet- with interesting twists of grapefruit and orange‘ ketchup’ caviar, yuzu and tomato water. Carpaccio made from buffalo for extra deep rich flavour offset with Provolone cheese. The mushroom tiramisu, like a cappuccino with zabioni instead of marsala, oyster instead of cream. Guinea fowl‘ dulce de leche’ was Di Pinto at his most inventive; a game bird meeting South American sweetness in a combination that shouldn’ t work but absolutely did.
Summing up Di Pinto in one course, you’ d have to choose the pre-dessert‘ Maradona’, his homage to his hometown soccer hero, this time presented as an artist’ s impression of the footballing legend’ s face in dulce de
leche, through which you are encouraged to dunk the accompanying scarapetta mini football enriched with five spice while drinking a lemon spirulina refreshing, zesty palate cleanser interestingly inspired by sports drink, Gatorade.
Everything at Sine is less‘ without’ and much more cleverly‘ with’. A fabulously clever and considered wine list, available as a pairing that can whisk you from Manzoni Bianco Riesling to an 18-month, French oak-aged Joaquin Piante A Lapio( noted as Campania’ s best wine) via an interesting Slovenian orange wine with notes of tobacco and leather. An encapsulating service that explains each dish with the flair of theatre and an intimate dining room that feels more relaxed, like a contemporary art gallery( always a preference to stuffy pretentiousness!).
And of course Di Pinto himself. The effervescent, charming host, full of Neopolitan fun and energy, who moves through the dining room like he’ s hosting a dinner party with beloved friends rather than presenting one of Milan’ s, and indeed the world’ s, most interesting taster menus. Sine is modern art meets modern flavours, and it’ s blimmin’ brilliant.
sinerestaurant. com / en sine _ bydipinto www. insidekent. co. uk • 135