The question kept surfacing on my mind when I ate the food prepared by chef Iacopo Frassi at Bencotto, the Italian restaurant at Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Frassi took over Bencotto as the Chef de Cuisine in the late summer of 2018. The main concept of Frassi's cuisine is declared on Bencotto's website: "contemporary interpretation of timeless Italian culinary heritage". This statement seems to be a mind bender since the idea of timelessness is antithetical to modern re-interpretation. Nevertheless, Frassi is keen to creating new Italian cuisine by reworking the classics. This is a significant shift from the previous iterations of Bencotto, which touted itself as a place for "Home-cooked Italian Cuisine". There is a re-balance of the mind and the heart.
The previous chef of Bencotto, Loris Pistillo, has moved back to Seoul after less than two years in Taipei. Pistillo's cooking was simple and graceful. While Pistillo wasn't a traditionalist, he wasn't overtly trying to re-conceptualize Italian cuisine. The cooking felt from the heart. To emphasize the heart of Italian cooking, twice during his tenure, Pistillo even invited his mother Angela to make pasta at Bencotto. The pastas were delicious and everything one imagines Italian cuisine to be; truly the Italian nonna-style. As one ate the pasta, one didn't think about the need to re-invent Italian cuisine.
New ideas may be good and interesting, but they are not necessarily better or more delicious. Given that traditions in Italian cuisine are so strong, attempts to create new Italian dishes are extremely challenging. In contrast to Pistillo, Frassi is more of a risk taker and as such, the rewards might be bigger but so are the pitfalls. Notwithstanding, Frassi's food is more intriguing and poses more questions than answers for the minds of the diners.
Frassi is a young chef, not even 30 years old. He hails from Tuscany, Italy. Prior to coming to Taipei, he spent almost two years as the chef de cuisine at the Italian restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in Tianjin, China. The short stay in Asia hasn't impacted his cooking significantly yet. His cooking mainly reflects his training in Europe. It probably won't come as a surprise that Frassi not only trained with Italian chefs in Italy, but with a French chef. In his formative years, he was a chef de partie at Alain Ducasse's three-Michelin-star restaurant in London. The connection with France goes beyond Frassi himself. Frassi's masters in Italy also trained with French Michelin-star chefs: Antonio Guida with Pierre Gagnaire and Giuseppe Mancino with Alain Ducasse. While it is hard to quantify how much the French way of cooking and thinking have influenced Frassi, his cooking is different from a chef trained solely in the Italian traditions.
Since Frassi took over Bencotto, I have dined at the restaurant five times on various occasions: lunch with business associates, dinners with family and friends, dinner with a large group, with and without Frassi in the kitchen. I didn't like everything I ate. In fact my first time at the restaurant under his helm, I came away a little disappointed. I wondered to myself, did I order the wrong dishes? But in subsequent visits, I have increasingly come to like the food more. Perhaps I am starting to understand what the chef is trying to do.
Frassi proposed his first menu in October of 2018. Several dishes on the previous menu, more representative of traditional and simple Italian food, are no longer present; the salumi platter, mozzarella salad, pizza, panna cotta, have all disappeared. The new menu is more concise, and organized in the familiar four-course Italian cuisine of starter, pasta, main course and dessert. While many dishes on the menu sound familiar, such as Polpo e Patate, Astice alla Catalana, Diavola, Rossini, and Carbonara, they are not what they seem to be. Each of these classic dishes have been re-imagined.
Instead of the traditional Pollo alla Diavola seasoned with cayenne pepper, Frassi replaces the chicken with the more luxurious saddle of lamb. The meat is topped with a spicy pesto and a rustic Ndjua sauce. The Astice alla Catalana is enhanced by a corn sauce poured table side in addition to the lobster sauce in the middle. The combination of corn and lobster reminds me of the flavors in American cuisine. The presentation is quite elegant and is certainly not your average lobster tartare. These dishes show that Frassi has a tendency towards complexity by layering condiments with sauce or having two sauces in one dish. While I enjoyed these two dishes, some of Frassi's other twists of traditional dishes didn't work as well.
