Photo by Alberto Blasetti
The talent of Francesco Apreda is the result of a well-charted course, made up of international experiences, deep roots, and an incredible mastery of raw ingredients and spices. From Campania to Rome, via London and Tokyo, the chef has built an unmistakable gastronomic identity over the years, made up of intuition, study, and influences.
The new spice route
“We have built our identity over the years and I like to emphasize it a little more each time,” says Apreda. “Because what really matters is when you perceive everything about the chef, his experiences, and where he comes from.” It is precisely this awareness that has given rise to “Speziale – La Nuova Rotta,” a menu that embodies the chef’s creative maturity, where each dish is a microcosm of flavor based on spicy, original, and intensely evocative blends.
The menu is a journey in which guests are invited to explore the balanced yet bold use of spices. It begins with a revisited fried montanara, enriched with tomato powder, capers, olives, and friggitelli peppers. To be eaten with your hands, in a primal and convivial gesture. The table is set with hazelnut breadsticks and seaweed bread, accompanied by a burrata mousse flavored with selected spices. Amuse-bouches that quietly begin to indicate the direction of the cuisine: lemon meringue with amberjack tartare seasoned with seaweed, pesto, and sesame oil (slightly spicy), already emblematic of the “speziale” philosophy; endive and bulgur wheat with soy-marinated quail egg and horseradish tempura. Designed to be eaten in a single bite so that it explodes in the mouth.
Next up are the first main courses of the entire menu. The carpaccio of hot-marinated weever, served with scapece, caviar, and Calabrian black anise, is a tribute to seasonality and the local area: a humble fish that, enhanced by spices, achieves surprising complexity without the need for added salt. “Using strictly seasonal products also allows us to exploit the natural flavor profiles to their fullest potential. Just like with weever,” explains Apreda.
The baccalà in olio cottura (salt cod in cooking oil) is surprisingly elegant, served with coconut cream, lime, friggitelli pepper strips, and a spicy blend of sesame, Roman mint, and chili pepper. It is accompanied by Feral n.2 Ginger Juniper, a surprising non-alcoholic drink made with white beetroot and Sichuan pepper, highlighting the continuous dialogue between cuisine and research into pairings (almost always focused on small producers). Contrasts, strong flavors, and an important chewiness can be found in the steamed tapioca ravioli stuffed with cress and goat cheese, topped with veal tendons (cooked in soy and chili pepper) and marinated mackerel. The interplay of textures and the refined use of muscovado sugar to caramelize the fish’s savory flavors are immediately apparent. This is where the Pepper Nice blend comes into play, a spicy collection of paprika, bell pepper, and chili pepper.
As in the best stories, we take a step back in time among memories and habits that remind us of home with the lumachine di pasta. Cooked in squid extract, topped with black olive foam and julienne squid with wild lemon, they speak of the chef’s childhood in Naples and Sunday sauce. But with a modern and refined interpretation, flavored with the Sabbia Salata blend (capers, olives, tomatoes, and friggitelli peppers) to evoke the scents of the Vesuvius region.
Speziale – La Nuova Rotta is an invitation to let yourself be guided by the expert hand of Francesco Apreda, among flavors that surprise and tell stories, even personal ones. Just like the lumachine: on the one hand, a pasta shape linked to his childhood memories, on the other, the echo of his mother-in-law’s home cooking, who used to prepare pasta with cuttlefish and mantis shrimp sauce on Sundays. A journey where, however, it is the spices that intrigue the guest, infusing dishes made with the finest Italian ingredients and giving them a cultured international flavor. The second course is steamed tub gurnard, breaded in tomato powder and breadcrumbs, accompanied by a daikon salad with beetroot and matcha tea. To finish, fish pot with mussels and gallinella reduced sauce enhanced by the Curcumax blend.
The dessert is a manifesto: rhubarb soup with orange juice and pulp, topped with amaretto ice cream. It is accompanied by dark chocolate fritters and pickled rhubarb. First, you are immersed in the deep flavor of chocolate, then you emerge with the freshness of rhubarb. This is how a meal should end. The dish is enriched by the Sweet Dreams blend, which, with star anise, juniper, and green cardamom, balances bitterness and acidity with warm, enveloping spices.
“We wanted to create a vegetable dessert that would impress with its sweetness, spices, and bitterness. We apply our philosophy of flavor to sweetness as well, so we don’t use sugar with ingredients that are naturally very sweet,” explains chef Apreda. The dish is finished with a faux white chocolate and hazelnut olive and a lentil wafer with lemon curd, peach alchermes, and white chocolate filling.
The evolution of Idylio by Apreda, from its new location to its new direction
Idylio by Apreda – a Michelin-starred restaurant owned by the Pacini Group – is the Roman home of chef Francesco Apreda, located in Piazza dei Caprettari, in the heart of the capital. The restaurant, part of The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel – Autograph Collection, stands out for its contemporary elegance and large windows that flood the warm orange tones with light.
“Since we moved to our new location, we decided to embark on a new path, which is to further enhance the Speziale experience,” says Apreda. Today, the blend is presented to guests through an immersive dining experience, allowing them to smell, touch, and experience it before even tasting it on their plate. It is a true ritual that is repeated with each course. The blend arrives in a beautiful glass bowl, you smell it, listen to the explanation of its composition, and then taste the dish. It’s a bit of a game, a challenge to recognize the aromas and flavors. And perhaps this is the real new direction, which no longer belongs only to the chef but also to those sitting at the table.
In addition to the full menu, for those who prefer a more flexible approach, there is the option of choosing four dishes from the Speziale and Iconic Signature menus. This is the perfect option for those who want to explore the spicy world of Apreda in their own way, perhaps at lunchtime, when the atmosphere is more cosmopolitan and relaxed, but still refined. The menu also features Idylio’s iconic dishes: dishes that tell the story of Rome and its homeland, Campania. Always reinterpreted through his spicy and cultured gaze.
This is precisely the essence of Idylio by Apreda’s cuisine: spice. As the chef himself says: “The aim of this new menu is to convey our relationship with spices to our customers, taking them on a new journey marked by our more mature awareness and identity.”
CONTACTS
Idylio By Apreda
Piazza dei Caprettari 56/60, Roma;
Phone. 06.87807080;
Dining and Cooking