TRUFFLE TRANSCENDENCE
Jakarta’s hottest new Italian restaurant, GAIA, brought the capital’s epicureans to ecstasy with a sublime White Truffle Dinner courtesy of Chef Diego Chiarini.
If black truffles are the culinary equivalent of gold, then white truffles are like platinum – even rarer and more precious, though not always as easy to appreciate. Black truffles are known for their robust, earthy flavour and can be used in many different ways. White truffles, on the other hand, are generally used by adding just a few thin shavings to a dish. This sparing use is not just because white truffles are significantly more expensive than their already pricey black counterparts, but also because their heady, intoxicating aroma is so strong that it requires just a few slivers to achieve dramatic effect.
Although the scent is strong, the taste white truffles impart is refined, complex and subtle. It requires great finesse and precision to craft dishes that utilise them to their utmost potential. It is exactly that kind of culinary artistry that Chef Diego Chiarini displayed on the menu of his recent White Truffle Dinner at GAIA restaurant in Jakarta.
GAIA, which is part of the Altitude complex that also contains foodie favourites Salt grill by Luke Mangan and Enmaru Japanese restaurant, is one of the Indonesian capital’s hottest new restaurants and features a menu and concept masterminded by Chef Diego, who is also behind the hugely popular OSO Ristorante in Singapore. Since it opened last year, it has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best Italian eateries in Jakarta, serving up homemade pastas and scenic views that are unmatched anywhere else.
Chef Diego is an innovative Italian chef known for creating dishes that are both rustic and elegant. After charming an audience full of guests during a cooking demonstration in the afternoon, the boisterous chef headed towards the back of the house to prepare for the night’s feast. His finesse in the kitchen was on full display at the dinner event, which featured four sublime dishes that emphasised different aspects of both white and black truffles.
The starter for this opulent meal consisted of thinly sliced kingfish. The tender, delicate fish was lightly grilled over an open fire and marinated in white truffle, lending an earthy richness to the buttery fish. The taste of truffle was not the only thing resplendent about the dish – a sprinkling of gold dust gave it a luxurious look to match the pricey ingredient.
The pasta course that followed was a definite highlight of the night. It consisted of a single large raviolo filled with ricotta cheese and an egg yolk, bathed in a black truffle sauce. Egg yolk is considered by many chefs to be nature’s most perfect sauce, and its richness was a brilliant complement to the moreish truffles.
The fish course that followed featured fresh scallops, pan-fried with a golden brown crust and accentuated by sauce made from its own juices. Shavings of white truffles were again used to marry the scallops to rounds of delicately dense white radish.
The elegance of this dish contrasted with the boldness of the following meat course: a portion of Wagyu rib meat, made meltingly tender through four hours of roasting and intensely flavourful thanks to a combination of bitter ground coffee and earthy black truffles.
Some might be surprised to learn that white truffles were also made an integral part of the dessert: a creamy frozen parfait topped with white chocolate and more of that glamorous gold dust. It is a testament to the versatility of white truffles, and Chef Diego’s impressive skills, that the sweetness of this dessert was able to work with and even enhance the pungent fragrance of the mushroom.
Even if you missed out on this spectacular dinner, don’t worry. GAIA, as well as the other restaurants in the Altitude Complex, has already become well known for its frequent and fantastic gourmet events. Check their social media sites on Facebook and Twitter to find out what culinary occasions they are cooking up next.