A dish that was more interesting in concept than in taste was the Ravioli alla Carbonara. The idea seems to be derived from the combination of two Italian classics: Spaghetti Carbonara and Tortellini en Brodo. Instead of coating the pasta on the outside with carbonara sauce, the egg mixture is encased inside. Instead of chicken stock, the soup is infused with pancetta. While there are only a few ingredients, the dish felt a bit much, mainly because of the combination of two types of sauces of different viscosities. The ravioli with a sauce inside is almost a bit like a soup dumpling. I don't think another soup is necessary on the outside.
Another dish that I understand in concept but not in taste is Baccala alla Rossini. As the name suggests the dish is inspired by the French classic Tournedos Rossini: filet mignon topped with seared foie gras and served with truffle and Madeira sauce. Instead of beef, Frassi reimagines the dish with black cod. Besides the classic ingredients, he adds the local spice Sebastan Plum Cordia (破布子), which the Taiwanese uses with steamed fish. Instead of crouton, the local vegetable under the dish provides a little crunch. The flavors are not balanced enough and taste is too sweet. Perhaps my palette is biased, but I don't like seafood with sweet sauce. While in the classic Rossini the filet is tender, the black cod is more tender, making the overall texture of the dish too soft. The use of local ingredients are nice, but they didn't really work for me. The dish seems too disconnected from Italy. My impression is Frassi thought too much about the concept of the dish and made it too complicated. Creativity and deliciousness don't aways go hand in hand.
I prefer the other fish dish on the menu, Dal Giappone alla Toscana, red garoupa with eggplant miso chutney, pickled vegetables, and Cacciucco sauce. While miso is not a traditional ingredient in Tuscany, the use of eggplant, pickled vegetable, and the Italian fish stew sauce certainly evokes Italy.
There are two risotto on the menu One is a reference to the ingredients of pizza while the other is with seafood. While both risotto are well executed, I prefer the one with seafood. The Risotto alla Pizzaiola looks fun and is a more interesting idea in terms of presentation. But at the same time, the effect is more forced and actually feels less Italian. Perhaps one of the reasons I like the seafood risotto better is the use of more luxurious ingredients of oyster, sea urchin and red shrimp; the dish is much more expensive. I also like the fact that the rice is served table side, and covered the seafood in a more natural and casual manner. It is as if the chef is saying the ingredients are good enough that he isn't worrying about the presentation.
One of Frassi's signature dishes on the menu is the Piccione Toscano. Just based on the appearance, one can tell this pigeon main course requires a lot of skills in the kitchen. While this is a multi-component dish that is complex, I like it. The pigeon is cooked very well and is very tasty. The only problem is with the small bites, the food doesn't stay hot enough.
Sometimes when Frassi doesn't overthink the dishes, the results are wonderful as in the main course Manzetta Tartufata, Australian Wagyu beef striploin with morel mushrooms, black truffle, and licorice mayonnaise. The beef is cooked well and the flavors are great.
Another spectacular dish at Bencotto is the pumpkin gnocchi with chestnut, cheese, and white truffle. The flavors of the seasonal ingredients go well together. And there is a simplicity and heartiness to the dish that make it deeply satisfying.
Desserts at Bencotto are more delicate now than before. I enjoyed a dish named Bianco Mangiare, or Eat White. The name doesn't reference another dish in Italian cuisine. As such I can simply enjoy the yogurt mousse, pine nuts, banana gelato, and crispy yuzu as the taste themselves. The white crisps are broken in pieces of different sizes and geometry that don't feel fussy, yet produce a sense of mystery that is nice.
