Azote, The cocktail-restaurant nikki of Turin, has the new Confini tasting menu presented to the public , like the lines that delimit Peru from its neighboring countries, and borders like the lines that have been erased for this new map, to propose an offer capable of telling the story of South America in all its totality. And because, after all, borders, as the Peruvian chef of the restaurant claims Alexander Robles, I am “virtual lines that objectively delimit where countries geographically begin and end. History teaches us that the current ones were designed in relatively recent times and that, therefore, the cultures of a country are clearly influenced by those of the surrounding populations.”.
The place we told you about here, is appreciated at first sight for the care put in first person in the individual furnishing details. The choice of objects and their arrangement in the spaces with a vintage-exotic style has never been obvious or, in any way, banal. There are three areas where you can sit: the Tropical Room just in front of the entrance, with large tables, floral wallpaper, sage green walls, dark green armchairs and sofas, rattan seats and an unmistakable vintage touch,
there Green Room overlooking the terrace, located on the left, with a unique atmosphere, a splendid central table, intimate corners and precious furnishing details, including rattan seats,
and finally there Cocktail Room,
internationally inspired space dedicated to mixology with comfortable velvet seats at the table and at the bar, where every boundary between those who prepare a drink and those who taste it is erased thanks to the high seats that overlook the bar counter inspired by the atmospheres of grand period hotels.
For guests there is the possibility of order a tasting menu (now a must of the brand!) with six courses and as many cocktails to match, served in small portions (sips). The signatures are those of chef Alexander Robles and bar manager and partner Matteo Fornaro, who shares ownership of the restaurant with his partner and soul of the dining room and pastry shop Noemi Dell'Agnello.
“Each tasting tour is a journey in which we lead our customers to discover exotic places and consequently ingredients.. In this case” continues Matteo Fornaro “we decided to accompany them aboard a South American Orient Express. In the cocktails I tried to capture the same sensations evoked by the chef, using raw materials typical of these geographical areas, but unusual in a cocktail.”.
The six stages of the Borders route explore Peru and its five bordering states (Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador), from which typical recipes or ingredients have been borrowed.
If in Ecuador the chef has enhanced the scorzonera, a root cooked under vacuum in fermented corn (chickpeas of the day in Ecuador), and patacones, ripe plantains steamed and vacuum-packed and then fried, in Sip Two (the second cocktail of the tasting menu) Matteo Fornaro proposed pastry in a glass. Vodka and tequila became the basis of a butter brioche-flavored liqueur, mixed with Chinese cinnamon bark decoction and citric acid.
With Bolivia, a bok choy appetizer, enriched with the exotic flavors of passion fruit, lulo, avocado and the Bolivian Papa Milenaria potato, the bar manager took inspiration from South America for the pairing drink. In Sip Four, The 'nduja-flavored mezcal was paired with red pepper and melon pisco. The cocktail was finished with sugar and citric acid.
In the penultimate pairing, a personal interpretation of the local bean soup tomato soup Chile, was approached Sip Five, a classic for those who have already been to this bar. This is the signature Hongos y laurel, a drink born many years ago and then always evolved and improved by the bartender. In the drink, the protagonists are the flavors of mushrooms-laurel, a classic Peruvian combination used to flavor meats. The combo of ingredients is infused in a blend of whiskey, 70% bourbon and 30% peaty scotch, accompanied by 30% reduced vermouth, and finally a decoction of fresh bay leaves, citric and malic acid.
“The Borders Path” – the chef continues – “it is also a litmus test of ancestral food trends. Three out of six dishes are plant-based, demonstrating the fact that meat alternatives have always existed. In the past, fruits, vegetables, nuts and roots were an integral part of the South American diet – particularly in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – unlike meat and fish, which were only occasionally present in the diet.”
Extreme research behind the drinks can also be found in the new menu choices. If theOyster Martini, like the Hongos y laurel, is a signature of Azotea, now re-proposed in an evolved version, with gin clarified (and then filtered) with cold-macerated oyster leaves, Eggplant represents the evolution of the cocktail that Matteo Fornaro proposed at the Turin stop of the Mix Contest Italy Tour. The vegetable, torch-burned on the skin, cooked in the oven and then vacuum-packed, flavors, together with the kiwi, the mezcal. The drink is completed with clarified kiwi juice and green pepper, mint and ginger cordial.
Who is Matteo Fornaro?
Born in 1978 and originally from Vercelli, Matteo Fornaro He trained as an advertising graphic designer, a path he soon abandoned to dedicate himself to bartending: a profession that gave him the opportunity to travel the world. After his role as a barback, he attended the first AIBES course on mixology and took on the role of bartender for the first time, in Cervinia, where he approached research mixology for the first time, handling homemade. At Il Baretto, together with his future partner Noemi, he developed a proposal for research mixology, which focused on the theme of contamination. Around the same theme, he developed Azotea, a unique Nikkei cocktail-restaurant in Italy, first opened in Laigueglia and then moved to Turin. His favorite cocktail? The Margarita. His distillate? Tequila.
Who is Noemi Dell'Agnello?
Born in Pontedera in 1986, Naomi of the Lamb She began her career in the dining room, then moved behind a bar counter and then covered multiple roles, including barista and coffee taster. First she trained in the round and then passed on her skills to the staff she found herself managing, in cafeterias, clubs, but also hotels. During her experience at Il Baretto in Santa Teresa di Gallura, she developed the concept of Azotea, a venue that she would open a few years later, following her experience as a consultant for the group in charge of Wunderkammer al Lago di Castel Gandolfo.
Who is Alexander Robles?
Born in 1988 and originally from Cusco, Alexander Robles He grew up in the restaurant world from an early age. At the age of 14, he began working his way up between the dining room and kitchen of the two restaurants owned by his restaurateur grandparents. He joined his father in Italy, attended the Hotel Institute and began a wandering of experiences that would take him to Italy and abroad. After two working stints in Turin and its province - with Marco Avidano in Chieri and at the Del Cambio restaurant - he had the opportunity to work for Gaston Acurio, one of the most important Peruvian chefs. After a year in Mexico, he returned to Italy, to take on the role of sous chef at Villa Tiboldi, 1 Michelin Star, then in France, at L'Escale and later in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Italy in Turin, where in January 2022 he became the executive chef of Azotea.
