A dash of the old and the new at Mi Piace

It has been said that the only way to truly savor good Italian food is to enjoy it as more than a cuisine, but as a passion. The same can be said for cooking Italian food as well, for the best dishes can only be served by one who passionately enjoys his craft. Such is the case with The Peninsula Manila’s newest culinary find and the new head chef of its Italian restaurant Mi Piace, Michele Mingozzi.

Born in the small town of Ferrara, which he says boasts the best bread in the country, chef Mingozzi has always loved to cook. His earliest influence in Italian cooking came from his grandmother who loved to prepare traditional Italian cuisine, like old-time favorites spaghetti and lasagna. He took what he learned from her and began an eight-year foray into traditional Italian cuisine. He realized that he enjoyed creating new ways to enjoy conventional Italian food and introduced a cultural fusion into his cooking, mixing in different techniques he picked up working in a variety of locations, such as the Restaurant Schwarzwaldstube in Germany. This Italian always finds his way back home though, and headed straight to The Peninsula Manila from Italy, having previously worked as the winter sous chef of Restaurant Montagnoli in his homeland.

I had the chance to sit down with chef Mingozzi after a tantalizing meal of tomato, mozzarella, and basil terrine, sweet pea soup, gnocchi crepes and lamb, Angus beef in red port wine with mashed potatoes, and a wide array of delectable desserts.

I discovered that the handsome cook lives his life the same way he prepares his meals. Like most chefs, Michele Mingozzi has traveled to many different cities and has experienced a wide array of cultures. He believes that his traditional Italian heritage has been influenced in many ways by the places where he has worked, most specifically Germany and France.

This is chef Mingozzi’s first time to work outside Europe and he is eager to introduce his style of fusing traditional Italian food with new and contemporary cooking styles to Filipino diners.

He loves to be creative and in his own words "play with food," as he experiments with taste and presentation – like a light sprinkling of squid ink in otherwise plain cold pea soup, or a touch of tomato jelly between layers of fresh basil and creamy buffalo cheese. Monotony has no place in chef Mingozzi’s kitchen and he is constantly changing and learning. Many of his delectable dishes are characterized by the light savory tastes of fresh Italian ingredients such as Parma ham, parmesan cheese, ripe plump tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and herbs, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil from Tuscany.

For those yearning for a twist to traditional Italian favorites, the new and original cuisine of Mi Piace, as dished up Michele Mingozzi-style, is definitely a must-try.