In contrast, the dessert called Il Tiramisu is less interesting, and consists of a Mascarpone sphere with a quenelle of Italian espresso gelato, and pieces of sponge cake (perhaps made with the Albert Adrià microwave technique). The Tiramisu at Bencotto is technically more sophisticated than a classic Tiramisu, but not as satisfying to eat. The great thing about the classic Tiramisu is the sum is better than the parts. Together the mascarpone, sugar, egg, ladyfingers and cocoa powder create a bite of flavor that is magical. By separating the Tiramisu into distinctive parts, the presentation is elegant, but the taste is not better than the messy classic version. Once the components are separated, the Tiramsu loses its raison d'être. Bencotto’s version begs the question, at what point is the reference to the classic dish no longer valid or necessary?
In the four years that Bencotto has been in operation, many mid-range Italian restaurants have opened in Taipei: La Mole, Il Mercato, La Locanda, Botega del Vin, Cantina del Gio, Di Vino...etc. While the food and decor of these restaurants are not as posh as Bencotto, they are also not as expensive. In terms of value to the diners, the gap between them and Bencotto is not that far apart. This is perhaps one of the reasons that the management of Mandarin Oriental Taipei has decided to re-orient Bencotto as a fine dining restaurant. Another reason might be the arrival of the Michelin Guide in the spring of 2018. The hotel wants another star restaurant to bolster its standing as the best in Taipei. Bencotto already has the infrastructure for a fine dining restaurant: a fancy interior, a dedicated sommelier, and an experienced front of house team. The management of the hotel has also eliminated the buffet lunches on the weekend; I can finally go to Bencotto for lunch on the weekend again. The repositioning of Bencotto has already paid dividend as the restaurant was awarded one fork by Gambero Rosso in November of 2018.
A meal at Bencotto now starts with a trio of appetizing amuse-busches. This is followed by an excellent house-made bread served with a choice of three olive oils and two types of balsamic vinegars. Furthermore, when the bread and bread sticks are placed on the table, the server spritzes from a bottle made by Antonella Bondi to simulate the smell of freshly baked bread. The food fragrance is fun but a bit forced and gimmicky.
As with a Michelin-star restaurant, the meal ends with a trio of mignardises, which are all very good.
Elevating the food also means elevating the prices. The main courses at Bencotto used to average around NT$1,000. Now they are around NT$1,600 and with a pigeon dish exceeding NT$2,000 (around US$67). While not as expensive as the three-Michelin-star Italian restaurant in Hong Kong or at Frassi's mentor's restaurant in Milan, some of the prices at Bencotto are not too far off from other Michelin-starred Italian restaurants. For instance, a main course of striped bass or halibut at the two-Michelin-star Marea in New York City costs around US$58 (including tax and tip) or NT$1,800. The main course of garoupa at Bencotto is NT$1,738 (including service charge). A four-course meal à la carte at Bencotto now can easily run over NT$4,300 inclusive of the 10% service charge (around US$140): with a appetizer at NT$980, pasta at NT$880, main course at NT$1580, and dessert at NT$480.
Instead of ordering a la carte, the better way in terms of cost may be to go with the set menu at lunch time. The three-course lunch of appetizer, main course, and dessert is NT$1,488. All the dishes in the à la carte menu can be selected and are just served at smaller portions. There are no supplemental charges. So for anyone looking for the best value, just order a foie gras terrine to start, followed by the pigeon as the main course, and chocolate cake as the dessert.
The service at Bencotto has improved from the last time I wrote about the restaurant. Part of the reason has to be members who have been there since the opening have gained more experience and grown with the job. The sommelier Alex Tsai has also been at Bencotto since the opening. He has always been very professional and seems more relaxed now. I enjoy talking to him about wines.
The wine list at Bencotto has expanded and even received an award from Wine Spectator magazine. However, the wines at Bencotto are still too expensive. For instance, some of the bottles at Bencotto are more expensive than the three-Michelin-star restaurant Per Se in New York City. Consider a bottle of Barolo Carobric 2001 by Paolo Scavino. At Bencotto the price is NT$12,500 (including service charge), and at Per Se the same bottle is around NT$11,000 (including service charge and tax). The Barolo Brunate 2009 by Vietti is NT$16,500 at Bencotto and NT$15,800 at Per Se. Per Se has one of the highest mark-ups for wines in New York City, and it is unthinkable for Bencotto to be more expensive.
The prices at Bencotto are crazier if one compares them to restaurants less fancy than Per Se. For example, a bottle of the non-vintage Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose is NT$10,120 at Bencotto and around NT$7,600 at the two-Michelin-star Italian restaurant Marea in New York City. A bottle of Barolo 2013 from Pio Cesare is NT$9,350 at Bencotto, but NT$4,950 at a fine dining French restaurant in Taipei. The Pio Cesare Barolo 2013 can be purchased at icheers.tw, an online wine store in Taiwan for NT$2,635 (15% off the retail list price). Assuming Mandarin Oriental can buy the same bottle at wholesale price, the markup at Bencotto for the bottle is around 400%. Why do the prices at Bencotto have to be so high? I understand the need to mark-up wines at a restaurant, but at least do it at a reasonable rate that I can swallow.
The corkage fee at Bencotto is NT$1,000 per bottle. The corkage fee at Per Se is around NT$4,600 (US$150). If Bencotto’s prices for wines are more expensive than Per Se, why not charge the same for corkage? The restaurant is basically encouraging the local diners to bring their own wines. I am not a tuhao (土豪) nor do I like bringing wines to a restaurant with a sommelier. Therefore, I usually just order a wine by the glass with my meal at Bencotto. It's unfortunate the pricing at Bencotto discourages the diners to order and enjoy the wines by the bottles.
While the cuisine and service at Bencotto have evolved, the physical environment has changed very little since I wrote about the restaurant four years ago. The uncomfortable chairs at the tables surrounding the center piece in the backroom are still there. The awkwardly located sitting area remains unoccupied by guests. At least the flat screen TV showing Italian football is thankfully no longer present (hidden behind the cabinet doors). The wine tasting room near the back entrance is now set up as a semi-private dining room. Previously this room with a beautiful wall of wines behind glass was just be a space to be admired rather than used. While the interior of Bencotto is nice, there is room for adjustment. After four years in operation, it is clear that some of the intended purposes and functions in the original design didn't pan out. And since the service at Bencotto is changing with the food, for instance more carts are wheeled around the dining room, it is time to rethink the interior layout. This may require more time, after all physical environment is more difficult to change than the menu.
Bencotto is in a period of transition. The restaurant is changing for the better and moving in the right direction, but it is not there yet. Frassi is a young chef but someone with passion and technical prowess. He is still developing his style. The desire to go beyond the classics and to create new dishes is necessary. After all, what is a classic but an invention that worked? The road to making new classics are paved with failed experiments. Re-inventing Italian cuisine is especially difficult because many iconic Italian dishes are so delicious and entrenched in people's minds, that often times the new dishes feel too foreign or pale by comparison.
Italian cuisine always seems to project a sense of tradition and an authenticity that does not change. However, this is not entirely true. Many things in Italian cuisine that we deem as sacred are not historical but modern inventions. For instance, Spaghetti Carbonara is not a dish from the 19th century but rather an invention from the 1950's. The Tiramisu was first created in the 1960's. The Ciabatta bread that we often see in Italian restaurants all over the world was created in the 1980's. None of these things are in Pellegrino Artusi's iconic book on Italian cuisine, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, published in the late 19th century.
Whether old or new, Italian cuisine is about finding the balance between creativity and simplicity. The mind and the heart are not always compatible. Frassi's cooking right now seems more conceptual than visceral. Many of the dishes are too complicated with too many components. The techniques and capabilities of the cooks are impressive, but they don't necessarily increase the level of deliciousness. Some of the dishes make references to the classics, but I don't know if the connections are necessary. By framing the dishes via the classics, the diners' reactions are bounded; diners are asked to intellectualize the dish (connect the dots) rather than react from the heart. However, eating is not always a rational act but also an emotional one. At Bencotto, I find myself wanting to just enjoy the food without thinking about them too much. The restaurant doesn't quite allow me to do that yet, but it is a very interesting place to dine. I am curious to see how Bencotto will evolve.
